That's a really interesting expression of the purpose of gauges in general. I have traditionally been a gauge lover myself. Had a tach, head temp, oil pressure, and voltmeter installed in my old '73 Westy once upon a time. I have fantasized about adding various gauges to my '89, but you are right in that they're one more thing to worry about. I probably look at the stock coolant temp gauge more than I should anyway, and I almost never look at the tach. In some sense, they are distractions to the drive. Better to keep your eyes on road than on the dash. Do you want the interior of your van to look like the space shuttle?

Still, knowledge is power, and all that. The gauges allow the driver to get a wider range of feedback from the car. The question is whether that feedback is necessary.

-Jarrett
89 Westy

On May 9, 2012, at 11:21 AM, Stuart MacMillan wrote:

> Fat lot of good that gauge was...  the gauge was just something to worry about.