nparker, very nice (and clever) indeed! If I hadn't already dropped the dough and did the install of the PROMINI one, I'd be PM'ing you about now regarding that bracket .


I see that you also made use of the AutoMeter cups, and went with Allen bolts as well... I see no wires also... Very nice!

 

I think you need to set up a small production line and start selling these in time for one to end up in my stocking on Dec. 25th!

Your installation is very clean, and the bracket you fabricated looks like it's a lot simpler and more cost-effective to produce than the molded plastic brackets currently being offered on the market. Congratulations on an elegant solution! How did you route the leads to hide them? :smile:

 

I am interested in this setup. What did it cost. I emailed Eric@helix to find out how much but he did not get back to me yet.

 

Minispider, I would like to know more about the dashboard gauge installs? Did you do these yourself?

 

ATI ePOD www.autotechinteriors.com

 

Nparker....what material did you lose? That looks really nice. I have been debating making a custom one by welding up some steel....dont know yet

Also, where did you get the little brackets to connect it to your holder? Looks perfect

 

Indygomini: The wires are tucked along the underside of the bracket. I didn't have the tube hooked up for the boost gauge when I took the pictures. I used a 6 conductor 22 gauge cable I had from an earlier project.

RallyMINI: I used 1/8" x 1.0" aluminum bar stock you can get from Home Depot. I also used 1/2" round aluminum stock for the uprights. I drilled and tapped the uprights, then pinned and brazed them to the flat bar. The Autometer cups come with the clamps.

I'm looking at re-designing this to give it more flexability for positioning the gauges. Probably won't be until after the holidays though.

Thanks for the props! :smile:

 

That's some very clean brazing you have there!

I dont know how to work with aluminum....only steel so far

 

Clever idea mounting gauges in the dash vents. Does air flow around them? Do the gauges swivel?

Great looking interior! Nice brazing, too.

 

I saw this someplace, It's my personal favorite. I like this mounting so much because you can actually use the cupholders for something.

 

I first saw those cupholder gagues over on MINI2. I think the guy is in Hong Kong. The install would actually be quite easy with the cigarette lighter right there. I bet the visibility while driving is not ideal though, unless they were canted a bit to face the driver...

I finally took some more photos of mine. I'm really happy with how they turned-out! The lighting in the photos suck, but you get the idea...

I guess we are limited to 3 per post. I'll include some of the install, in case others want to try something similar...

 

My shift light slides very nicely between the two Don't know if I will keep it there, but I certainly might...Having driven her a couple times, this mouting technique is rock solid! They are more securely mounted than the tach and column pressure gagues (oil & vac/boost)...

 

That A-Pillar piece does come off when the airbag deploys. I totaled my 2003 Cooper, and the passenger side A-pillar exploded off and hit me in the back of the head. The impact was in the rear corner of the car (passenger side). I spun out in the rain, did a 180 and slid backwards into a cement ditch. At the time, I didn't know the airbag went off. I remember something hitting me in the head (a-pillar piece) and seeing this plastic piece over my left shoulder. I looked at it, like what is this hanging from the ceiling? It was a bit confusing as the dash area had smoke coming out of it (I suppose from the airbag explosion), so I got out quick thinking the car was on fire, but it wasn't.

- Scott

p.s. I only got a small bruise on my right hip, probably from the seatbelt. I was pretty impressed with that after slamming into a cement ditch backwards at about 45mph.

 

Check out our gauge console package!

This Kit includes the intake boost and oil pressure on the "S" model, and the oil pressure and the oil temperature on the Cooper. The DELUXE kit for the "S" includes an electronic boost gauge with high boost play back memory, and programmable over boost L.E.D. warning light The BMP kit includes 2 high quality U.S. made gauges, mounting hardware, correct sending units for your vehicle, pre-wired plug & play harness, and a full set of illustrated instructions for a quick and easy installation. (Sold as complete kits only. Tachometer not included.)

Jason

 

Are the prominis still super expensive?

 

Based on everything you get in this kit, combined with the easy installation, I'd say the price is competitive.

Mention this add and get 10% off!

Jason.

 

Do you have any pictures of the sending units and wiring that need to be tapped in place? Your description and photo make it sound it plugs into the factory wiring harness using the factory sensors, which is not the case, correct?

 

Yah, that always confused me. That would be amazing if it plugged into a factory harness or something to avoid having to plumb things through the firewall to the right place. To me plug and play means you plug it into an existing harness or female plug somewhere

 

If it's the same as the PROMINI one that I got last year, no. Plan on 2+ hours. Plug an play pertains to the wiring, and if I recall correctly not all of the wiring. I believe I still had to find a grey/red wire in a bundle for back-lighting; so not complete p&p. Getting the oil and air pressure source points requires working in tight quarters, but nothing highly difficult at all...

Also, if you price the guages separately, you can see the costs... and the PROMINI set-up wasn't that expensive...

 

each gauge needs ground, +12v, signal and lamp wires run direct to the gauge. Promini bundles them nicely and brings everything out in a harness with connector. that is worth the trouble. You still have to tap into the car sources for lamp, +12v and ground and run sensor wires to each pickup.

 

The "Plug and Play" refers to all the wiring into the backs of the gauges. There is no factory boost gauge so it cannot plug into the factory sensors because it does'nt exist. We have no photos of the senders or hardware that needs to be installed. We do include very detailed instructions.
For what is necessary to complete this install, we make it as easy as possible.

 

Okay the Holidays are over, any updates to share.
I was just looking at Boost gauge installations because thats next for me and came across your outstanding solution. I take it your looking to add something to allow the gauge faces to piviot for a better viewing angle?. So are they the Auto Meter ultra Lite series gauges?