Don't go with amps!  An ammeter requires that every electrical connection
short of the starter has to go through the ammeter first. I had a '72 Toyota
that the p/o had done this.  Late at night it shorted; all 60 amps from the
alternator created the best fireworks show I'd ever seen.  Luckily she didn
t burn up.

In 2 cars I have an outside temp guage.  Certainly not critical but
interesting to watch the changes, and...it's great a predicting frozen roads
on those "gee is that just wet, or is it frozen?" nites.

Gary

-------Original Message-------

From: Greg Marshall
Date: Wednesday, October 24, 2001 11:06:57 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: guage choices.

I'm about to undertake the process of installing a trio of guages in my
82 air cooled van. I'm putting in an oil temp and oil pressure guage,
but I can't decide on the third guage. Volts? Amps? Cylinder head
temp? What do you folks suggest? The other possibility is using the
third space for a 2 1/16 vdo clock, and replacing my big dash clock with
the tach out of a newer van. How difficult a process is installing a
watercooled tach in my aircooled van? Do other air cooled folks think
having a tach is worthwhile?

I would also be interested in seeing any pictures of peoples guage
installations. tanks for your inpot bus people!

greg,

82 vanagon westfalia, newly de-rusted, touched up, re-exhausted, tuned
up and cleaned out.

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