BLKMGK Posted August 27, 2000 Share Posted August 27, 2000 Bummer. AutoMeter is finding some real problems manufacturing the guage series I wanted -> http://www.autometer.com/hp/2000catalog/lunar_series/96_new_for_2000.html I actually got some advance notice on this via an E-mail exchange with an engineer over there and this latest update may actually have been to answer some of my many questions I didn't realize that the material lost life over time but I'm glad they're pointing this out. If they could give a reasonable lifetime I might still buy them (sigh). Looks like it's Ultra-Lites or Phantoms for me! Leaning towards the 4494 tach and 4489 speedo. A shame the electronic speedos don't have trip meters. The Phantom series doesn't have a tach like the 4494 else this would be a harder decision to make... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted August 29, 2000 Author Share Posted August 29, 2000 Got some additional info from the tech. He mentioned that the Phantoms are easier to read at night - I hadn't though t of this! Anyone running the Ultras that can comment? I had bitched to him about no trip meter onthe electronic tachs - surprise they intend to revamp that whole line of speedos to provide LCDs trip and possibly odometers - cool! This is supposed to occur at the end of the year so if this interests you try to hold off. The Carbon Fiber line of guages already have this. I've yet to see one of these in person (pictures look cheesy IMO) but the silver pointers really turn me off. Has anyone seen one of these in person? I may buy one Ultra and one Carbon Fiber to look at - I need a fuel guage now anyway. I may end up trying to put one of their standard mount tachs into my dash - has anyone done this? I want both shift lite and recall - possibly playback (I'm greedy). I can add on crap to do this but all in one is more attractive to me (sigh). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Bayley Posted August 31, 2000 Share Posted August 31, 2000 Hmmm... Phantoms easier to read than Ultra's? That's totally a personal judgement call. I've got an Ultra boost gauge in one car and the same Phantom boost gauge in another (turbo's are fun too). They both look the same at night. However, I used to have a red condom over the Phantom light and that made the needle a little harder to read at night. Green light is noticably easier to read. Never had the red light in the Ultra so I can't say if that would do the same thing. Anyway, good luck. -Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted September 1, 2000 Author Share Posted September 1, 2000 Aw shoot - now you've done gone and made it harder for me to choose again! I like the Ultra 4494 tach for it's recall function. The Phantom series has no such deal. Summit sells a recall box that you can remotely mount so... Yeah, broken record here! I've got Phantoms in my Mustang - like 6 of them. Phantoms are cake to read night or day and what the tech told me had pushed me towards Phantoms (sigh). How hard is the Ultra to read in daylight? How thick is the bezel (sp?) compared to the Phantom? I prefer the thing Phantom style over the thicker style... Has anyone tried mounting a pedastal mount tach into the Z dash? Looks deep enough! Again - broken record but I'd liek to not be the pioneer on this if I can help it. If I am and I do it I'll write it up tho' Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Bayley Posted September 1, 2000 Share Posted September 1, 2000 I believe Jim Biondo has (had) a pedastal mount tach in his car. Can't remember if it was an Autometer or not, but it did have the recall function, and it fit nicely inside the stock Z tach opening. As for the bezels, yeah... the Ultra does have a thicker bezel than the Phanton. However, about a year ago the bezel style changed on the Phantoms. I think they switched from the falt bezel to a more rounded look. I was lucky and got one of the last fuel pressure gauges to match my existing flat bezeled Phantoms. Just a little FYI. I do believe that the new Phantoms still have a smaller bezel that the Ultra's. I could be wrong though... Good luck, and sorry for making this decision more difficult. I'd post pictures of my Phantoms but I'm: a) too lame to buy a digital camera... even a cheap one too lame to set up my own web site -Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted September 2, 2000 Author Share Posted September 2, 2000 I thought I'd seen something about a thinner bezel being introduced and sure enough it's Phantom only! Happy to hear at least one person has been able to do the pedestal mount in the dash. Naturally the pedestal mount with the features I want is offered in Ultra but NOT Phantom! Small shift lite and peak hold - it figures. It would seem that the Phantom series is more street oriented while the Ultra is more track oriented (duh). The Ultra Night series looked neat but sans a speedo and I can't tell if it's even equipped with a light for night driving or if the phosphor is supposed to be it. It's supposedly a sealed unit (shrug) Still pondering but I need at least oil pressure, water temp, and fuel level now! I'm thinking Phantom and just add a pencil shift lite andor Summt peakhold box later. I'll probably hold off on the speedo until they release the LCD equipped versions anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Bayley Posted September 7, 2000 Share Posted September 7, 2000 If memory serves correctly, I don’t think there are any Ultra Speedometers available in 5 inch. I think the Phantom and Pro Comps were the only styles that had 5 inch matching speedo’s. I’m rather ashamed to admit this, but the one main reason I went with the Phantom gauges was because I could get a 200MPH speedometer. Hey, cut me some slack. It’s the ONLY pseudo-poser / rice boy thing I did to the car. Everything else was (still is) function over form. Another cool thing about the Phantom was that I could get matching OIL PSI / H2O TEMP / FUEL PSI / VACUUM / and CASH FLOW (fuel gauge) that would fit perfectly in the stock triple gauge holes in the Datsun dash. The vacuum gauge is the smaller 2 1/16 and is where the radio used to be and the fuel gauge is waiting until the cell goes in. All in all, the Phantoms have a very “unique†look to them. Even when I leave the hood open, every other person that approaches me asks about the gauges first. This could be a draw back though. It seems that a lot of people think that swapping in white faced gauges adds about 100hp to their engine (i.e. Neon’s, Probes, Cavaliers, Rustanks, Honduh’s, etc…) On the other hand, it makes racing people a little easier. They see the 4 inch exhaust tip and the white gauges and they immediately think: “rice!†Ahhh, what they don’t know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted September 8, 2000 Author Share Posted September 8, 2000 Yeah they do - check out 5889 -> http://www.autometer.com/hp/99catalog/phantom/39.html 160mph is fine by me actually. Oh wait - you wanted the Phantom but not the Ultra - here's the Ultras -> http://www.autometer.com/hp/99catalog/ultra_lite/47.html 4489 is what I'd buy. They do make it but it's possible that's it's a recent addition to the line. I'm still waffling to be honest. I've got Phantoms in my Mustang and I saw some other Fords today with them - damn they look sharp. The Ultras would look pretty spiffy too I've no doubt. You just don't see Silver guages as often - especially with the rice factored in nowadays. The Lunars looked to be perfect but alas - not going to happen anytime soon! So, I'm pondering and flipping back and forth. I DO have a cell though so I most certainly need a fuel guage - already ran out once! I'm holding off on the speedo until it's got the LCD tripmeter though. I hear you on the 4inch tip(s). I WANT that badly too but I'm afraid the noise will be sky high once one of those suckers sees real horsepower. We'll see - I'm aways off on that too... Hrm, got any photos of your dash you could post? Used an in-dash tach right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Bayley Posted September 13, 2000 Share Posted September 13, 2000 Check you mail. I sent you a picture of my gauges. Couldn't figure out how to post the actual pictures themself to the board (for everyone else to enjoy), any pointers? -Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pparaska Posted September 13, 2000 Share Posted September 13, 2000 Pics - you have to have them on a web site to be able to reference them. Then, when putting your post together, click on the "*UBB Code is ON" link next to the Reply box to see how to put in links to pics (also urls, email, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLKMGK Posted September 14, 2000 Author Share Posted September 14, 2000 Haven't seen the pics yet - no mail for me S'okay - been in the garage doing fun stuff with insulation and whatnot. Almost done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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