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Which are the two most important turbo gauges to have within direct line of sight?

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Old 09-24-2008, 03:06 PM
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Default Which are the two most important turbo gauges to have within direct line of sight?

I'm keeping AC, but plan on sacrificing the two center AC "eyeballs" to put two gauges in...then putting the rest below the stereo...which two should I put in the eyeballs? I have a 94 so already have a proper oil pressure gauge and also have these:

-boost
-pyrometer/EGT
-oil temp
-water temp
-wideband air/fuel gauge

Which two would you put in the eyeballs and are there other gauges I should get that I have not covered? Thanks!
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Old 09-24-2008, 03:18 PM
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I would have to say AFR & Boost because your cluster should have an oil pressure gauge, and it shouldn't be a dummy one because you can invest 30 dollars for a VDO sender prior to boosting.
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Old 09-24-2008, 03:25 PM
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I vote boost and WB as well.
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Old 09-24-2008, 03:26 PM
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"oh ****" and "danger to the manifold" gauges.
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Old 09-24-2008, 03:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Braineack
"oh ****" and "danger to the manifold" gauges.
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& just because this is my favorite, yet unrelated
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Old 09-24-2008, 03:32 PM
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This is a no brainer. F/A and Boost. Both of which you need to monitor if you're pounding your car. Go lean and it pops. Overboost and it will pop. Oil/water/egt temps are great for monitoring, but to me, they're not as important and if there is an issue, it wont be as instantaneous as say, a lean out or a boost creep spiking to 20psi or some ****.

My girlfriends 240sx has her gauges under her stereo and it isnt convenient at all to keep a quick glance on things.
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Old 09-24-2008, 03:46 PM
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VEI dual gauges allow you to display 2 things on one gauge.

I'd say a dual OIL/WATER temp for one... and a dual AFR/EGT for the other.

Any mechanical boost gauge in a single pod holder can be mounted directly to the top of the steering column cover.

Pod:
http://www.superchargersonline.com/i.../vx-cd1200.jpg

Gauges:
http://www.vgauges.com/catalog/index...c0321ef6836067

Dual gauges for your eyeball vents, and boost right in front of you. My NB build will have the boost gauge right on top like I'm suggesting.

If somebody made something like this:http://www.puredieselpower.com/catalog/images/15014.jpg
for a Miata, they'd sell a bunch.

There are universal options:
http://static.summitracing.com/globa...um-g2878_w.jpg
http://www.glowshiftdirect.com/Unive...-Dash-Pod.aspx

You'd want to trim it to sit a little lower, and possibly buy a spare steering column cover off a salvage car and maybe try and intergrate it a little better (sit lower) and what not.
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Old 09-24-2008, 03:46 PM
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Boost and wideband AFR. The only two parameters with the potential to transform your finely tuned engine into a heap of shattered, useless slag in just a second or two, should they go horribly, horribly wrong.
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Old 09-24-2008, 03:56 PM
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Wideband O2 and Boost.
Stephanie
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Old 09-24-2008, 04:15 PM
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The wideband and EGT are my vote. I'd have the Boost nearby too though. Perhaps right in front of me if possible. So, my setup would look like the (imagine really hard and tap your heels together), boost on A pillar or on steering column, as not you avert my eyes from the road too much when glimpsing down. Then the wideband is in the closest eyeball location with the EGT next to it. This way, I can scan all my vitals quickly if I need to and if the car is feeling funny, I only need to glance down at my Boost gauge, which will also show me if my oil pressure is off.
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Old 09-24-2008, 04:20 PM
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Well, on the other hand... If you had the O2 gauge directly in front of you, you'd know right quick if something was off. You only need the boost gauge to see if somethings leaking or borked. My alternate setup would have the O2 in front of me on the column or A pillar with the boost gauge and Pyrometer in the eyeballs. Looking at the boost gauge or Pyrometer only really helps, if something already happened. Sometimes you can catch a problem if something is on its way out, but I'd only look at boost for the thrill of seeing how high the needle goes. I'd want to know what my fuel mix is at all times and having the pyrometer just off to the side keeps everything viewable without mixing my priorities.
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Old 09-24-2008, 04:21 PM
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EGT and boost/vac or water temp
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Old 09-24-2008, 04:38 PM
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FUEL and SPEEDO.

those two seem to be hardest to keep under control in a turbo miata.
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Old 09-24-2008, 06:00 PM
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An alternative to the VEI dual gauges are the SPA DGs:

http://www.spa-uk.co.uk/design/dualgauges.asp

Not cheap, but precise (after calibration) and with neat extra features (warning lights on reaching customizable tresholds, etc.).
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Old 09-24-2008, 06:04 PM
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If you got the $$ to drop on gauges this is hands down thebest way to go IMHO...

http://www.miatagauges.com/
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Old 09-24-2008, 07:17 PM
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Originally Posted by Eiffel
An alternative to the VEI dual gauges are the SPA DGs:

http://www.spa-uk.co.uk/design/dualgauges.asp

Not cheap, but precise (after calibration) and with neat extra features (warning lights on reaching customizable tresholds, etc.).
I have one, some of the best gauges in the world.
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Old 09-24-2008, 09:20 PM
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Agreed, AFR and boost. That is how mine is set up. The gauges are in a DIN mount above the radio, which is a similar location to the eyeball vents. From left to right the gauges are AFR, boost, and coolant temperature.
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Old 09-24-2008, 09:29 PM
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A/C and A/C

Unless you don't like your wife, then A/C and one-of-the-above-mentioned-gauges.
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Old 09-24-2008, 09:42 PM
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Along these lines, I'm a ricer and have a dual pillar gauge pod...which is more important? Boost or Wideband? Which should go on the top pod and which should go on the bottom one...I'm thinking boost on top, AFR on the bottom.
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Old 09-25-2008, 11:52 AM
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Originally Posted by oilstain
A/C and A/C

Unless you don't like your wife, then A/C and one-of-the-above-mentioned-gauges.
Pfft, the wife can have the eyeball on the right for the A/C.
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