Superformance guages

Snacol · #1 (**permalink**) 11-09-2002, 07:47 AM

My guages in my car are very inaccurate to say the least..What other guages does anyone have any experience with..?I am going to change mine out to something more reliable..Thanks Chas..

Tony Radford · #2 (**permalink**) 11-09-2002, 08:45 AM

I have SWs in my car, and they suk. I 've got a case of the hots for the Autometer set. Saw a guy at a car show with a set in his FFR. Veeerrrrryyyy nice!

Snacol · #3 (**permalink**) 11-09-2002, 08:46 AM

That's the way i'm leaning also.Thanks..

decooney · #4 (**permalink**) 11-09-2002, 10:46 AM

In the SPF cars, are your guages the real Smiths, or copies of Smiths made by another manufacturer?

I had Stewart Warner in my last car and had no problems. So far, no problems with Smiths in my current car, I must say, I liked my SW guages better from my last car though.

Snacol · #5 (**permalink**) 11-09-2002, 11:10 AM

I believe they are the real Smith's..

Cobrabill · #6 (**permalink**) 11-09-2002, 11:05 PM

I replaced all my guages with Autometer.No way am i trusting my side-oiler to those "original" guages.

Tony Radford · #7 (**permalink**) 11-10-2002, 08:10 AM

Cobrabill,

How do you like the Autometers? I've seen on previous posts that the SWs seem to be prone to moisture contamination. The face glass gets cloudy when I have my dash lights on.

Mr.Fixit · #8 (**permalink**) 11-11-2002, 08:17 AM

SPF's have real Smith's gauges and Lucas switches, original components for cobras but the brits have never been known for top notch auto electrics. The autometer clones of the smiths are much better, you don't need to tap the gauge face to get the needle to move. If you are on a budget, I would change out just the oil pressure gauge first, then as they break.

agro1 · #9 (**permalink**) 11-11-2002, 08:57 PM

The question you guys are missing here is; How do you know your guages are "innacurate" ?? What makes you say that ? Do you just think they are off or have you tested them with a another totally redundant system ?? I agree with you though, I don't think my guages in my SPF are the most accurate either, but who really cares as long as they are w/in 5-10 degrees...

Cobrabill · #10 (**permalink**) 11-12-2002, 07:26 AM

Tony-no moisture problems.Only issue is they aren't an exact match for the tach&speedo.Oh,well.
At least i know what is cooking(or not cooking)under the hood.If people have noticed,they haven't said anything.I installed them back in '96.

Also,there are two "levels" of guages.Autometer&autoguage.The former is the best one.

mkcobra · #11 (**permalink**) 11-28-2002, 05:40 AM

I use the VDO series. good enough for the Germans ok by me and work nice. the offer alot of options.

Bill Wells · #12 (**permalink**) 11-28-2002, 07:52 AM

snacol...assuming you have tested your gauges against others ( which may or may not have been accurate) what gauges are 'very innacurate' ? my smiths in my spf work fine, even the gas gauge. the oil pressure gauge needs a slight tap now and then to get the needle to move at start up (hangs up at 40 psi occasionally) , but once moved it responds well. amp needle bounced around til i changed the ground to the engine block. in reading posts on gauge problems on this and other forums it seems that owners have reported problems with all brands of gauges intermittently which makes me wonder if one brand is in fact better than another or not...or maybe i am just lucky with my smiths ? dunno... but every time someone responds that brand xyz is the best, another owner of same xyz writes back that they had problems too...go figure. if it makes any difference, ie, smiths gauges different in later years than mine, i have spf#156 built in summer 1996. good luck. b

Ikestaa · #13 (**permalink**) 11-28-2002, 08:36 AM

We sent ERA a set of the cobra series Autometers we got from www.hdrcoupe.com .

Great Asp · #14 (**permalink**) 11-28-2002, 09:39 AM

I think the only one that has a "problem" is the speedo.

But normally that is easy to fix. Most likely the cable has a kink, or the gauge can be "cleaned" from the grease that gets in there from the cable.

Try the SCOF board for information too.

You might not need to buy new gauges.

Eric

slvrsnk · #15 (**permalink**) 11-28-2002, 10:25 AM

I think it is funny that everyone wants a replica of a 60s race car but then they complain about the quriky primitive nature of the beast . I am not sure bit I think what they really want is a replica of a Lexus. Don't get me wrong my car is quirky and primitive but that is the whole reason I have it, because power steering,power brakes,power windows and all of those other power things (except for horsepower of course) are for sissys.
My gauges tell me what I want to know within reason.I guess if they were broken I would fix them but I would replace them with the same thing. I mean what are the odds you will get 2 bad 60s replica gauges.

Well that is only my opnion and it does not reflect the opnion of the of the person who would normaly be in a food coma at this time.
Aaron

decooney · #16 (**permalink**) 11-28-2002, 10:29 AM

Hey Slvrksnk,

don't the SPF cars come with Power Brakes?

Excaliber · #17 (**permalink**) 11-28-2002, 10:32 AM

Confucious say:
Man with two watch never know what time it is.

Ernie

slvrsnk · #18 (**permalink**) 11-28-2002, 10:44 AM

If you concider vacume boosted brakes, power brakes. Yes it does, but I would go out right now and chew the boost line in half to not be considered a sissy .

decooney · #19 (**permalink**) 11-28-2002, 10:49 AM

Slvrsnk,

OK, you are forgiven. I often mention this feature of the SPF to my sissy Viper friends thinking they might to convert to a real car some day. Actually, its a nice feature to have... just cover it with some alumiunum or something!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.