Mate - got that teeshirt - I got to the end of m tether a few times!!

Just remember it will be worth it - I was out in my Chim today, and the positive comments I got about the cockpit reminded me it was all worthwhile!!

Keep at it duude!!

Nosh

A bit more tinkering today, mainly under car bits like changing the oils and all the senders in the engine bay and running some new wires into the dash. Well I couldn't change all senders as I don't have the correct adapter for the water temp, I will sort that next week.
Also spent ages cutting and filing bits of ally to modify the original dash, I'm not happy with the gauge positioning so I am going to draw it CAD tonight and get it laser cut instead, saves messing around. I also forgot how painful Iodine is, stings as much as superglue

haha, there is only one extra gauge?
Water temp
Oil temp
Oil pressure
Volts
Fuel

As standard you have two senders next to the oil filter - one for oil pressure and one for the oil pressure warning light.
I used a sender from EBT which combines Oil pressure and the oil pressure warning light switch. Then I put the oil temp sender into the second hole.
But if you are just adding a new gauge there is a spare socket/hole next to the oil filter so you will just need a thread adapter to suit and run a wire up to the dash

yeah all electric mate, tiny little sender and cost a whole £8
http://www.etbinstruments.com/Sensors_ancillaries....

Is yours an early chim? the gauges are a funny size so might be hard to get a direct fit?

I've got ETB gauges from that last link
But they might not match which ever oil temp gauge you are going to fit? who ever you get the new gauge from will supply a sender to suit it I would have though.
Speedy cables can make a gauge to match whatever is in yours at the moment, but i've heard they take AGES to make them

Good choice on the seats - I had those in a Miata - not sure any UK Mx5's ever had them.

Please change the alloys they look gash!

I've got some Azev's just need to pick them up

I made up my own dash from aviation grade alloy and added extra gauges which were bought from ETB. As far as I'm aware, ETB did send a sensor with the oil temp gauge, I had Heath at X-Works fit the dash and the new ETB gauges as I work abroad. Really happy with the end result and the gauges all work perfectly.

Cheers mate

Hi Brett,

I used an old steel dash without any veneer on it as a template and used that to shape a new dash out of alloy. As I was using the original speedometer and rev counter I marked those out on the new dash as per the original. Same diameter and position on the new dash.

The "old gauges" for the oil pres, water temp, fuel and clock were 64mm in diameter and some of those were knackered as they were working in reverse. ETB said I could send them down to be fixed but only if they had the spare parts in to fix them so I opted for new 52mm gauges. Same colour bezel, face, needle and graphics as near as possible to the originals although the fuel gauge didn't have a "low level warning light" fitted to it.

I just marked out where I wanted the new gauges fitted and got the machinist in the hangar to cut the holes using a "trepanning" tool. Basically, it's a hole cutter with a very sharp cutting edge. You could probably use a hole-cutter from B&Q/Homebase/Halfords to do the job, but from what I was told the "trepanning" tool would cut the holes and not leave ragged edges.

The warning light holes between the speedo and rev counter I drilled out using normal High Speed Steel drills. The real bugger about bit was the oblong hole for the heater rotary controls and the triangular LED's. I had to drills holes then use files to cut & shape the hole then use a round file to finish off. The LED holes I drilled a small round hole then used a triangular file till the LED's fitted. After it was all done, I got one of the paint sprayers to give it a highly polished finish

If you can get a machine shop to cut out the round holes for the gauges and maybe laser cut the oblong for the heater controls and the LED's it will save a lot of time.

I work abroad so I had loads of time to mess about until I got what I thought what a good balance of distance between the gauges and was able to file the alloy till everything fitted just right.

Hope this helps mate.

Cheers,

Ron McC

PS. Click on the link below for more pics.

http://rides.webshots.com/album/579943598EcxqNm?st...

This is another one I made up, the "black & white" pattern is a reflection of a TVR flag on the garage wall.