**UPDATE (with pics) on page 2** Marcquito's Dash Swap
07-02-2008, 07:10 PM
#31
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ive seen it done before- some swedish guy i think- alot of work for sure. I wonder if you could fab up your own gauge cluster and use your stock gauges just remove the cone shaped clear covers so they look more like the stockers. I have some trim stuff laying around if you need anything- a-pillars etc...
07-02-2008, 08:39 PM
#32
No, not Mosquito!
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great work so far! Looks really sharp. One other option for the dash is getting a standalone ECU like Motec or AEM and getting a digital dash to go with it (I think that a company named AiM makes a bunch of models). It would probably look a little more racecar-ish, and you would have to tune the ECU (great time to add a turbo to the engine too!) but I htink the end results could be pretty sweet and it would save you the trouble of fitting a bunch of gauges into that space (the ones I'm thinking of are basically multifunction LCD screens with the circuitry to read a bunch of sensors and output from the ECU)
As for the idea of using the original gauges- I'll pass. My whole idea behind this was to get away from the early look, and I've got the ugliest gauges on earth: The yellow/black VDOs. Bleugh.
07-02-2008, 10:32 PM
#33
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When I think of digital dashes, I think of the mid-eighties corvette, and the twin power bands going up and down like a graphic equalizer. Now THAT's "bleugh". Obviously, that's just my own taste, though.
07-02-2008, 10:44 PM
#34
No, not Mosquito!
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07-03-2008, 01:16 AM
#35
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Sure...I don't really have any installed pics, but check out this site...I think it's AiM's top of the line unit:
http://www.racersedgeinc.com/racerse...64?open&id=3.4
and the MoTec:
http://www.motec.com/products/dash/sdl.htm
For what its worth, many consider MoTec ECU's to be the creme de la creme of standalone ECU's...I believe that the M4 (http://www.motec.com/products/kits/m4_kit.htm) may even work with Porsche reference sensors, but I don't know for sure so you would want to double check that. It does have some pretty cool features (traction control, launch control, boost control)....it would be a pretty sweet addition to the project, but to be fair, adding a standalone ECU is a pretty significant task. A MoTec ECU and dash would be really sweet though
http://www.racersedgeinc.com/racerse...64?open&id=3.4
and the MoTec:
http://www.motec.com/products/dash/sdl.htm
For what its worth, many consider MoTec ECU's to be the creme de la creme of standalone ECU's...I believe that the M4 (http://www.motec.com/products/kits/m4_kit.htm) may even work with Porsche reference sensors, but I don't know for sure so you would want to double check that. It does have some pretty cool features (traction control, launch control, boost control)....it would be a pretty sweet addition to the project, but to be fair, adding a standalone ECU is a pretty significant task. A MoTec ECU and dash would be really sweet though
07-03-2008, 04:47 AM
#38
RL Community Team
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New VDO gauges would look very nice. I only mentioned 924S gauges because they have the same exact font as 944 and 911 gauges, and the 911 gauge colors. Oh yeah, and you can probably assemble a whole set for only $100-150.
I like the yellow gauges
but most people don't.
I like the yellow gauges
but most people don't.
07-03-2008, 08:28 AM
#39
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Just do this from www.autosportfl.com Of course you wont have heater/AC/stereo.... but you will have workign gauges!!
Last edited by Spidey944; 08-18-2008 at 08:44 AM.
07-10-2008, 12:34 AM
#40
No, not Mosquito!
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Ahhh, well I finally received my a/c cold & heat unit (what's that thing really called anyway?) from Judson 951, so I can actually get a grand idea of how it fits under the dash and what metal must be removed. Some corners need to come off- nothing an air tool or two and a sawzall can't fix. I only worked on it tonight for maybe 2 hours. All I got finished was removing the old a/c lines from the engine bay and cutting some metal away from inside the cabin. Tomorrow the unit should be hung into place and fit with the dash. I'll try to take some pics of the work. The metal work is a bit tedious and time consuming; definitely not something for the normal wrencher to do.
I'm also toying with the idea of a battery relocation. This would not only further protect the battery but make the under-the-hood appearance even more attractive and less cluttered. I don't know yet. We'll see.
Updates with pics soon.
I'm also toying with the idea of a battery relocation. This would not only further protect the battery but make the under-the-hood appearance even more attractive and less cluttered. I don't know yet. We'll see.
Updates with pics soon.
07-10-2008, 06:35 PM
#43
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Marcquito i`m watching u closely..mine is undergoing same ...84 swaping with 89 late dash...i`ve got some pics if u like to see .it is my car almost stripped and the donor car.. I WILL HAVE tons of questions..what u cut where how much..
http://gs268.photobucket.com/groups/...GVRTJ/?first=1
http://gs268.photobucket.com/groups/...GVRTJ/?first=1
07-10-2008, 06:43 PM
#44
No, not Mosquito!
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Marcquito i`m watching u closely..mine is undergoing same ...84 swaping with 89 late dash...i`ve got some pics if u like to see .it is my car almost stripped and the donor car.. I WILL HAVE tons of questions..what u cut where how much..
http://gs268.photobucket.com/groups/...GVRTJ/?first=1
http://gs268.photobucket.com/groups/...GVRTJ/?first=1
Keep me posted, I'm interested in your work as well.
07-11-2008, 04:23 AM
#45
Rennlist Member
I think it's bad *** you guys are doing something that most people say can't be done or is dumb to do. The late model dash looks real nice.
I don't know though. After having my early 85 for a year and a half the old style dash grew on me. It seems to be much more, sport oriented I guess. With the seperate gauges and the 3 on the center console. It seems to be a thing that car makers are going back to in newer sports cars. I would have liked mine better in black instead of brown though.
I don't know though. After having my early 85 for a year and a half the old style dash grew on me. It seems to be much more, sport oriented I guess. With the seperate gauges and the 3 on the center console. It seems to be a thing that car makers are going back to in newer sports cars. I would have liked mine better in black instead of brown though.