# Where does everybody mount gauges in an S13?



## HybridAndy (Jul 26, 2004)

I'm getting ready to start on my SR20 swap probably this week and I'm going to order all my parts soon. I'm planning to order a set of 60mm electric peak and hold/warning Greddy gauges (boost, EGT and oil pressure) but I'm not really sure where I'm going to mount them. Greddy sells a mount/band to hold the gauges and I'm considering just mounting them to the right of the stock cluster hump on the flat part of the dash but I was wondering what everybody else is using? 

I've considered the A-piller but I don't have the funds to install a set of aftermarket harness so I'm not sure if I could avoid the stock automatic seatbelt or not. Plus I haven't seen anywhere that sells a 3 guage pod for the S13's. I've even considered fabricating a panel to fit the center vents in the middle of the dash (I'm not planning to keep the A/C with my SR swap so they won't really be nessicary) but I don't know if I'll have the room for 3 gauges or if I could even mount them so they'd be easily readable and still make it look good. Just curious what you guys do with your aftermarket gauges.


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## 180SX-X (Sep 21, 2003)

the greddy one sounds good, also using the vents, but i dont think all three will fit...it dont matter what we think, u should put the gauges where you feel they are most comfortable to you and in easy sight but not a distraction...


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## little240boy (Jan 13, 2004)

i've seen a lot of people mount there gauges in the center piece, right below your climate control panel, or below your deck. a-pillar is nice but i havn't seen one either with 3 pods and also, reminds me too much of fast and the furious


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## Brittany (Sep 3, 2004)

little240boy said:


> i've seen a lot of people mount there gauges in the center piece, right below your climate control panel, or below your deck. a-pillar is nice but i havn't seen one either with 3 pods and also, reminds me too much of fast and the furious


haha, aww whats wrong with F&F? lol JK!.. anyway.. i saw a 3 pod setup for the center dash where the air vents are (i believe), on ebay.. check it out, sorry i dont have a link for u, but i think i saw a few on there. Saw them just today actually. hope that helps a lil.


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## Kelso (Apr 29, 2003)

depending on the size and stuff, you could probably mount one behind the steering wheel , in front of the gauge cluster. then the other 2 could fit nicely in the AC vents.my brother usually cuts holes in his vents for his gauges. I would even suggest cutting out the entire thing with both vents and the center piece and putting a custom back in there with three holes for the gauges.it would look clean i bet.


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## HybridAndy (Jul 26, 2004)

I've never really cared if it looks ricey or dumb, but if it's functional. I had a '92 Civic hatchback with an Integra GS-R motor with a big 5" autometer tach and shift light up in the A-pillar. My base model CX didn't come with a stock tach and it was easy to see up there so I was happy. I guess it's "fast and furious" or ricey or whatever, but I didn't care. A shift light was a far more useful thing than I realized. I'm probably going to install one on my 240 eventually, one of the real thin pencil versions with an RPM swtich.

I don't think 3 60mm's will fit under the radio. I'm actually putting a new dash kit in soon to move the radio down a little (the first kit I bought was for every Nissan/Datsun ever made so it fits like crap and I can't even screw it down or install the radio's trim ring). I should have enough space underneath to install a swtich for the gauge lights and a turbo timer but I doubt I could fit the gauges there.

Since you mentioned Ebay, I did a search and found this.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...tem=7920550375&category=46100&sspagename=WDVW

It doesn't look bad (I'd have to take it to work and powdercoat it black) but if you look at the one pic, I think the reason the 3rd gauge isn't installed is it won't fit without hacking up the dash. I'm also not sure how visible and easy to read they would be in that location (I'd perfer if they were raised and tilted towards the driver). It would look really clean but I want to be able to glance over and check them without having to cram my neck to read them all. I'll probably end up going with 3 of the bracket/cups and just angle them all towards me in the flat, I was just curious if anybody else did something different and maybe had pics.

Hey 180SX-X, do you post on Honda-Acura.net? Your sig just looks familiar but maybe that's from seeing it here.


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## HybridAndy (Jul 26, 2004)

Kelso said:


> depending on the size and stuff, you could probably mount one behind the steering wheel , in front of the gauge cluster. then the other 2 could fit nicely in the AC vents.my brother usually cuts holes in his vents for his gauges. I would even suggest cutting out the entire thing with both vents and the center piece and putting a custom back in there with three holes for the gauges.it would look clean i bet.


Hmm, must have posted while I was typing my reply. I'd perfer to keep all the gauges together so I can just quick glance at one spot and know everything is working properly. I've considered mounting the boost gauge above the steering column, but then I'd either have to block the bottom of the tach or the odometer. I'd perfer not to do that if I can avoid it. I think 3 mounted beside the cluster hump in a \\\ fashion will work nicey if their angled up a little. Now I just need to figure out where on an SR20 I can tap into to get an oil pressure reading.


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## Joel (Jun 11, 2003)

Common places are:

1. Drivers 'A' Pillar
2. Steering column cover
3. Centre air con vent
4. Din panel
5. Drill holes into dash in front of passenger
6. Convert glove box
7. Cluster replacement or overlay
8. On top of instrument cluster cowling
9. On bonnet if you are old school

Ive also seen gauges mounted in the door skins, driver mini air vents, passengers A pillar, centre console ashtray and the coolest of all - the rear vision mirror


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## HybridAndy (Jul 26, 2004)

Cool, thanks man. I think I'm going to stick with just mounting them into the center of the upper dash. I think it will work good and be very visible. How the hell do you mount a gauge in the rear view mirror. I guess you'd only need a couple of wires into the face of an electronic gauge, just mount the recieving unit elsewhere.


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## sultan (Mar 11, 2003)

here's my gauge, blitz 60mm blm water temp, no brackets or anything, it's just sitting there. the cd player has no brackets either.


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## Joel (Jun 11, 2003)

HybridAndy said:


> Cool, thanks man. I think I'm going to stick with just mounting them into the center of the upper dash. I think it will work good and be very visible. How the hell do you mount a gauge in the rear view mirror. I guess you'd only need a couple of wires into the face of an electronic gauge, just mount the recieving unit elsewhere.


maybe offset it to the right a bit - you dont want it blocking your view and i dont think the police will like it.

The rearview mirror thing was in a GTR at TAS 2004. very cool. Yeah most jap gauges have external sending units. I have all electronic gauges - i will never go back to mechanical.


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## HybridAndy (Jul 26, 2004)

Nice tire in the passanger seat too. I've got a dash kit for my radio but it's not screwed down to the actual dash because the holes don't line up and I didn't have any screws (the radio was stolen out of the car before I bought it). Looking at your pic, it would seem that 3 60mm gauges would fit in that center vent area. 

I'm not going to put them above my actually stock cluster but off to the right. Above the vents in that flat on the dash there. Shouldn't block any of the road ahead but allow me to glance at them without really taking my eyes off the road (I never understood the gauges in the glovebox for something like that). I was going to go with a mechanical boost gauge but call me ricey but I'd like my gauges to match and with the eletronic greddy unit, I can get the peak/hold and a warning light functionality with the electronic units. Probably more useful on the EGT than for oil pressure (I wonder if you can set a low warrning on that one) or boost but would be nice to have.


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