# Analog gauge locations in a mk3.



## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

I'm wondering where all the mk3 guys are putting their analog gauges, and how they're going about mounting them. I plan to mount mine in the empty area behind the cupholders, but haven't been able to decide on how i want to go about it. 

I'm looking for some idea's.

I was thinking about using a piece of metal since it would be flexible enough to shape it to the opening.. Then wrapping it in some black suede or something. Maybe some black textured vinyl to kind of match the cupholder.

Post up pictures!


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## KyleRI (Nov 11, 2008)

Dont have air yet, BUT IF i went analog, i was ganna put them here...











just an idea. could run into problems i suppose when you move the seat but i thought it was different.


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

That's an idea i hadn't thought of. Sliding the seat forward and backward might cause some issues.. I think visibility while driving is key though. It could get sketchy trying to look at the gauges way down there while you're driving.


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## .:Hinrichs:. (Apr 26, 2010)

i have mine mounted in the center console just like your talking but i used a euro one instead, ill go snap a pic of it


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

nice! i have some smoked plexiglass i might use but i'm really liking the metal idea with fabric wrapped over it better.


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## NDubber (Sep 11, 2006)

reynolds9000 said:


> nice! i have some smoked plexiglass i might use but i'm really liking the metal idea with fabric wrapped over it better.


go to a junkyard, find a wrecked gti, pull the cover panel from the inside of the hatch. its a thin plastic material that has the same texture pattern as the dash:thumbup:


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

That's a good idea. Now i just have to find a GTI in a junkyard... VW's in junkyards are pretty scarce in Alabama. :laugh:


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## NDubber (Sep 11, 2006)

reynolds9000 said:


> That's a good idea. Now i just have to find a GTI in a junkyard... VW's in junkyards are pretty scarce in Alabama. :laugh:


 im probably gonna go to one that might have a gti or 2 on monday if i do ill swipe in and send it to you


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## nap83 (Jun 24, 2007)

got the panel from jegs. kris (rabriolet) cut the crap out the back of the console to get it to fit and run the lines... it looks perfect except for the cupholders being not useful anymore. like they were useful in the first place.


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## NDubber (Sep 11, 2006)

does the 160 and 220 gauges throw you off?


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## nap83 (Jun 24, 2007)

i sit the rears higher so i point the needles to the same spot --- 35psi f / 45psi on the rears give and take. (i put diff pressures on each side to level the ride height due to the length of the lines)


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

Word! that's so perfect. do you have a link for that Jegs panel?


I need to get some viair gauges, they look so much better than the easy street ones i have.


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

NDubber said:


> im probably gonna go to one that might have a gti or 2 on monday if i do ill swipe in and send it to you


that would be so awesome. :thumbup:


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## NDubber (Sep 11, 2006)

reynolds9000 said:


> that would be so awesome. :thumbup:


 cool ill see what i can find. you could probably cut up a center console. there is alot of area on that as well


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

That's something i could probably get my hands on fairly easily. 

Nap, i can't find that gauge panel thing on the jegs website. Do they call it something specific?


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## nap83 (Jun 24, 2007)

autometer model 2238
http://www.jegs.com/i/Auto+Meter/105/2238/10002/-1

yeah i didn't get the easy street ones because of the flame logo :laugh:, the viairs use a 1/8"(?!) line though so it needs to get _stepped down_ from the current line.


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## Jar717 (Jan 14, 2008)

used a spare piece of tin (don't know what gauge the tin is, and it's far from perfect). ran all my lines under the rear seats, under the carpet and through the center console.


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

The easy street gauges use 1/8" line as well. :thumbup:

I still haven't even hooked up the power to the gauges. I use my dome light to see my pressures at night. I'm rolling around pretty ghetto rigged right now. :laugh: 

Thanks for the link, did you just cut one of the gauge holes off?


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

I found this one and i think it'll go well inside the car. Hopefully it fits, i just bought it. :laugh:

http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/41086/10002/-1


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## nap83 (Jun 24, 2007)

that looks good!

i didn't cut it... the third hole is still there, my blackberry phone holder hahah... i'm gonna use it for the tank pressure when i get the time.


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## .:Hinrichs:. (Apr 26, 2010)

that panel does look good, i keep forgetting to take pics of the cabrios gauges cuz i havnt been driving it

ill actually get some later on today cuz i need some interrior shots for my feeler thread


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## nap83 (Jun 24, 2007)

Booooooo


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## .:Hinrichs:. (Apr 26, 2010)

finally took a pic of my setup, cut apart another console and ruined my euro one....wrapped it with extra fabric from my top


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## rabriolet (May 27, 2005)

Dont mind the cut cup holder, I replaced it. You do have to cut off the change holder pocket in the back though so that your airline has a place to fit. It sits in there fine and is totally unnoticeable once the gauge panel is mounted to the top. You can also buy those gauge panels off ebay. We ran into alittle problem with Naps because it was thicker metal and slightly larger than mine so it took a little more effort to fit haha.


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

I got the panel yesterday and i'm going to install it today. I'll post up pictures when it's finished. 

Where did you tap into for power for the bulbs to light the gauges?


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## .:Hinrichs:. (Apr 26, 2010)

i ususally use the switched power for the cigarete lighter


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## rabriolet (May 27, 2005)

.:Hinrichs:. said:


> i ususally use the switched power for the cigarete lighter


You can do that, or there is a open relay spot under the dash that you use a male spade connector and you can wire it there, or you can tap it into the power wire for one of your switches/buttons that turn on with your headlight switch


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

For the open relay spot, i can just plug a male spade directly into one of the slots? That seems like the best way instead of splicing.


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## rabriolet (May 27, 2005)

Yeah you can. its the 3rd relay spot from the left (mine is next to relay 19) and its the slot that is horizontal on the right side of that spot


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

that is extremely helpful! i'll post up later this afternoon with my gauges installed.


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## nap83 (Jun 24, 2007)

rabriolet said:


> We ran into alittle problem with Naps because it was thicker metal and slightly larger than mine so it took a little more effort to fit haha.


on his kids birthday party at that. :laugh::beer:


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## rabriolet (May 27, 2005)

nap83 said:


> on his kids birthday party at that. :laugh::beer:


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

I got the gauges mounted and wired this afternoon, now i need to figure out what i'm going to do with the blank space since i didn't want to cut up my cupholders. We ended up splicing into the green/grey wire on the back of the headlight switch for power and tapping into an existing ground wire (brown).


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## rabriolet (May 27, 2005)

Why not just cut the cup holder? just cut the back pocket off of it


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## nap83 (Jun 24, 2007)

that gauge panel is fly... i was thinking of getting those on the first go... i'm kind of jealous now. yeah as kris said just cut the back of the cupholders. it'll slide around but i was actually looking at it today and thinking of ziptying the sides so that it'll stay put. but hey if you find a way around it, let some dudes know. :beer:


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

I think that's what i'm going to end up doing since i can't stand looking at the empty space.:laugh:

I bet some velcro would hold it in place pretty well.


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## nap83 (Jun 24, 2007)

duuuuude. i just saw some velcro at my dads tool room awhile ago... hahah.


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## Jayy (Jun 15, 2008)

not the best pic of mine but you get the idea


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## rabriolet (May 27, 2005)

Mine doesn't slide or move at all unless I push it.


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## nap83 (Jun 24, 2007)

mine neither but it gets pushed to the back everytime i try to get my sunglasses (which is now the use for that).


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## CoopersVR6 (Jul 30, 2007)

this is where i put them on my gf's car, i positioned them back far enough and angled them so they dont interfere with getting in and out of the car, she uses the cubby hole by the cup holder or that would be ideal for placement......


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## SuperBacon (May 8, 2006)

totally forgot about this until now, but I think someone should do this with 3 gauges. Would take some work to put the HVAC controls somewhere else, but well worth it IMO


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## nap83 (Jun 24, 2007)

thats really dope and something i would personally not do just for the effort involved hahaha.


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## rabriolet (May 27, 2005)

Maybe in a show car that you delete the a/c out of, other than that it would suck to try and relocate it.


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

nap83 said:


> thats really dope and something i would personally not do just for the effort involved hahaha.


exactly. :laugh:


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## nap83 (Jun 24, 2007)

on a side note; and i do not mean to bomb this thread. 

a lot of you guys have the false floor set-up and was wondering if this is a task i could do myself without or with minimal error. my friend won't come through and i just want to buy a saw and do it myself... i'm gearing up for my move and i need space real bad in the trunk. i've seen some diy's but i'm the kind to mess up bad and i don't want to keep buying wood hahaha. 

take note i really don't work on cars hahaha.


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## rabriolet (May 27, 2005)

dude come over and copy my floor piece then just trim it down after you build the floor tall enough to hide the tank as much as you want.


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## nap83 (Jun 24, 2007)

ok. i will just buy a saw and copy it. this is good since we both have the exact trunk setup. :thumbup:


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## .:Hinrichs:. (Apr 26, 2010)

i was gonna pick up a taxi console and then just run a 3 gauge panel down in the spot but just could justify spending the money


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

You could always use cardboard as a template, nap. What kind of wood are you going to use? I'm going to redo my falsefloor with some nice laminate or something.. right now i have plywood painted black.. i'm already tired of it. :laugh:


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## nap83 (Jun 24, 2007)

thanks man. i haven't cut anything in my life hahah. i'm gonna use plywood and get some black suede or carpeting on there. 

since i'm gonna be using the saw only once, does anyone have any experience with a single speed jigsaw? would it be good enough for the j-o-b?


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

A jigsaw would be perfect for making all the curved cuts you want to make.:thumbup:


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## nap83 (Jun 24, 2007)

sweet! it's $20 on sale haha. 

oh and kris --- if your reading this. the sub box is taller than the tank. i'm thinking cutting it in half (then resealing the backs **?!) and getting it to sit flush with the opening of the floor. does this make sense?


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

i have no clue what you just said. :laugh:


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## nap83 (Jun 24, 2007)

cut the sub box in half / get it to level with the floor thats being made... just dont want to stick the sub on the false floor without it's enclosure or it will sound like sh&t or am i wrong?


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

seems like it would need some sort of enclosure for the best sound.. or maybe just make a port in the frame of the false floor?


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## nap83 (Jun 24, 2007)

just bought a jigsaw, hahah i've been cutting random sh&t for the past hour... i think i'm gonna do the pegboard route.


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## nap83 (Jun 24, 2007)

dont laugh :laugh:

i deleted the sub and the amp... it wasn't gonna work. i would need a smaller sub box or a smaller sub. 

just made it simple. hahaha. might get motivation to yank out another one that looks better but this will do for now... i just need it for my move. oh and oak (for the frame) is expensive as crap :thumbdown:


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## reynolds9000 (Oct 16, 2003)

I used some old 2x6's i had laying around the shop at work for my frame. I'd imagine oak isn't very cheap. :laugh:

I like the peg board, i might use it when i redo my floor since i'm going to wrap it in carpet anyways. Is the peg board pretty cheap?


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## nap83 (Jun 24, 2007)

yeah like $6 for this one but the oak was $28 and i didn't even do a full frame. :thumbdown: i guess its worth it than regular old wood, the one i was looking at for dirt cheap had so many splinters and stains, i was like forget it.. i'm only gonna do this once. lucky i found a white pegboard. 

it's not the best but it works :beer:


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## vee_rub (May 18, 2006)

Jayy said:


> not the best pic of mine but you get the idea


what did you use to raise your gauges up? they dont fit without. ask me how i know


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## Low Sugar (May 30, 2008)

Im about to start my build and my plan for my gauges is to put them in a hollowed out mk4 armrest i have layin around. Ill post pics when its done.


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