Custom dash in a first gen, how to do it?

Begle1

Begle1

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Nov 18, 2007
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My original instrument cluster is now down to a functioning voltmeter and oil pressure gauge.

Any insight on the best way to go around to making a full-custom setup? Is Dakota Digital worth the dinero?

I'd like to get a GPS-based odometer/ speedometer, and I'd certainly like to move my boost pressure gauge and pyrometer down off of my A-pillar. I'm undecided on whether I want to keep the tach on the dash or not.

So I need:
Speedo/ Odo
Boost
Pyro
Volts
Oil
Tach (maybe, probably not)

I can probably live with relocating fuel level and coolant temperatures, since those have already been moved along with transmission temperature.

I don't know whether I want to cut out the three holes and make one giant hole... Or loose the wood grain bezel entirely... Or try to get all the gauges I want behind the stock plexiglass.
 

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I used to just use my cell phone.
In a cup holder and I'd brace it with crumpled up paper towels, or fast food to go bags.
 
I need something I can call a "functional odometer" to pass safety inspection, and by the time I glued a cell phone to the dash then that's what a GPS odometer is anyways, right? I'm getting really tired of taking my dash apart every year to make my odometer "functional". Here are pictures from the last three years.

The problem is that something falls off the instrument cluster every time I "fix" it.
 

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I ran a Garman in my 1st Gen. it had a resettable odometer in it.
 
Begle1 said:
How so?
I haven't had a reliable speedo or odometer for the last 15 years so I'm not exactly a demanding customer.
Click to expand...
Because they use GPS satellites.....slow to connect, don't connect when the antenna is covered by something, etc.
 
Like how custom? I loved my Dakota digitals. There is another company I follow that is similar. Let me see if I can find a link.
 
I looked at the Dakota Digitals and decided that for the money and I can better myself.
But I don't know what to use for a speedometer/ odometer, so I need to start with that and go from there.
 
So you are ok with the VFD look and don't care about analogy faces? What about full displays?
 
Aw man, they actually make a "drop-in" for first gens.


Hrrrrrg I only wanted the speedo/ odo, and to get boost and pyro into the dash, but that's pretty tempting.
If only it was programmable enough so I could do something like switch between coolant temp/ oil pressure and EGT/ boost pressure. I don't need to see fuel level all the time, especially with my dual tanks. I'm fine with an idiot light for voltage.

Why does they talk about tachometers? Does the display have a tach display mode?
 
Begle1 said:
Aw man, they actually make a "drop-in" for first gens.


Hrrrrrg I only wanted the speedo/ odo, and to get boost and pyro into the dash, but that's pretty tempting.
If only it was programmable enough so I could do something like switch between coolant temp/ oil pressure and EGT/ boost pressure. I don't need to see fuel level all the time, especially with my dual tanks. I'm fine with an idiot light for voltage.

Why does they talk about tachometers? Does the display have a tach display mode?
Click to expand...
I'm gonna guess the tach is the bar graph and the speed it numeral display.
 
I asked them for the "manual" and got the attached.

I don't know. I'd need to figure out a way to make the tach work, the speedo isn't GPS based so I'd need to figure out a way to make that work too, and it doesn't seem like I can program the gauges to display how I'd want them to display.

Not quite flexible enough I'm afraid.
 

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So I've been thinking about this, I'm curious how DIY you want to go.
If you want a project, I've been working with an ESP32-S3 development board and started using the Squareline Studio IDE which utilized LVGL. Check those out on YouTube and you will see the utility it provides.
This would take a significant amount of coding for a novice like myself, but is doable.
 
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