Auxiliary gauges

e21-Mark · Post by **e21-Mark** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 5:13 pm

E21meister wrote:
--ALPINA-- wrote:
What's the digital readout gauge in the right-hand side vent?

That's how high it flies!

--ALPINA-- · Post by **--ALPINA--** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 6:55 pm

E21meister wrote:What's the digital readout gauge in the right-hand side vent?

Its a Stewart Warner digital Programmable/Rev/Shift light, thats the most expensive gauge in my cockpit, 190 squid, but got it imported from US cheaper!!!! Stewart Warner are the best for gauges then VDO and does the job s"Sweetable"

when it comes to gauges there are a whole LOAD OF SHIT flying around on Ebay, the cheap NAAAAAAASTY chinese stuff which id piss on rather than fit.... quality is needed for acuracy.

When the car is cold the pressure is high then drops, oil gets hot, when an oil cooler is fitted then the pressure will remainbelow the starting when car is cold if not at adequte reading, depends on when your driving and how cool the engine gets.

J

E21meister · Post by **E21meister** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 7:12 pm

Stewart-Warner have been around since time, some of their stuff I've seen fitted in rods over the years has been pretty sweet. A lot of the tachos that the pro street crowd use have integrated shift lights. Your VDO gauges are Schweeeeet, I wanna put a water temp gauge in place of the standard one, then have either a DIN size gauge holder underneath the radio slot in place of the ashtray on in my RHD Zender-imitation pad I'm building.

--ALPINA-- · Post by **--ALPINA--** » Thu Dec 17, 2009 7:47 pm

E21meister wrote:Stewart-Warner have been around since time, some of their stuff I've seen fitted in rods over the years has been pretty sweet. A lot of the tachos that the pro street crowd use have integrated shift lights. Your VDO gauges are Schweeeeet, I wanna put a water temp gauge in place of the standard one, then have either a DIN size gauge holder underneath the radio slot in place of the ashtray on in my RHD Zender-imitation pad I'm building.

Thats exactly right, they made gauges as far back for Ford Model T (tin lizzie) and as you says, Hot Rod builders use stewart warner all day long..

VDO is good for german cars i say...

J

--ALPINA-- · Post by **--ALPINA--** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 1:35 pm

E21meister wrote:Hmm, think I need to crack on and finish my wooden buck to make a RHD replica of the Zender gauge pod, there's monies to be made...

If it comes out nice, let me know id like to laugh (joke) would be good to see a RHD version of the LHD pod!!

J

--ALPINA-- · Post by **--ALPINA--** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 1:43 pm

petroscf wrote:someone plz tell me 1) if the ducts still flow air (se my previous above reply) and 2) whether there's a way to fit the pod on the dash without opening new holes-for example how about the lots of holes existing for various screws where the old-not in use anymore-speaker?

......and 3) : Jimi STOP laughing at me....REVERSIBILITY, YES!!!!

Petro, the air does still come thru if you switch the fan on, but not direct cos the gauges are in front but you can still feel it!! i had to modify the heater control panel big time, using a grinder to cut loads of plastic

in order for the gauges to sit far back.. if you really need to fit the gauges then the heater control panel has to come out and all the cabline disconnected, its a mission for two gauges so you really need to want to do it for the hassel.... the holes made at the top for the 3 gauge pod is easy as you screw it down it makes its own thread apart from the front screas where you will need a drill because it has metal plating in the sponge.. see its not as easy as it looks .... the easiest thing out of all is the wiring, if i was to open the pod and you saw all the wiring tucked in there you probably faint..

J

e21-Mark · Post by **e21-Mark** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 4:20 pm

Might do a step-by-step thread with pictures once I get time to actually fit my pod and gauges?

--ALPINA-- · Post by **--ALPINA--** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 6:08 pm

mark what gauges are you putting? VDO? there the best mate!!!

J

pistonheader · Post by **pistonheader** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 7:52 pm

why is your oil temp (or coolant temp?) showing over 170 degrees, yet your normal coolant temp reading on the dash shows it's cold!!

cheers

E21meister · Post by **E21meister** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 8:22 pm

pistonheader wrote:why is your oil temp (or coolant temp?) showing over 170 degrees, yet your normal coolant temp reading on the dash shows it's cold!!
cheers

--ALPINA-- wrote:Hi mark as said, my current stup in my car is below, hope this gives you an idea!! if anything ill guide you thru wiring if your not sure mate!! The oil Temp isn't connected, will be when i fit a mocal oil cooler..

J

As for the Coolant temp dunno, maybe Alpina had just started the car up when he took the pic, the coolant needle is off the blue square, so if it's a K-jet car (can't remember what engine he's got in it) then the revs have just died down to 950rpm after the warm-up dohicky (bit rusty on k-jet) has cut out

--ALPINA-- · Post by **--ALPINA--** » Sat Dec 19, 2009 9:49 pm

I havent connected the oil temp cos the temp sender is the oil sump plug, and when i next do the oil change and fit a mocal cooler i will then connect it, the wiring has been done, just needs to fit the plug and fit wire.

when the temp is connected with out the sender it reads at full as you see in the picture....
my engine is very healthy like a dog with a wet nose, no over heating and over gauging.

J

Rav320uk · Post by **Rav320uk** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 12:28 am

jakebossard wrote:
--ALPINA-- wrote:Hi mark as said, my current stup in my car is below, hope this gives you an idea!! if anything ill guide you thru wiring if your not sure mate!! The oil Temp isnt connected, will be when i fit a mocal oil cooler..

J
where can i find that pod?

Why not build an ALPINA one yourself with what you canbuy, but rather than it looking like what "Alipina" has.
No offence "Alpina", but wht could you not mould those into what was origionally intended??

e21-Mark · Post by **e21-Mark** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 9:10 am

How do you mean? I thought the genuine Alpina gauge pod is just a dash top addition anyway isn't it? Added to which I can't recall seeing a RHD one anyway.

Rav320uk · Post by **Rav320uk** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 11:36 am

To make a guage pod is easy enough, but time comsuming.
The Alpina one iirc comes level with the top of the dash and down to a slope.
Should be easy enough to replicate if you want to go the OEM route.

--ALPINA-- · Post by **--ALPINA--** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 1:08 pm

Rav320uk wrote:Why not build an ALPINA one yourself with what you canbuy, but rather than it looking like what "Alipina" has.
No offence "Alpina", but wht could you not mould those into what was origionally intended??

VDO made a Left Hand Gauge pod but never did for the Right Hand cars.. im happey with what i have on my dash, ive seen a lot of rubbish that dont seem to look good on the e21, the one i have is the best so far out there for gauges, if someone makes a VDO gauge pod (identicle) but for right hand then i probably buy one but for now it dont bother me at all.. ive never see a real alpina gauge set on an alpina at all even from buchloe, its something that people have been plonking on there dashboard and passing it as an "alpina" guage set..

On the E30 alpina fitted an electronic gauge set in the front vents but only the ones that came from buchloe factory, shitty sytner never did that its why if i ever want a real alpina id go to germany and make sure it was built in their factory and bring it back.. here in uk there are loads of bits n pieces that dont get fitted like the factory would do.

J