Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v... Reply #45 – December 03, 2020, 07:52:32 PM The more I look into ammeters the more they seem like a whole world of hassle for not very much gain, plus the type of info. they provide isn't as relevant to modern (read that as cars with alternators as opposed to dynamos) vehicles... shame as I've got one in the style I like. Unless you've a gauge fetish and want them all I think you're right - oil pressure / temp. and a voltmeter are good everyday additions and genuinely useful.Not many cars don't have water temp. already, but if not I'd substitute that for the voltmeter.Non essentials - maybe an analogue clock or outside temp. gauge... VDO also do a few 52mm rev. counters, must look impressive whizzing around being so small.When I was first looking at the single extra gauge I'd got the Scirocco surroundto try and I think size wise it'd work fine but isn't so deep as the marine one. There's also a groove around the outside edge too I think? The marine bezel is just smooth. I was working on inter-web images and small piccies in catalogues so always the chance they used either at different times / applications that I didn't find... plus my peepers aren't the best. 1 Likes
Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v... Reply #46 – December 03, 2020, 07:57:05 PM I am old fashioned boatie, , I would stick a weather vane ,inclinometer, log and a barometer in Last Edit: December 03, 2020, 07:58:57 PM by Damien.wrl
Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v... Reply #48 – December 04, 2020, 09:15:37 AM I did pick up a horizon line gauge from a 4x4 for a laugh, but it was cracked and the fluid leaked out so wouldn't roll.
Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v... Reply #49 – December 23, 2020, 02:12:33 PM Re-hashed the middle console and now doing away with the C-Box, that'll only leave the window switch panel and the 3 x VDO's.Along with the new single, upper gauge should cover all the bases... just have to decide what goes where.As the oil temp. is probably the one I'd be looking at most, at the moment it's for the lone upper mount as pictured below.Beauty of the whole set up is it can be changed around later if needs be.Said elsewhere I've a box of gauges, built up over the years so fortunately spoilt for choice as far as styles go.Going to go for a mix... I've got enough of the ones with the profiled bezels (Night Dials) to do all four, but the jury's out on how that version looks in the upper slot - much prefer the plain bezel one instead (MobilCockpit).Up side is they're both white needles with back lighting as opposed the more usual orange with ambient side lighting that you see on older styles such as the Cockpit International ones.They're both from around the late 1980's, early 90's and discontinued but you see them for sale quite regularly.Prefer the plainer graphics of the MobilCockpit too when up near the standard clocks, better match.There's green silicon bulb caps available that'll help them to compliment the original gauges.When the single holding bracket was originally made up it was done using a random clock as a template, it was only later I realised the fixing points where different to the gauge I finally settled on - had to re think things a little, but it came out OK with a some tinkering.VDO state postive wiring should be at least 16 gauge and earth 14 gauge, seems excessive but I think it's more to do with getting accurate readings when the gauge is a distance from the battery rather than anything else. Means they're bulkier than you'd want or expect, hence the small scalloped cut out to prevent rubbing.Have since found a few more images of a GTiE car with the single gauge in, think it's currently owned by Paul Cowland of TV / Magazine fame?Shows the Marine Gauge surround a lot more clearly. Got to say you'd think it was made for the VW dash surround, lines up exactly with the existing switches / blanks (including depth) and the join lines of the handbrake 'on' light holder, you couldn't have measured it more accurately if you'd tried!Would love to see behind a period installed one, just to understand how they did it. It's not complex, but there's a lot of fiddly, time consuming work... can't have been cheap to do commercially.(That's an earlier MK2 and they look like Cockpit internationals)MobilCockpit style -Night Dial style -This is the Night Dial Voltmeter I put in the 205 - gives you an idea of how the back lighting looks even if it's got an orange cap on the bulb in that piccy.MobilCockpit - Night Dial.The DIN panel for the 3 x VDO's is a Zender one, bit different in that it's ever so slightly angled to allow a better view from the drivers seat. Doesn't look much, and it isn't but does make a difference. The Votex gauge holder won't allow the larger bezels of either the Night Dial or MobilCockpit styles to fit, you seem to be limited to standard Cockpit Internationals or similar.
Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v... Reply #50 – December 23, 2020, 08:11:58 PM You are right the large single gauge pod is a GTi e option I’ll dig out the options brochure I’ve got for mine
Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v... Reply #51 – December 24, 2020, 01:34:17 PM Xmas has come early for me... green bulb caps arrived today.Quick mock up to see all's well before commiting to screwing everything back together again - 1 Likes
Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v... Reply #52 – January 01, 2021, 01:33:20 PM Notable increase in GTIEngineering'ness on the forum recently.Anyone who knows me will also know I've a Zender fetish and by default that also means an interest in GTiE, what with their heavy involvement in the brand during the 1980's and 1990's.Also explains the origins of me re-creating the single gauge holder.Helped having a stack of GTiE's brochures and sales stuff, but things have moved on since then with most of it gone to new homes by now.Anyhow, because of that and a while ago I used the reference material to also re-create some tax disc holders and rear window stickers.The disc holder was a close copy of an original, but the dealer sticker was pure fiction, even though it was based on genuine catalogue graphics / info.They were professionally done on the proper 'cling' materials, so reusable but also proved quite expensive because of the small numbers involved.There were about 10-15 of each and I kept back two sets for myself, with the intention of selling on the others to cover costs.The spares are all long gone and if I had been doing it to make a profit, it wasn't really worth while if I'm honest... so before you ask, no there's no likelihood of a repeat I'm afraid.The keyring was a much later thing. Got the kids a bag of 100 blank pieces off eBay for small change so they could make their own designs and stole a few when they weren't looking.No effort was put into them, so not great graphics but something someone else could take further maybe.These are the images I filed away from the sales, the first two are of what I believe to be genuine items that I filched from the inter-web, (hence small size).The sales photos -Fold over, printable key ring logo if you want to adjust / adapt it to make your own -
Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v... Reply #53 – January 07, 2021, 10:29:06 AM Absolutely baltic here for the last while, maybe manage 30 minutes in the garage before I get an ice cream headache and have to go in.Not complaining, there's a lot more going on in the world than my tinkering with a car - trouble is it means even the smallest thing needed can be a two week wait by post so progress is slow on that level too.When the missing stuff does appear should be able to stitch the interior back together again and have been getting things ready (indoors) in anticipation.After deciding to tweak the gauge set up it meant moving the window switch panel down one on the center console - and it didn't like it.Just a really poor fit, 1980's / 90's molding technology I suppose, but it meant it was just a little too wide for the opening and bowed out quite significantly.Some trimming helped but didn't want to start any major surgery.Polo 6n (and possibly the equivalent aged Seat Ibiza?) button blanks fit the VW panel perfectly, in place of the standard flush fitting MK2 ones. Look better to my eye and meant I didn't have to tamper with the originals either.M6 bolt (10mm spanner) fits exactly into the rear slot of the blank preventing it turning when tightened.Filled the same area with a bath of Araldite which prevents it pulling out.Couple of aluminium strips pulling against the rear lip of the aperture and the panel gets drawn inwards, getting rid of the bow - makes for a nice quality feel too when operating the switches. 1 Likes
Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v... Reply #54 – January 07, 2021, 11:21:55 AM Great little touch with the Polo switches. I'm glad you mentioned that, as I need some too.Finished article looks great!
Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v... Reply #55 – January 08, 2021, 12:52:29 PM Maybe already something people do or know about but incase not...Noticed that some early styles of Land Rover Discovery (and maybe others) window switches seem to be identical to MK2's. Part number of the ones I've seen is AMR2496 - these have the square indentations on the face identical to the Golf but be aware there are others that have triangular indentations instead.There's also a matching style of sunroof switch, part number AMR2471 - seems to just be a window switch other than the graphic is a square window and not the sloping one on the standard item.If they are interchangable it's probably of little use anyway - MK2 switches seem to be plentiful / cheap enough so as not to have to find alternatives?Just be interesting to know... but only if someone's in a position to try a swap over without going to any expense or trouble.
Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v... Reply #56 – January 09, 2021, 10:44:56 PM Not the most flattering angle and only partly finished.Lesson learned on the Peugeot and decided early on that I was going to keep any interfering with the cars original wiring to the absolute minimum.Plan is to effectively have a separate mini loom for all the new gauges (and a few other add ons) that's self contained and running directly from the battery itself. Put a similar ancilliary fusebox into the Pug, this is just the next step up.The RIPCA fuse box has 2 x positive bars ( 6 unconnected terminals each) and a single negative (12 x terminals) - the hope is I'll have 6 constant lives on one side and 6 ignition lives on the other, to cover all eventualities and future proof the car for any later add ons.The Votex console moves the ash tray position and it now lives in what would be the cubby of a standard console. Means you have to make access in through the back to get to the ciggy lighter connection.Still had to do this but will be extending the connections out as circled in one image.Thinking is I can convert the lighter socket to its own permanent live so the bluetooth cassette player adapter can charge even the car's not on. Also frees up an ignition live / lights on live so I can feed the VDO illumination.That ex-ciggy lighter ignition live will now switch a relay for one of the two new positive feeds (making it ignition live) from the battery, isolating it all from the cars own wiring - clear as mud!The only real downside to all this is if a fuse blows it'll mean slipping the center console off to access the new fuse box, but that's just a few screws and the whole thing moves as one. I'll build in excess loom length so it can travel backwards without stressing any connections or wiring. Probably put a fuse at the battery end of the 2 x positives as a belt and braces measure.More to come, there's all the wiring for the single upper gauge plus the various engine bay sensor wires to add in yet.
Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v... Reply #57 – January 11, 2021, 08:55:56 AM as standard the cig lighter socket should be perm live. I was thinking changing mine, or adding second outlet on ignition live so when I have a dashcam plugged in I can leave it in all the time, it will just go to sleep when the power is cut (ignition off) and wake up when I start the car.Great idea with the additional fusebox. I did a similar thing in my caravan, as I didn't want to interfere with the wiring, due to not really understanding the charging system mainly. I was able to run a 12v car stereo off this and put in some phone charging sockets. I thought I did a really neat job, used the caravan once after that before selling it - doh!
Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v... Reply #58 – January 11, 2021, 10:13:31 AM You're right, that's what I was expecting. Even read somewhere recently that up to and including some MK IV's had permanent live lighter wiring so it was a surprise.There's a really obscure alarm / immobiliser in the car, looks to possibly even be from new. It appears to utilise a part of the original loom the ciggy lighter is part of. Only guessing, as I can find no other explaination, but perhaps its installation has intentionally or otherwise changed things.Don't want to turn the car over, it's been sat far too long to risk it without recommissioning first, so limited to ignition on only at the moment.The alarm / immobiliser worked perfectly before all this and the person fitting it has done a top notch, professional job, it's just that there's only one electronic key and no way to get another - if it's lost or dies I'm stuck. Ideally I'd remove it all for that reason alone but going to leave as is at the moment. Plus side of giving the lighter it's own new supply is that it also adds it's own dedicated fuse. Useful if it'll be running chargers / other add-ons that might be beyond the original wiring. 2 Likes
Re: 1992 Alpine White GTI 8v... Reply #59 – January 11, 2021, 07:33:43 PM Ever wish you hadn't started something... and since when did wire get to be so expensive?Afternoon disappeared getting it done to the point it can probably be put back into the car (after a bench test away from the car first - just incase!)Proof you shouldn't keep at something when you're tired - thought I was done, temporarily plugged it all in and zilch, messed about for 10 minutes, totally non-plussed as to what was wrong before I realised I hadn't put any fuses in, muppet.Touch wood all seems to be OK... not pretty but have yet to tape up the various branches of the loom which'll help a little. Won't ever be a thing of beauty but should be safe and work reliably - if you exclude the connections at the battery terminals the only points of contact with the cars original wiring are a switched live (from the existing fuse box - a vacant slot) to activate the relay plus the ciggy lighter terminal that feeds the lights on illumination all self contained otherwise. 2 Likes
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