Gauges which ones to get?

What are you going to use them for?

Serious question.

I see people get tons of guages on their car, and you can't look at them when they count or you don't know what to do when they say X or you can't do anything about it anyway.

I've seen so many posts about things like A/F ratio (which you should record, along with engine speed and manifold pressure), boost (see above), and other control items- or extra oil pressure guages (what will you do when it goes low, even though it's more than enough?).....

If you make them big enough to read easily, they will also be big enough to distract you from the important part of driving a car. Almost all of them won't tell you something useful in the moment, or if it DOES something, it's probably too late anyway. One funny thing was when someone put a real temp gauge in, and saw the engine going up to 220 F, and then panicing- but that's when the high speed fan finally turns on- engine temp isn't a problem until north of 250F.

Anyway- always ask youself what the point of the guage is. Most, if not all of them, are better off recorded (and maybe deleted). Sometime more information isn't a good thing.

As someone else mentioned, here's a link to the current Defi Link Meter:

http://www.defi-shop.com/product/zd/zd_top.html

There's a previous version that you should be able to find used. The setup isn't cheap though.

I've always been amazed by how many people use Autometers or some other mechanical gauges with no warninig system. As AlfaDriver mentioned, it's important to consider the purpose for adding gauges. For me, it is primarily to increase my chances of preventing engine damage. My thinking is that the most likely time for engine damage to occur is when it is being pushed the hardest. I also think that when it is being pushed hardest, that is the time when I can least afford to be staring at my gauges. Without some kind of warning system like a bright light and/or buzzer, I'm not going to know to shut things down.

most of my instructors have hammered the idea that when you start a long straight you:

1. check your mirrors

2. relax your hands

3. check your gauges

4. repeat

so yes a bright warning light (at least on oil pressure would seem to be of help)

Anybody have experience with Speedhut Revolution gauges? http://www.speedhut.com/gauge_products.asp?auto=revolution

Stepper motor, programmable warning and peak/recall function and they're full sweep, something that doesn't really matter but visually I really don't like 60 or 90 deg gauges. For the features they offer they're priced really well too.

Why gauges in the first place? To keep that expensive lump from going kabloom. That said, the only two important gaguges on the Triumph that I scan, about every thrid-4th time I use the rear view mirror are the water temp and oil pressure.

Oil pressure decreasing can also indicate over-heating oil, so I cross check with water temp, so it's basically two in one.

And the water temp is self explanatory. Smiths gauges, and mechanical. Uncomplicated and reliable.

As for the RX-7. The only additional gauge you really need is a boost gauge that's easy to easily glanced at.

Between the three, you'll get an indication that all is OK, or pull over, something is amiss.

Race car, yes, you can add more, but, as others have pointed out, back up with BIG idiot lights. Red for oil; yellow for temp; orange for boost. A/F ratio gauge is nice, but not really necessary. If there's a problem, one of the three above will indicate it with an increase. You won't have time to read an A/F gauge when you need to see it the most--you'll be hard on the throttle needing to look where you're going. My 2 cents.

the only one I'd add is an oil temp... with lots of WOT the oil can actually heat up without the water temp going up enough to get you attention.. that's why I'm adding an oil cooler and the gauges