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G. P. Burdell
03-02-2006, 07:21 PM
The UPS man brought me an ALTA gauge pod and VDO Ocean Line gauges this week. Although the Ocean Line gauges are made for boats, they come in 12V models and come in the same standard 2-1/16" size as their automotive gauges.

The white faced gauges with aluminum bezels match the tachometer really well. You can also get the gauges with chrome bezels to match the Chrome Line interior, and you could even detach and paint the bezels in a custom color if you have a body-colored dashboard.

The provision for warning lights, however, is what sold me on these gauges instead of the Auto Meter Ultra-Lites. I plan to install water temperature and oil pressure senders with warning contacts. When the water temperature rises above 230 degrees F or the oil pressure drops below 7 PSI, a little red warning light in the gauge will illuminate.

Below are pictures from a quick test fit. I'll have these wired up and the senders plumbed in the coming weeks.

I bought the gauges from egauges.com (http://www.egauges.com/).

Matt
03-03-2006, 01:31 AM
Boaters are big on warning lights. :dunno

They look great! :)

Matt

G. P. Burdell
03-03-2006, 07:35 AM
Thanks!

Since the factory warning lights are in the center speedometer, and my right hand on the steering wheel blocks my view of the factory water temp gauge, I'll be glad to have these gauges and warning lights right in my face. :cool

no catches
03-05-2006, 12:19 PM
Wow, those are some nice gauges

jsbruce
03-06-2006, 07:25 PM
Those match the tach perfectly. You can't beat egauges for price.

G. P. Burdell
04-29-2006, 09:07 PM
I wired up the gauges today. The gauges came with red tinted bulbs, but I changed them out for clear bulbs with orange covers, also sourced from egauges.com. The illumination is a good match! :redspot

JonnyChimpO
05-02-2006, 06:51 PM
color match is good.

wwilme
05-01-2011, 10:04 AM
GP - do you have a list of the VDO PNs you bought, including sending units? I need to install at least a temp gauge in my wife's '04 Mini since it has NAV which deletes the factory gauge. The car has overheated more than once and I'm afraid she is going to fry it this summer if I don't get a visual warning that the temp is creeping up before the center located idiot light comes on. I have no idea how many times it has happened since she did not know what that light was when I noticed it stuck in traffic jam on a 100 degree day last August. Other recomendations have been the Alta-Performance guage kit and Scan Guage 2 (just a plug in - not permanent installation), but your solution looks the best. It looks factory original - not like a cheap scabbed on aftermarket installation.

Thanks!