Just installed a water temp gauge in the Delta. Sure is nice to know the temp! Can't stand the warning lights, I believe the temp switch turns the light on around 260 or so, but I'd like to know it's getting hot way before that.

Runs a nice steady 195 cruising around town, and maybe upto 210 idling for extended periods.

Just thought I'd share that, little things like this make me happy.. ..at least until I can afford to do bigger things.

 

X2 on gauges, but I would keep the warning lights as well because you will notice it right away if you aren't eyeballing the gauges all the time.

Waaaay back in my distant youth I used to help someone who raced a Mini in the UK, he and most of his racing buddies used to fit 30psi oil light switches, the engines ran 60psi btw. They probably saved a few motors from serious damage.

Roger.

 

AZ455,
Nice to see another olds fan close to me. Im in PV

 

X2 on the gauges! They are pretty nice to have here in AZ, especially in the summer time.

 

With aftermarket gauges, you can usually index them (rotate them in the hole so they do not sit in their original orientation). When I add gauges to a car, they all get indexed for that car so that during "normal operation" (where the gauges are 99% of the time) the needle on that gauge points straight up. I do not need to continually eyeball my gauges as your brain can pick this up in your peripheral vision. Either the needle is straight up, or you need to look at the gauge and decide what action to take.

Leaving warning indicators is not a bad idea - especially in a situation where your brain has to be so focused that you ignore what you see in the peripheral. That said - most warning indicators are set so far out there that you run the potential of damaging things by the time they come on. While the damage may not be catastrophic, damage can still occur.

Fitting a special use car with warning indicators that have specifically selected setpoints is a VERY good idea, but probably overkill for an everyday use car.

Just my opinion - and everybody knows what is said about opinions ;-)

 

Good point. I may look into that. I keep a pretty close eye on all my gauges generally. My temp light sender was an Airtex/Wells and the spec was it'd close the circuit at 260 and turn on the light, I didn't care for that because I'd like to catch it sooner. But I guess if I'm not paying attention to the gauge it'd be good to know it's at 260 rather than looking down and seeing the gauge pegged at 280!

Wow, that's very close to home, I'm in PV also.. I had looked at your profile in the past and sure thought those woods looked familiar, I spent a majority of my time out there once...

Definitely, I don't see daytime temps over the 90s usually, but it still offers some comfort.

Makes sense to me!

I plan on getting oil pressure and a true voltage gauge sooner or later, but my priorities where a tach and a temp gauge. The tach was added within weeks of getting the car, I can't live without one it seems..