Fun with Gauges--all new display on the Catfish
 

One of the issues with dealing with 25 year old cars is that everything on them is 25 years old. My NA gauge cluster with the incredible RevLimiter gauge faces looked great, but slowly stopped working, one bit at a time. The fuel gauge was the worst. So I bought all new gauges online and Jake and I fabbed up some fixes. Long story short:

--purchased some nice, affordable programmable gauges from eBay
--made a gauge face template from aluminum, and then covered it in carbon print sticker
--installed and wired everything up to a mil-spec connector so that the entire dash can be removed with just a couple of connectors needing to be de-coupled
--purchased a GM fuel sender ($21, free shipping) and grafted it onto the stock Miata in-tank system and wired it up
--3D printed out some gauge holders for the extra gauges I wanted to display, and cut the dash to suit
--dialed everything in with dip switches and a little algebra (speedometer calibration)

Here's the finished product:


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...7d60afb3fc.jpgThe new rheostat uses the same Ohm rating as standard GM gauges, and the fuel gauge could emulate the needed Ohm rating by setting the dip switches.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...2b1ebdb5e4.jpgThe float arm was cut so that the float landed in the same place as the OEM float when empty.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...ad2dfbb26b.jpgThe mechanical installation was clean and simple. It's also a simple two-wire hook-up
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mia...9392f4a37c.jpgFully raised, the Ohm rating of the rheostat is within 3 Ohms of what's needed to show a full tank

Looks good. Nice and clean, could probably fool none miata people into thinking they are stock.

Link for gauges?

Pretty much any gauge set will work, to varying degrees. Here's a link to the in-tank fuel level sender unit:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fuel-level-...cAAOSwS51Zi2Xh

Now if you've got a race car and your fuel gauge doesn't work so well, simply get a 0 - 90 Ohm fuel gauge and wire it up to this inexpensive unit.

Here's the gauge link:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/252015580634?ViewItem=&item=252015580634

Please note that I also bought and installed a Hall Effect sensor for use with the speedometer, and installed the sensor magnet on the driveshaft. A simple "L" bracket mounted to the PPF held the sensor next to the shaft. The Hall effect sensor will not read the magnet if it's mounted on the wrong side.....that one stumped us for a while. :)

Here's a link to the Hall effect sensor:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/2X-Hall-Effect-Sensor-Proximity-Switch-NPN-w-magnet-LED-Arduino-Ships-from-USA/151885095836?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid =p2057872.m2749.l2649

Nice gauge solution Cord! I like the full sweep on the small gauges. Most ebay kits are not.

But why did you not just buy the GPS sensor for $38 instead of making the hall sensor setup? Need accurate tire speed for proper burnouts?

wow, these are way cheaper than speedhut gauges. Are they EL or LED back light? I've heard of problems with EL units over time but it's just conjecture.

The item description says led lighting...

Wow those look nice!