Dash Design. Input Welcome Please!

[GhoSSt]

Here's the current path I'm taking. The speedo and tach are 3-3/8ths, similar to the stock items. The others asre standard 2-1/16th. This is the layout I'm considering:

http://www.ghostwheeltech.net/gwtfi/volvo/264-dash.jpg

Any thoughts or feedback guys?

[isaac]

That seems to be the 'classic' dash design. It works well, but I'm wondering what you're doing about all the other auxilliary guages. I'm a sucker for a boost guage on the A pillar, as well as maybe a fuel pressure guage or shift light. Perhaps you might consider a led A/F guage in the bottom of the main cluster between the tach and speedo?

[Steve C]

Could I rent your shop and equipment for a few hours a week?
I'm sure it'll look good no matter how you lay it out. We used to rotate our gauges so that when everthing was running in the correct ranges the needles all pointed straight up (not speedo, you know what I mean).

[GhoSSt]

That seems to be the 'classic' dash design. It works well, but I'm wondering what you're doing about all the other auxilliary guages. I'm a sucker for a boost guage on the A pillar, as well as maybe a fuel pressure guage or shift light. Perhaps you might consider a led A/F guage in the bottom of the main cluster between the tach and speedo?

Well, since its not turbo(yet :twisted:), I'm not as worried about the boost/AF. I do have a dashtop 3 gauge pod onthe way from Detroit so that'll give me some room to grow. I looked and looked for a 2 or 3 gauge A-pillar pod, but all I could find are singles. Any idea where I can get a 2 -3?

And, since its a auto, the shift light isn't really an option with the 4L60E tranny, but I am interested in a FP gauge for later N20 use or the turbo issue. Thanks!

[GhoSSt]

Could I rent your shop and equipment for a few hours a week?
I'm sure it'll look good no matter how you lay it out. We used to rotate our gauges so that when everthing was running in the correct ranges the needles all pointed straight up (not speedo, you know what I mean).

Sure. THe drive from Toronto is gonna be a killer commute tho!

Well, this is the front runner at the moment. I also considered a: OOoo design, but I'm still thinking about it.

[swede242]

Its too bad someone doesn't break tradition and make some high quality VDO styled smaller guages. Even something along the lines of the 740 fuel, volt, boost, etc. It would certainly open up other possibilities (like adding ACCURATE guages to the 740s)!

[GhoSSt]

Its too bad someone doesn't break tradition and make some high quality VDO styled smaller guages. Even something along the lines of the 740 fuel, volt, boost, etc. It would certainly open up other possibilities (like adding ACCURATE guages to the 740s)!

I musta missed something. Whats wrong with the 740 gauges?

:o

[swede242]

Well, we know that the boost guage sucks.

And as far as the temp guage:

http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~tcroy/factorytempgauge.htm

I bet some of these instrument repair places could maybe make something......hmmmm.

[Volvo78GT]

NOW!

My #1 suggestion would be a central located tachometer.

I havent gone to R-sport gauges because my tach is in the middle (old style -80 240 cluster) and I'm loving it. I wish it'd be larger but I use it more than a speedo... in fact it IS my speedo! (I know how fast i go in every gear at nearly every RPM) I like central tachs. I like central tachs....

BTW : your design looks awfully similar to the R-sport gauge package...

http://www.pbase.com/image/4853911

You could pick one of those up and sell the gauges and circuit board behind it and use the frame as your baby (standard gauge sizes!) I've got about 5 or 6 and I'm using one that didnt come with gauges... if I ever got around to it.

If I were you and you want to stick with the two large gauges in the middle, ( you could do silly things like this 140 (dif size) : http://www.pbase.com/image/3269495 ... the sky's the limit ... err the hole is. ) I'd do four small gauges, possibly more.

GOOD LUCK! show us how you cut the metal, how you wire it up etc etc. are you using a electronic speedo or what? VDO? (I like the VDO Vision series...)

[stove]

http://www.linkline.com/personal/dbarton/Bil'sR-SportGauges2.JPG

[GhoSSt]

My #1 suggestion would be a central located tachometer.

But, since mine is an auto, isn't the tach less important?

[quote:174f9e6f34]BTW : your design looks awfully similar to the R-sport gauge package...[/quote:174f9e6f34]

Interesting. I've only seen one GT in the yards, and its cluster was gone already. I've got an extra plate, I might have to see if I can get 4 small gauges in like that one.

[quote:174f9e6f34]You could pick one of those up and sell the gauges and circuit board behind it and use the frame as your baby (standard gauge sizes!) I've got about 5 or 6 and I'm using one that didnt come with gauges... if I ever got around to it. <snip> GOOD LUCK! show us how you cut the metal, how you wire it up etc etc. are you using a electronic speedo or what? VDO? (I like the VDO Vision series...)[/quote:174f9e6f34]

I couldn't find anyone willing to sell theirs! Now you tell me! LOL Actually, my biggest problem was that I needed a electronic speedo. I'm a dealer for www.daytonainstruments.com so I'm using their speedo, tach and gauges. The speedo is programmable, so that I can match it up to my GM tranny VSS output.

As for wiring it, I'll probably make up a harness with a couple of junkyard connectors since I have a large supply of GM Metripack terminals, I can crimp up a really nice, factory looking harness in back so that I can remove the cluster with just one plug. The GM body control harnesses are easy to find with 20, 30 and 40 pins and use standard Metripack 100 pins.

[roversweed]

volvo78gt you have r sport gauges? wont to sell one (if it all works)

[ote]

I think water temp is a pretty important gauge to have. That along with a volt meter can prevent overheating (voltmeter creeping down and water temp creeping up = felt failure). Since its an auto, trans temp is also good to have. Heat kills autos.

Shap

[mr.P]

Here's my 240tic from the inside.
It's the newer type of dashboard so the GT inrstruments don't fit 100%, but that problem is now solved by making a metalplate that covers the whole dashboard...(ofcourse not the whole dashboard, but the part where I have instruments. From the lightswitches at the left and all the way to the airouttake at the right)

(notice that I have cruisecontrol...he he :D ...that's very rare in old 240s in Norway and Sweden.)

http://www.stud.ntnu.no/~proysen/Innredning.jpg

http://www.stud.ntnu.no/~proysen/GT%20instrumenter.jpg

[grizlyadams]

Do any of the Volvo dealers sell Rsport stuff (not just dash boards), why didn't they revive the Rsport theam when they started racing again in the BTCC etc?

Griz

[mr.P]

Hmm...they still sell some of the R-sport stuff.
In the 80's f.ex it was very populare to convert a 240engine to turbo...Volvo then sold complete set that included carburettor, plumbing, turbo and everything you needed. They still sell that stuff..at least most of it.
SAM in sweden bought the whole "R-sport department" from Volvo, so they still sell R-sport stuff. And if you order something from Volvo, it's very likely that they order it from SAM.
A lot of things from the R.sport collection is out of production...like seat covers..(hmm..come to think of it..they haven't had the
"R-sport" tag on them for a long time anyway), R-sport shock absorbers and a lot of other things.

By the way...the GT gauges aren't R-sport! Original they are black with yellow numbers..vdo made them for Volvo, and they were fitted in 242GT.
They never had the "R-sport" tag on them then. (that's an idea I've stolen from Dave Barton.. :D :oops: :D :oops: )

[grizlyadams]

The swedish parts of the Sam site are facinating, you can see engines and gearboxes among the mass of swedish but what any of the parts are ? I found a picture of the holy grail of volvo tuning on the Sam site, a Volvo Rsport 16Valve head

http://www.samsteffansson.se/products/images/competition/Topp16VRsport.JPG

Price is: 15495 (what ever that is?)

Griz

[Volvo78GT]

hmm 15495 SEK (I assume is the currency used) is just above 1800 bucks at current rates... now that's CHEAP compared to over-done heads like Unitek or expensive machine shops... I'd like to hear if its still availible and its specs.

[mr.P]

That's cheap, and that's probably not the price for that head...if you have a 16valve head and swap at Volvo..they charge you the same price, but then you have to give your head to them, and you get another in return.
But that's no R-sport head.
The R-sport 16valve head was something Volvo made for a competition 360..it came before the usual 16valve head.
Some guy in Australia bought 500 of them :eek:

[GhoSSt]

I think water temp is a pretty important gauge to have. That along with a volt meter can prevent overheating (voltmeter creeping down and water temp creeping up = felt failure). Since its an auto, trans temp is also good to have. Heat kills autos.

I do have a water and a volt gauge. They'll be going up top in a new cluster pod I got.



http://www.ghostwheeltech.net/gwtfi/volvo/264-dash-2.jpg

So I'll have space for one more gauge when I'm done. I'm wavering between a A/F ration gauge or a tranny temp. . .

[TonyE]

http://194.236.61.194/_upload/240%20Panel%20%231.JPG
http://www.bonetweb.com/erlandsson/pics/green3.jpg

[swede242]

Mr.P: WHAT are those knob/switches sitting above the climate controls? Cool!

TonyE: NICE dash re-do. Thats the best place I've ever seen those guages mounted - makes it kind of like the later 240s- like a subtle evolution of the old to new....and the MOVE: putting switches down low and the radio up high! Too bad you weren't an ergonomics engineer at Volvo 30yrs ago! Did you have any depth issues (thats what she said) with the new radio location?

:P

[Captain Bondo]

I'll second matt on the central tach thing. Definitely the best bet imo.
Not sure the "overdone" comment regarding the unitek heads (that are race proven) was well thought out, and I certaily do not think he is any where near qualified to make such a statement, but the gauges I agree with. ;)

[mr.P]

Mr.P: WHAT are those knob/switches sitting above the climate controls? Cool!

:P

Those knobs are instead of the original fitted knobs. They have a red light each that glows when they are turned on.
In other words...they are:hazard lights, rear demist and some other functions that aren't exatly original... :D :D

[Volvo78GT]

"overdone"

I was kidding you know.