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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - VDO Gauges

Hi

I am researching installing VDO Vision gauges into my 74.5 MGB.
I was wondering if anyone had a picture of their dash after installation of these gauges.
I am concerned that buying a 2 1/16 round oil pressure gauge to replace the rectangular one will not look right?
What have others done?
The web page also mentions several times that I should make sure I get sender for the appropriate gauge?
I already have a sending unit in the gas tank.
What would I need for the tach?
I already have a hose run for the oil pressure gauge
What would I need for the Speedometer?
What would I need for temperature gauge as I already have a sending unit?

Thanks

Bruce
Bruce Mills

Bruce,
Why not put in a late model dash? You can watch ebay for the 80 style dash and see them pretty often, usually with gauges. That would look a lot better than vdo gauges. (And be much cheaper).

If you don't like the late model dash, then how about a very early model, straight dash.
Richard Morris

Bruce-

Are you buying electric or mechanical gauges? If eletric, you will need the VDO senders, the MG senders do not match.

Unless you want to spend a lot of money on speedo cables and little gear boxes to make mechanical tranny seners match the gauge, buy the VDO electric speedo and the appropriate sender. The speedo is very easy to calibrate.

Your gas tank sender will almost work with the "universal" gas gauge, but it will never be absolutely accurate.

You will need a mechanical oil pressure gauge to use your oil line. You will need a VDO sender for the electric temp gauge. You already have the required wires for the tach.If you cn't figure them out, just run a new wire from the - coil terminal.

Have you heard of a round peg in a square hole? The VDO oil pressure gauge will probably look like dog poo. IMO.
Jim Stuart

Hey Bruce, good to hear from you. Have you started on installing your Omni flares yet? My wheels should be in next week or the week after, so i should be doing mine fairly soon.

RE: the Gauges... I've either not seen a round gauge where the rectangular oil pressure gauge was (or they did it so well i didn't even notice?!?). The VDO Vision gauges are black face with black bezel so you might try using them, but just don't buy an oil pressure gauge -- stick with the rectangular MG one.

Other options would be to swap dashes as suggested above, or if you like the wood grain look see if you can get one of the companies that sells the wood grain trim kits to send you a set w/o cutting out the oil pressure spot -- you could then cut the round hole with a good hole saw (ideally cut a hole in a piece of 3/4" wood first, clamp it over the spot you want to cut out, and then cut it -- that'll avoid getting "tear out" at the edges. If you know a woodworker they could make you a set out of any wood you liked (i did an Elm Burl vaneer once that came out really nice).

Last option -- but probably cost prohibitive unless your dash is in need of work anyway -- i've read the are companies that will re-face the dash. I'm not talking about the dash caps that glue onto the top, but rather the dash foam & vynal are stripped off & the dash is completely re-faced. I'm guessing that's pricey, but maybe not. I'm sure you could have them do the oil gauge hole round if you went that route.

Good luck!

Rob
x Ficalora

Bruce
I dis-assembled the stock oil pressure guage. repainted it white, to match the VDO gauges. Then re-numbered it using rub on numbers, available at office supply stores.
You can even make it look like a VDO gauge, by adding "VDO" to the lower corner.
bill jacobson

Hi guys, thanks for the advice.
Richard, I like the layout and look (glove box) for the 74.5 so want to stick with that.
Thanks for the info on the senders Jim. I will be going with a electric speedometer so I don’t have to buy new gear ratio adapters every time I change tire size or the rear end.
How does the speedometer pick up the signal? Is it from a pick up on the drive shaft so I will have to run new wiring to a pick up under the car?
Rob, you have mail
What did you do about the bezels Bill. The VDO Vision have a black Bezel and the MGB oil gauge bezel is chrome?
Bruce Mills

Bruce
I painted the bezel black to match. Semi-gloss black is just about a perfect match, but I cant recall which brand of paint it was.
Spray cans are cheap though. If I was going to do another one, I'd pick up a couple of different brands of paint. Do a few test strips and use the one that matches the best.
Be sure to scuff the chrome with some 400 grit sand paper, so the paint will stick.

The electric speedo uses a signal generator located in the tail shaft housing. If your transmission is set up for a cable driven speedometer, there are aftermarket add on signal generators that attach where the cable connects to the transmission.
The signal generator only needs two wires to it. Most OEM applications have a 2-wire harness that is spiraled (twisted) to reduce RF noise to the speedometer.
You can make your own by, clamping one end of the wires in a vise. Chuck the other ends of the wires in a cordless drill. Pull the wires straight, hit the trigger to twist them up, then pull/snap the harness tight so the wires take set.
Electric speedometers are the only way to go. Easy to install and accurate!
bill jacobson

VDO and also Autometer offer two types of senders for the electric speedos. One goes in the transmission in place of the normal cable, and the other is a Hall effect sender that includes a pickup, for which you must fab a mount, and "reads" 2 or more magnets you fasten to the drive shaft. Epoxy and a plastic wire tie are recommended. If yo have a later transmission that includes an electric sender to the original electric speed, this can normally be used.Contact the VDO tech department.

Incidently, VDO makes the electric speedo for VDO. These are the only ones I recommend because of the dependability I have experienced, and the ease of calibration. Neither need to be removed from the dash and have no DIP switches to screw with. All you need is a measured 1 or 2 mile streatch of road. VDO is mile, Autometer is 2.
Jim Stuart

Bruce,
I agree with Jim. I also used the VDO gauges and they look great. An added bonus is that the dials are very well lit up at night so very readable unlike the old MG gauges.
Also the calibration of the speedo is very easy and straightforward. I sent you some pics from my dashboard.
Werner Van Clapdurp

Vision Series:

http://www.rc-tech.net/MGB/gal/done5.jpg
http://www.rc-tech.net/MGB/assembly1/vdo.jpg
http://www.rc-tech.net/MGB/
Gary Walker

Bruce,

I face the same issue. I purchased a new cover for my dash and was excited to see that the square opening for the stock oil pressure gauge is not precut. There is just enough room to mount a 2-1/16" round gauge just above where the square gauge fits, but it looks very cluttered. I now plan on relocating the oil pressure gauge to the center console along with an oil temp gauge where the radio normally fits. Doubtful that I'll fit a radio (plenty of music from the V8) but if I do, it will go out of sight in the glove box. For what its worth, I'm using AutoMeter SportComp or SportComp II gauges.

Good Luck,
Joe
Joseph Lagasse

Another option is to cover the dash with leather. I bought some fairly supple black leather from Tandy (glove leather is a good choice) and used contact cement to recover the dash probably 25 years ago and it still looks good. That way you can also modify the dash itself if you like. I liked the early gages so I brazed or welded in a patch where the square gage had been and cut out the tach and speedo holes larger, then used the early dual gage. Working my way across from there I removed the '71 pillow except for a brow, added cutouts for a stereo equalizer and extra gages, grafted in an early glovebox, and added an interior light and switch to the far end. Cost was almost certainly less than 50 bucks and it wasn't a long and involved process. Getting the dash out and then back in was probably the worst part of the job. Shaping the leather around the compound curves was tricky in spots, but a more supple leather that is a little stretchy makes it pretty easy.

If I were doing it today I would spend more time getting the brow right, pay more attention to blending in the glove box door, and take a little more time stretching the leather, but it looks good enough that when I had the dash off to rewire the car I wasn't tempted to re-cover it so I probably never will. A bonus was that there was enough leather left over to do the lower console and the footwell kick panels also.

Jim
Jim Blackwood

This thread was discussed between 24/09/2006 and 10/10/2006

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