Where do you put your gauges?

So after owning a couple Escorts previously, I have decided I am putting three extra gauges into the Escort cabin. Volts (not very cool but in an Escort, essential! Last Eski left me on the side of the road due to not reporting alternator issues), Oil Pressure and Water Temp. I don't trust the stock instruments at all, in the slightest.

The time has come to make a decision where to stick these gauges. The previous owner stuck them on the passenger side dash, but to me they are too far away and I am not a fan of the look.



Personally, I don't want to stick them outside the car in front of the windscreen, and am not particularly keen on screwing them onto the top of the nicely restored dashtop. I'd like to fit a stereo in the standard stereo location, so that rules that location out too.

I tried browsing through photos in the Showroom but hardly anyone has any photos of their willypit / gauges.

Where have you put your gauges or seen them put that isn't silly but still useable?

I'm fond of the pods that sit on the A Pillar - a bit WRXish, but they should be pretty readable. I've seen them for sale with capacity for 1,2, or 3 guages

I think you can get them from the likes of Autobarn & Burtons....

You can fit a gauge bracket under the dash. they look like this

http://www.efi-parts.co.uk/index.php?productID=203

Here's mine...

I have mine in the same place as Sean. I glued a piece of metal over the whole piece and cut the switches and gauges into it. I also angled the 3 gauges back towards me by using some PVC pipe cut at an angle then blended the pipe to the metal to give it a moulded in look.

Yeah, hmmm.

My other idea was to make a custom bracket that positioned a gauge either side of the steering column, and then one down next to the brake fail light as teeg suggested. That way they would not cover any existing gauges (reliable or otherwise), and be as in-your-face as possible.

The advantage of this is that I would mount an LED in the rear of each gauge cup to shine onto the dashboard, illuminating it at night. The factory lighting stopped working a while ago, by the look of it. Also means I don't have to cut into the centre console, although let's face it, my car isn't going for originality awards.

Thanks for all the ideas and any advice or more pics of peoples setups are appreciated to help make a decision!

Thinking similar to this (michaelj0), with one on each side, albeit in black cups and the wiring hidden.

Probably not as neat as Sean's (and others) though.

I bought a mk1 4dr ages ago which had the heater slide panel moved to the left about 150mm & had 2x 52mm aux gauges in the newly created area...neat too !