“Factory-Standard, Alternative & Supplementary Instruments”

[Carledo]

Something along these lines would help,

https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/Draper-40mm-12 ... 0795899055

You would need a block bigger than the dial being cut out behind the dashboard, which has to stay to allow the
recess to be made, ie: the auger part will need the block after cutting the first hole out.

Also put masking tape over the veneer to minimise chipping, cut from veneer side.

Can be done cheaply and neatly, but you have to be patient and careful.

I already have something very like the tool in your link, that I bought yonks ago to cut holes in wall tiles and laminate flooring. Not sure if it will expand big enough to clear a 4" dial, plus it's bezel recess. But again, if you set it up and cut the bezel recess FIRST, then you can use the first auger hole in the dash to cut the through hole - if you're careful!

I've kept the plank dash in my Toledo for simplicity and adapted the adjustable (sprint) column to go with it. Though mine is currently modified to accept the Nova instrument cluster, the PCB on this unit is failing fast and new ones are NLA, so I am going back to a more conventional dash array using Triumph instruments and some aftermarket individual warning lights. To that end,I have a Sprint 7000 rpm Tachometer and140 MPH Speedometer plus an aftermarket 2" electronic oil pressure guage and a 4" 3 instrument fuel/water temp/voltmeter from a late Triumph 2000 which matches the font on the other major clocks. On this car, which is driven hard on track, i'm keeping it simple, there is no stereo, no clock, no extra lights, rear foglight, hazard light, reverse light, HRW etc. warning lights will be minimal as well, with only the basic 4, a single indicator repeater, main beam warning, ignition and oil pressure, all in a group between the 2 major dials and all different colours for immediate recognition. The dash will hold only one switch, that being the arming switch for the brake line lock, everything else is on the column. I'm confident that I can drive in this configuration without problems cropping up unawares. But then the car is always thoroughly checked on the ramp before a trackday, even if the last trackday was only a week before!

Steve

[naskeet]

To make the 52 mm, 60 mm & 100 mm diameter holes in the ¼-inch thick, flat MDF board sections that I used for trial-fitting particular instruments in various positions within the dashboard aperture, I drilled a small pilot hole of about 6 mm diameter and used a coping-saw (similar to a fret-saw) to cut out the large circular holes.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coping_saw

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fretsaw

One could also use this method to cut all of the large holes in the full-sized concave instrument panel, but it would take a few hours to complete. One would still need to create the rebated recesses for the instrument bezels, but it might be possible to do this first, before bending the full-sized panel and cutting the 52 mm, 60 mm & 100 mm diameter holes.

I wonder whether a cheap hole-saw set like this would be too flimsy:

16 HOLE SAW KIT METAL CIRCLE CUTTER ROUND DRILL WOOD ALLOY DOWNLIGHTS 19-127mm - £8.75

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/16-HOLE-SAW- ... SwirZTtC1D

16 PIECE HOLE SAW SET

High quality 16 piece hole saw set for cutting smooth clean accurate holes. All pieces in the set are heat treated enabling them to be suitable for soft and hard wood, plasterboard, plastic and non ferrous metals. All pieces come in a handy blow moulded carry/storage case.

Heat treated teeth For hard and soft woods, plastic, plasterboard and non ferrous metals.

Contains 12 hole saws 19, 22, 25, 32, 38, 44, 51, 64, 76, 89, 102 and 127 mm
6 mm (1/4') and 10 mm (3/8') arbors

Reinforcing plate and hex key.

[Mahesh]

If you want a clean hole, find a right size forstener bit, very clean on mdf.

The bladed adjustable is also clean, but takes time, or the blades break.

Bosch hole saw I find are excellent, but around £16 to £22 each size.

[naskeet]

Here's an interesting looking instrument, with water-temperature gauge, ammeter and oil-pressure gauge.

SMITHS AMPS / AMMETER / OIL PRESSURE / TEMPERATURE Mk. 2 MULTI GAUGE IP 3213/01

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SMITHS-AMPS- ... SwytxZ4p6z

It's a pity that it's not of a Triumph-instruments compatible style!

[Carledo]

I'm still not sanguine about using an ammeter in a car with lots of circuitry since, for it to be anything more than ornamental, EVERYTHING has to run through it (barring the starter) and the risk of total system failure because of 1 instrument failure is too much for too little IMO. In my case I think i'd be needing a 100-0-100 scaled instrument to start with and running through battery cable! I'm already running a 90amp alternator so that would be a minimum. Much safer (and easier) to stick with a voltmeter!

That 30-0-30 instrument is really only good for something with a dynamo, even a stock TR6 ammeter is scaled 60-0-60 and its piddling 17ACR alternator can throw out 45 amps.

Steve

[naskeet]

I'm still not sanguine about using an ammeter in a car with lots of circuitry since, for it to be anything more than ornamental, EVERYTHING has to run through it (barring the starter) and the risk of total system failure because of 1 instrument failure is too much for too little IMO. In my case I think i'd be needing a 100-0-100 scaled instrument to start with and running through battery cable! I'm already running a 90amp alternator so that would be a minimum. Much safer (and easier) to stick with a voltmeter!

That 30-0-30 instrument is really only good for something with a dynamo, even a stock TR6 ammeter is scaled 60-0-60 and its piddling 17ACR alternator can throw out 45 amps.

Steve

The purpose of the ammeter is to monitor the charge flowing to or from the BATTERY under driving conditions, NOT the TOTAL current being supplied by the BATTERY and/or the ALTERNATOR to the entire electrical system (excluding the starter motor). Hence, the ammeter would not be interposed between the electrical supply sources (i.e. battery & alternator) and the electrical system; only between each other.

If the ammeter started to show that the battery was being discharged, this would indicate that the alternator could no longer cope with the current demand and prompt one to switch off any "non-essential" electrical equipment.

[Karlos]

Use a shunt with a moving coil volt meter,
http://www.reuk.co.uk/wordpress/electri ... s-a-shunt/

Not a cheapo hotwire type meter.

[naskeet]

Use a shunt with a moving coil volt meter,
http://www.reuk.co.uk/wordpress/electri ... s-a-shunt/

Not a cheapo hotwire type meter.

A moving-coil galvanometer forms the basis of all moving-coil voltmeters and ammeters, with which one uses a multiplier resistance in series for the former and shunt resistor in parallel for the latter, to change the effective measurement range of the instrument. This is something which was covered in text books for GCE Ordinary Level (i.e. "O" Level) Physics, but sadly seems to be absent from GCSE Physics and some GCE Advanced Level (i.e. "A" Level) Physics syllabi.

As the following illustrates, one can fabricate one's own multipliers and shunts:

http://www.reuk.co.uk/wordpress/electri ... -resistor/

[Karlos]

Thanks for pointing out that GCE Ordinary Level means "O" Level and that GCE Advanced Level means "A" Level.

[naskeet]

Thanks for pointing out that GCE Ordinary Level means "O" Level and that GCE Advanced Level means "A" Level.

You're welcome; not everyone knows the origins of these abbreviations!

Perhaps I should also have mentioned, that GCE & GCSE stand for General Certificate of Education and General Certificate of Secondary Education respectively.

[naskeet]

Here are some VDO remote-shunt ammeters, mainly intended for marine applications, but sadly they are extremely expensive and the gauges don't match the instrument styles of either my 1974 Triumph Toledo or 1973 VW Type 2 with VDO Cockpit style substitute & accessory gauges.

http://www.downwindmarine.com/VDO-Viewl ... 01917.html

VDO -30~0~30A remote-shunt ammeter

http://s275.photobucket.com/user/naskee ... ort=1&o=24

http://s275.photobucket.com/user/naskee ... ort=1&o=26

VDO -60~0~60A remote-shunt ammeter

http://s275.photobucket.com/user/naskee ... ort=1&o=25

http://s275.photobucket.com/user/naskee ... ort=1&o=27

[naskeet]

Relocating Dashboard Switches & Control Knobs

During the past few months, I have had some further thoughts about supplementary switches and warning & tell-tale lights.

In addition to the “factory-fitted” rotary light switch and two stalk switches on the steering column, I am likely to need supplementary switches for the following functions:

· Heated rear window (on/off switch)
· Hand-operated brake lights (momentary switch)
· Auxiliary reversing lights (on/off switch)
· Rear fog lights (on/off switch)
· Front fog lights (on/off switch)
· Auxiliary driving lights (on/off switch)
· Day-time running lights (on/off switch)
· Kenlowe radiator cooling fan (on/off switch)
· Auxiliary air horns (changeover switch)

The steering-column nacelle will readily accommodate four, five or even six supplementary paddle switches, but it’s unlikely that one could fit as many as nine in easily accessible positions.

One option I have been considering, is the use of two separate late-model Triumph Dolomite pattern, rear fog-lamp switches (same switch-knob shape as the late-model Triumph Dolomite pattern hazard-warning light switch) above and below the Lucas 6WL, 60 mm diameter, 8-segment warning-light cluster, that I intend to fit on the left-hand side of the instrument panel, immediately to the right of the heater-control levers.

This warning-light cluster will be associated with various driving-light functions, so locating front & rear fog-light switches with integral tell-tale lights, above and below this, would serve to concentrate all driving-light functions in the same place, providing two additional tell-tale lights whilst also conveniently locating two vital but hopefully seldom-used switches.

Maintaining my usual conventions, the fog-lamp switches would be positioned as follows:

· Above warning-light cluster – front fog-lamp switch, with light-beam emblem facing to the right.
· Below warning-light cluster – rear fog-lamp switch, with light-beam emblem facing to the left.

I presently possess one late-model Triumph Dolomite pattern, rear fog-lamp switch (marked JL 155 SA and 33926 B 780), but I need another to make this possible!

1979 and/or 1980 Triumph Dolomite Rear Fog-Lamp Switch (TKC5067) with Integral Tell-Tale Light

[Karlos]

What situation would a hand operated break light switch be used in?

[Carledo]

What situation would a hand operated break light switch be used in?

To encourage tailgaters to BACK OFF!

Strictly speaking, it's probably illegal, but haven't YOU ever wished for one on occasion?

Steve

[naskeet]

What situation would a hand operated break light switch be used in?

To encourage tailgaters to BACK OFF!

Strictly speaking, it's probably illegal, but haven't YOU ever wished for one on occasion?

Steve

Once upon a time, I used to flash the rear fog lamps to wake up dozy tailgaters, but they only function when the sidelights are switched on, so it was only really an available option at night!

It has long been my normal driving style to slow down when necessary, by simply easing off the throttle rather than applying the brakes, unless rapid deceleration is necessary, which it seldom is when I'm driving. However, it is commonly advisable to activate the brake lights, to alert those following behind me (commonly in too close proximity) that I am slowing down, because all too many, do NOT pay proper attention to what is happening around them; allowing themselves to be distracted by passengers, mobile telephones, satellite navigation, entertainment systems, etc.