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HybridZ

Pro Comp Gauges Installed


DaleMX

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wow,

 

I was expecting the typical install but yours is super clean! love how you used the stock bezels, how did you do that, what all did it take?

 

I blew off the thought of using autometers because I never like how they looked installed! I never thought of mounting them behind the stock bezels though.

 

very nice

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Nice Job!!

 

You must tell how you did it! Also what did you do about the turn signals and the high beam indicator? Please put something together so that others can do the same to there cars. My tach and speedo are AFU so I will be doing something like this in the near future.

 

HB280ZT

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Thanks guys, it really wasn't hard at all. I just removed the stock autometer bezels and pulled out the guts. Then the plastic housing that the gauge is mounted in fit pefectly into the stock bezel. I taped the outside of the housing with electrical tape to make sure it didn't move. I used green led's for the turn signals, but left the brake and highbeam indicators out. There was room in the tach for the highbeam and I will put that in if it ends up bothering me. Here's a link with some different pics. I have more details and pics that I can post later. I got the gauges from Jegs. They are expensive and you really think twice about prying off the housing with a screwdriver!

 

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=97874

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Nice pictures! Just one more question for now. How did you get the trip reset to work correctly? Because on my 77 the bottom of the factory gauge comes out at an angle making it seem like the post on the new speedo will not work. So how did you do it? Thanks for the help.

 

HB280ZT

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Nice pictures! Just one more question for now. How did you get the trip reset to work correctly? Because on my 77 the bottom of the factory gauge comes out at an angle making it seem like the post on the new speedo will not work. So how did you do it? Thanks for the help.

 

HB280ZT

 

I just extended the reset shaft with 1/8" dia aluminum tubing. I attached the aluminum with some heatshrink tubing. The trick is to drill the hole in the plastic bezel in the right place. I did that by putting the gauge into the bezel (with the aluminum tube attached) about 1/4 of the way in then marking the spot to drill. Drilled a 5/32 hole and the rest is history.

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Looks great!

 

I think its just the angle of the photo, but it seems the gauges are wayyyy back there. I imagine if you're sitting in the driving position then it will look normal like stock... which is cool.

 

You're very brave to have opened up new gauges like that... :shock:

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I just completed my swap with the autometer gauges in the stock housing, but noticed that the LED's pick up the light from the backlighting and look like they are lit. I am going to paint the LED behind the face to prevent this with thick black brush on paint.

 

Jody

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Good idea, when I have it out to do the dashcap and steering wheel I'll paint the LED's. Yea that is an ugly dash and wheel!

 

I just completed my swap with the autometer gauges in the stock housing' date=' but noticed that the LED's pick up the light from the backlighting and look like they are lit. I am going to paint the LED behind the face to prevent this with thick black brush on paint.

 

Jody[/quote']

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Well since I had not connected any of the wires, I put shrink wrap on each of the lights. Looks like that will be better than paint.

Just happened that I bought the Pro Comps also.. here's pics of my install. I put a red LED in the center for a shift light that I'll run off an RPM activated switch.

 

Overall the install is very easy. DaleMX is right, the install is very easy. I was limited by the LED color selection at Radio Shack. There are smaller, less bright LEDs that I used for the high beam. I used Orange for the brake light and added a couple of more reds for my shift light set-up in the speedometer.

 

Jody

 

 

060305%20024.jpg

 

 

060305%20026.jpg

 

 

 

060305%20028.jpg

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  • 2 years later...

Nice Set up there. I did want to try your set up but was afraid to mess up the autometer since it is pricey especially here in the Philippines that we need to import stuffs.

 

But you have a nice article and I'll keep this for reference.

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  • 1 year later...

Jody, I did an install of an Autometer tach today. It wasn't simple. The tach housing has a rimm at the face that prevents it from fitting into the stock housing. That had to be removed by bench grinder. Then I find out that the autometer housing is not very true. It starts out at 4 1/2" but gets bigger at the front so as to not fit in the stock housing. More grinding. As for mounting the tach, the two studs that are on the back do not match the mounting points in the 240Z. The 280Z mounts differently so that might not be a problem. I relocated the studs. Installed the led lights from Radio Shack and they work fine but even after putting the shrink wrap over the back of them they still look like they are always on. Maybe black paint would have been better after all.

I am buried in wires though. There are 4 lights and that means 8 wires plus 3 for the tach its self. No such thing as a common ground and just one ground wire. I have 5 ground wires, I think I am going to re think it tomorrow.

After the shrink wrap, did you try something else? Or are you just living with it.

Wish I could drive this thing. I just work on it, when I can find the time that is.

Larry

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