In Dash Voltmeter

I want to put a voltmeter in dash. I've done a search, and decided to try and have one made.

I'm going to take an oil pressure gauge I bought, and remove the face, bezel and needle. I'll have the guts of a voltmeter put into it, and then have the voltmeter refaced to look factory.

Here's what I'm starting with:

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac79/Kidasters/da94d17d04069d384b12edcd1a798d1b_zpsa8f0d541.jpg

And here's what I hope to end up with (but nicer):

http://i887.photobucket.com/albums/ac79/Kidasters/1264e755-6767-4fde-93f2-1fe4f7de0c26_zps662f0cb9.jpg

I plan to remove the clock and use that space for the voltmeter.

I'm talking to PA Speedo about the work right now. Hartmut is already worried about the silkscreening, because of "lack of interest". So, how about it guys - is there interest here for this?

 

i've often thought about replacing the oil temp gauge with a voltmeter.

 

yeah - but I think oil temp tells me something useful. I have a phone and a watch to tell me the time.

 

the first question i would ask myself " will i really look at the voltmeter all that often?

a simpler less costly solution is to buy a plug-in meter for the non-used cigarette lighter
which will tell you the same info as one in the dash.

when not needed, toss the meter in the glove box.

personally i'd rather have an oil temp. gage, preserving the oem installation and potentially
more informative.

 

In all of my other old cars - I look at the voltmeter every time I drive.

 

???
Of what use is a voltmeter??
I've moved the oil gauge up in the cluster besides the water temp. I will not give the the engine full throtle or or high rev before that needle has moved. The fuel gauge took the place of the oil temp and the seatbelt light now flashes when fuel is low.

 

I happen to find voltmeters useful,as it relates to what the charging system is doing, as well as the current battery charge. I relocated the clock to a new panel I made & installed below the radar detector, itself below the radio; the voltmeter is an NOS unit of the same type & style-orange lettering, etc.- of the other instruments, which I bought from an Italian supplier, and had shipped here. It even has a matching bezel! The orange lettering on the other, original dial faces is faded, but then again so am I. Oh well. The new voltmeter- still in its original box- cost about $65, cheap! Also fitted in the new panel are an extra cigarette lighter/power supply (cell phone charging) and a USB port to supply sounds to the radio. I also fitted a simple on/off toggle switch (seen on the right side) to disconnect the clock from the battery, to eliminate drain on the battery when the car isn't being used for awhile.

Cheers,
Rich
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These changes should be reported to the ferrari police.

 

Here's a Veglia Borletti OEM all ready for you in the standard size

Veglia voltmeter, 12V, 52mm, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia, Ferrari, classic car. | eBay

 

That's the same one that I bought. Boxed up today to send to PA Speedo tomorrow.

Will update as I go.

 

I'm interested. Thought about it for years. I have two junkyard voltmeters sitting around for this purpose. Bought a glass lens for clock without the hole. Plan was to gut the clock and install a junkyard voltmeter and silkscreen locally. Or buy gauge like you did and gut. Never got around to it. I have used a voltmeter in the cigarette lighter since almost day one of ownership.

PA Speedo scares me only because I think they will make a $800 voltmeter which will look great.

 

They'll have to catch me, first!!!

Cheers,
Rich

 

That's the one...and cheap, too! Go for it!

Cheers,
Rich

 

Yep.

Hartmut said the silkscreener they used for 20 years just passed away, and they have to farm out that work. It could get pricey. They just did a custom one for a Maserati, and it was $400.

At the same time, I think if they can do it the way I want, it will look fantastic.

The mailman is carrying them that way right now.....

Ken

 

Maybe you are more picky than I am, but I was thinking of just making a stencil of a battery and using white spray paint over the black. The stencil would be adhesive backed to make sure the edges are crisp. Obviously silk screen is more reliable.

If the guts of the voltmeter you have are close to a drop-in to the oil gauge and the needles transfer, it seems that you are paying PA a lot just to silk screen a battery symbol.

Anyway, I don't want to be a detractor. You are actually doing it and I'm just talking about it. Can't wait to see what you learn.

 

Nah - no worries.

I've had PAS do a lot of work for me before. I'm a hack, and I don't want this to look like a hack job. I know that, if they can get the silkscreen work done the way I want it, the gauge will look factory perfect. And that is above my ability, but that's what I want.

Hope to hear from Hartmut by the end of the week.

Ken

 

The 328-style voltmeter currently for sale on eBay is one that matches the other instrument faces in 328's; orange on black. I see in your profile that you have a 308, instead. I assume the dial colors and layout on 308's are different (sorry that I don't know very much about the earlier cars!), otherwise, why not just get one that doesn't need modification. I assume you wouldn't want one with a different color face...????

Cheers,
Rich

 

Yep - I have a 308. I want one where the font on the face, the needle and the bezel matches the rest of the instruments.

 

Thanks for that link. Once this arrives, my clock goes away. Thing never worked right anyway.

 

$3.
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I have used Palo Alto Speedo in the past, more recently, I used a shop repairing vintage gauges, I highly recommend them.

John Wolf & CO, Inc, 36420 Biltmore Place, Willoughby, OH 44094
(440) 942-0083

My 2 cents:
yes on wanting something more usable than a clock that's only right twice a day, but I want it to better match the Ferrari gauges in face and hand sweep. (left to right)

 

This is brilliant, and for only $3.

Far more expensive but another solution is to use the included voltmeter in the Escort 9500ci, and you get radar and laser detection! Get a radar mirror and you can route the display to your rear view mirror.

 

Maybe getting Palo Alto to look at your clock...mine is original, never repaired and accurate to better than 5 seconds per week...maybe I'm just lucky...but I find that more useful than a voltmeter.

Ciao!

Hannibal

 

But what would I do with the clock in the radio, check the accuracy of the Ferrari clock?

 

Update: Hartmut says that the Veglia voltmeter (the one that looks fine in a 328) can't be used. It isn't "deep" enough to use the face off of the oil pressure gauge. What he's doing is cobbling together something with VDO parts (internals), but using the face, needle, bezel off of the oil pressure gauge I sent him. Right now, he's working on getting a quote for the artwork/silkscreening - which is the most expensive part of the job.

It sounds to me like, with the cost of the NOS oil pressure gauge I started with, this is going to set me back close to $1000. At the same time, I'll have a voltmeter that looks factory perfect. To me, that's worth it.

Hopefully, next update is the finished product.

Ken