What kind of gauges do I need for racing? I was looking at the Defi BF Series gauges. Does anyone have these? Please so me some pics of your setup. Thanks

 

What kind of mods do you have....and what kind of "racing" do you plan on doing?

If you are just doing a few track days with a stock car, you dont really NEED any.

 

There are already several threads concerning gauges. Do a search for info already disseminated.

 

Actually I'm not in favor of asking others to just do a search as those threads seem to die out and may not have the latest thinking. I welcome this topic here on the Road Racing section.

You don't want overkill for gages in racing. Always remember to keep it light.. . A shift light is a great thing to have. To be honest, I don't know what a stock Mini S without Nav has for gages... What are they??
Then I might be able to add some comments.

 

The stock MINI S without nav or chrono pack has the speedo in the center and the tach on the steering column. It has no gauges for boost, oil temp or pressure, water temp, voltage, air/fuel ratio, cylinder head temps, etc. IMO, oil temp is probably the most important, followed by oil pressure. The rest are for show or for monitoring of race-prepped cars.

 

(currently at the top of the page)

http://www.defi-shop.com/user/user_top.html

 

I also have Defi bf gauges and Defi gauge controller.

I like this setup in this M3 with BIG warning lights. You don't need/want to have to concentrate on gauges while your on the track.

http://www.norcalbmw.com/forum/users..._bens_spin.wmv

 

What if you don't change anything based on the gauges? Then they are demmed useless

Can you adjust your boost ? No
Can you slow down mid race because your oil temp looks high? No

BLING Gauges

 

Can't adjust your boost, but can see where it is and where its been.
Of course you can slow down, and stop if necessary, if you want to save your motor for another race.

Gauges are for monitoring, pure and simple. The more info you have, the better informed you are. Different gauges provide different levels of timely info. Granted some are more esoteric (bling?), but some are genuinely useful.

 

Which gauges would be of true benefit .... To monitor while racing?

Oil Temp? Oil pressure ? Water Temp ?

 

I have not raced - but from my experience on the track (driver schools), oil and water temperature are both more static - it takes a minute for problems to register - time to slow down, pull into the pits. Oil pressure, however, is more immediate, and should be monitored constantly.

 

Although I think oil pressure is a key thing to monitor I think the light will do as good a job as the guage at telling me I broke something.

I like having temperature gauges and I think that the oil temperature registers changes pretty quickly, compared to the stock electric temp guage.

On two occasions when I thought the the car wasn't running quite right the boost guage showed me low boost, and no boost (no vacuum either). Both times were a result of blown off vacuum lines.

Ziptie all you vacuum lines if your going to the track.

 

I really want to get a few aux guages. But..I heard that install in a **tch

 

As long as the light is right in front of you. Off to the side may not get your attention fast enough.

 

Haven't raced cars, but can say from many years of motorcycles road racing experience in California that I like to have a tachometer and temp guage. These are the two gauges deemed necessary by and for me. Did I ever drop out of a race because my temperature gauge pinned? Yes. This was done on more than one occassion to save my motors. Did the tachometer help me know whether the engine was running correctly? Yes. This was especially useful when I couldn't hear from all the noise around me, when the engine had a mini-seizure, and when I was losing a cylinder. Based on the cause of poor or funny running I would continue or drop out. These decisions would not have been so good without a tach. Know that I didn't use the tach for when to shift. I'd shift when power began to sign off. I only looked at the tach when I thought the enigne wasn't running right.

Would there have been more damage, expense, and mayhem if I didn't have these gauges? Yes and not just mechanical. Sometimes you crash when things don't run right. That can lead to big "owies" for you (knock on wood).