Hi Greg,

I have installed some additional gauges and use the space where the ash tray sits to mount the gauges�facing me.

There are alternatives such as mounting them above the instrument cover for easy viewing.

Karl Mullendore has a really neat set up with 6 or so gauges facing him from�a dash shelf added on top of the regular dash.

The next�trick is putting in the sensors for the gauge to pickup.� The oil pressure will be the easiest to find a sender.� Van-Cafe offer a really nice setup�with the sender mounted in the metal shield.

The other gauges such as Oil temp or Coolant temp are another issue.��THere is not a simple sender to jam into the oil drain plug for the temperature.� BusBoys used to offer a neat custom made sender that they machined but this is now�NLA.� I've gone through 3 of those.� They do fall apart when you change the oil and remove them.� I have a machinist buddy in Syracuse that may be able to do the drain plug senders for the Vanagon engines.

OK next is another coolant temp sender.� - good luck there these are all rubber or plastic and no clean way to add another sender but the one on�the thermostat.� On the older�86 Syncros the crossover tower has a plastic plug that�is held in with the same O-ring and clip as the temp sender on the thermostat housing of the non-Syncros.� I have one of those towers and will cobble a temp sender in there one of these days, but I will have to open the coolant circuit to change the cross over tower�near�cylinder #1.� I am not ready to do that yet.

On my old 69 BayWindow Westy, I had cut three perfect holes right below the radio and had the Oil Pressure, Oil�Temp and�Cylinder Temp VDO gauges installed.� It looked real neat and professional.
�
Cheers,Joel Cort 

Rochester NY.

89 Syncro Westy (CinnabarVan)
87 Syncro Transporter (Stella)
73 Westy Campmobile (agent orange)

Founding Member of the Empire VW Camping Club
&
Westies at Watkins - www.westies-at-watkins.org 

________________________________
From: Greg Potts <greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA>
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2009 7:09:17 PM
Subject: Revised dash layouts, incorporating a GTI gauge cluster

Hi Volks,

I have a 1985 cabriolet that I am letting go, and I am thinking that the
gauage cluster would help me keep tabs on the waterboxer. The cluster
includes VDO gauges for oil temp, oil pressure and a voltmeter. I have
these installed on my baywindow and they are VERY helpful.

Anyone have any pointers on how to install these? On my baywindow I was
able to install a similar set right into the dash below the radio, but
the Vanagon doesn't have that space available. No point reinventing the
wheel if someone else has already come up with the perfect solution...

Happy Trails,

Greg Potts
1973/74/79 Westfakia "Bob the Tomato"
1987 Wolfsburg Weekender Hardtop
www.busesofthecorn.com
www.pottsfamily.ca