316 - m52b28 / individual+

[e21-Mark]

You could probably bought a brand new Dacia Duster or something? Instead you've got a bespoke, unique BMW with enough performance to put some expensive motors to shame. Plus there's no depreciation to worry about.

[si.]

Pffft if mine can make it yours definatly can dude

[nas80]

double post fail

[nas80]

So for the last few months I have been driving around with no speedo (I have no speedo cable and no pulse generation in the diff either) . I have managed to avoid any speeding fines despite guessing how fast im going past police officers and cameras. I was attempting to fit an electronic speedo into my e21 binnacle but I gave up on the idea as I couldn't seem to make it mount correctly. the speedo was slightly too small for the hole and I didn't want to use hot glue or any other method of bodgery and the stock gauges are boring.

So I went on the hunt for some new gauges. I wanted to do something a bit hot rod and old school at the same time. I came across a company called Dakota Digital and although the products they sell are epic, they are v.v.expensive. Then I came across a company called intellitronix in the states who supply a create your own dash bunch of gauges and they come with a life time warranty.

I was astonished how fast and how easy the transaction was I had them modify the gauges so I can have the buttons remotely mounted rather then on the face of the dial. What you get in the kit, speedo, rev, oil pressure, water temp, volt and fuel, the kit comes with a backing board to mount your gauges, and a tinted acrylic sheet to cover the top of them and obviously a water temp and oil pressure sender. The speedo has the ability to record 1/4 mile, 0-60, and top speed. It has an inbuilt odometer and the rev gauge also has a peak hold.

So lets get started - got my spare dash binnacle (it already had a small crack in the corner) and I tried to take the clear plastic front in one piece, this obviously smashed itself into several pieces. Made a paper template.



Measured the gauges and then made a rough placement and then transferred the paper into thick card.





took a brave pill and cut the backing board supplied with the gauges and mounted them after cutting it with my jigsaw.



couldn't resist hooking up the power.



started grouping and working out wires



I wanted to make the dash as easily as remove as possible so I bought a an ATX motherboard to powersupply socket and used this as my connector.





I cut the tinted acrylic also supplied with the kit.



after studying the wiring digrams for a whole evening and i worked out i had many wires to splice and connect.

I also installed an racetronic sequential shift light - starts at 6.2k, 6.5k, 6.8k and flashes at 7k the redline is 7200



Anyway here is the dash in place in the car







when you turn the lights on it auto dims the gauges



my speedo is driven by a Dakota digital GPS 50-1 speedo sender. I will make a video of me driving around later on tonight when I get home.

[Thegs]

That's a funcky dash! Can't wait to see this in real life at the Sharknose Meeting this year!

[harleytrike]

Great work nas should have painted your car black then you could of called it kit

[Jeroen]

[e21-Mark]

Great work nas should have painted your car black then you could of called it kit

[harleytrike]

pmsl

[nas80]

Thanks guys.

Since I'm a sucker for unoriginality what can I say.. i do have a set of manual clocks and I can fit them back in any time I want.

Unfortunately it seems the GPS sensor has a bit of a problem keeping up with the car when I accelerate but it's way better then the phone app or my tomtom. I think it still needs a setup it mentions time zones and stuff in the manual. And like a true hero I didn't bother doing any of that I just connected it all up.

Yea the Hoff pic is very funny Mark but the fact some of you mention knight rider makes me reaffirm that my dash looks like it's from the 80s. I remember when I was growing up if it had a LCD display or the word turbo emblazoned on the object it was considered the "bees knees"

[harleytrike]

Very true nas wouldn't a lcd display from the astra have fitted used to put them in the ford escort mk3 & sierras back in the day

[bumface3]

I love digital dashes.....the astra gte one i like the best.

Like the way that looks.

[harleytrike]

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=astra ... B567%3B425

[nas80]

Audi Quattro and golf rallyes had digital dashes and tons of American cars.

I think even fiat had them in the tipo?

[nas80]

I actually wanted some digital dakota dash clocks but my god that stuff is sooo expensive and only comes in blue as far as I could tell.