Installed dual Gauge pillar pod

[CYCLONE_06]

Well finally got my gauge pod installed. Amx sold it to me awhile back. Painted it to match the factory 03 grey interior color, then got a boost and oil pressure gauge to fill the holes.

It wasnt the easiest thing Ive done, but there have also been many harder things.

Anyways, here are a few photos. Enjoy. Sorry if they are a little dark. I live in the woods, so its shady.

~CYCLONE_06

[Mean Green]

Very nice. I had one in my '03 GT.

[slayerdarkcross]

How did you install that?

[CYCLONE_06]

Originally Posted by slayerdarkcross

How did you install that?

Well it wasnt easy thats for sure. The first time, the stock pillar underneath didnt want to stay in the pillar, so I ended up breaking the top clip. I could have mounted it that way, but just being held by the middle clip left a huge gap at the top where it meets the headliner.

So, off to the salvage yard I went, got a replacement sacrificial pillar, and cut it so the wires go through it, and down through the side of the dash, under the steering wheel and through the firewall. If you look closely inside the compartment under your dash, you can see two bolts with a hole in the middle of them on the firewall. Its a mounting plate that covers a hole to keep air from coming in. I took the plate off, drilled the center of it, and stuck a nylon tube in it. I then ran the wires through it and out the other side. I used the bolts on the plate as the ground. The oil pressure gauge is hooked to a sending unit which mounts to a plate I bought designed to read oil pressure by mounting between your oil filter and your block. Its called a "sandwhich adapter" glowshift makes them (Performance Gauges & Gauge Pods GlowShift Gauges - Boost Wideband Air Fuel Gauges, or similar, google it).

The boost gauge i hooked up to the small vac line on top of the throttle body, by putting a TEE into two rubber lines, the one thats already on the throttle body, and then a second rubber line that I bought from NAPA. I then just ran the boost line right into the rubber connector they give you in the kit, and viola, boost. The light bulbs were connected to the orange wire in the pillar, this wire is the one that comes on when you turn your headlights on. The oil pressure gauge was connected to a white and red striped wire on the back of the fuse panel in the compartment by your steering wheel. The red and white striped wire comes on with the ignition key, so the gauge is alive when the other gauges come on.

And there you have it. The hardest thing was getting the pod to mount and stay up, because theres so much tension on the plastic.

~CYCLONE_06

[fljohnboy]

How do you have the pod attached to the pillar? Is that molded in somehow? Where did you get the pod from?

[CYCLONE_06]

Originally Posted by fljohnboy

How do you have the pod attached to the pillar? Is that molded in somehow? Where did you get the pod from?

Its an aftermarket gauge pod pillar. It fits over top your existing pillar, and you use push in buttons / clips to hold the two together.

You can pretty much get an aftermarket gauge pod anywhere if you look. I know maggie at raceandstreet.com has color matching pillars.

The one I got was molded for an 01 - 02 style pillar, so I had to go to the junk yard and get one, thus saving my original pillar in case I ever decide to remove it, which probably wont happen.

Then I painted the gauge pillar to match my 03 interior - its a light grey color, 01 and 02 is like a tan.

Then put your underside OEM pillar up to the gauge pillar, and drill the holes accordingly, but not too large so that the push clips wont hold it.

~CYCLONE_06

[Gold GT]

That's a great look very clean. With the oil pressure adaptor plate do you have any clearence issues with your oil filter and charge pipe?

[CYCLONE_06]

Originally Posted by Gold GT

That's a great look very clean. With the oil pressure adaptor plate do you have any clearence issues with your oil filter and charge pipe?

Well, Yes and no. If you use the 3600 series filters, then yes. I switched to the 3614. Otherwise, it wont fit. Ive been running the 3614 anyways, so doesnt really make much of a difference. Its not the roomiest place in the world, but nothing hits if you use the 3614.

~CYCLONE_06

[chris15]

I'll be tackling this job in a couple of weeks. Moved into my apartment and paid our first couple months of bills, so I'm stashing cash away for a billet grille, aftermarket gauge covers (interior lights are blue, so I want blue gauges), and then the pod.

I can't decide, though, because I definitely want an oil pressure gauge and a vacuum gauge (I've got an N/A but it still helps to detect leaks, etc. plus it looks cool..) but I'd also like a volt gauge.. since the PT doesn't have one and I've got amps and whatnot hooked up to the car.. but I'm worried the triple pod will be too 'busy', you know?

I guess we'll see what happens.

[CYCLONE_06]

Originally Posted by chris15

I'll be tackling this job in a couple of weeks. Moved into my apartment and paid our first couple months of bills, so I'm stashing cash away for a billet grille, aftermarket gauge covers (interior lights are blue, so I want blue gauges), and then the pod.

I can't decide, though, because I definitely want an oil pressure gauge and a vacuum gauge (I've got an N/A but it still helps to detect leaks, etc. plus it looks cool..) but I'd also like a volt gauge.. since the PT doesn't have one and I've got amps and whatnot hooked up to the car.. but I'm worried the triple pod will be too 'busy', you know?

I guess we'll see what happens.

I think you should go with the triple pod. You have 3 good gauge choices there, and not too hard to hook up. The only problem i think you might have, is the wires getting clustered all up trying to feed them down under the dash through the pillar. Thats what happened to me, I was like man, good thing I didnt have any more wires lol. Might I make a suggestion. Go with the superwhite 194 bulbs. This way, your gauge lights will have a blue tint, but still be white so u can read them. The other thing you have to think about is going to a junk yard and getting a spare pillar. I also suggest picking the pillar up at www.raceandstreet.com because maggie sells whichever pillar color you need, and you wont have to paint it. Getting the aftermarket pillar to work with your stock pillar is a pain, im not gonna lie.

I also ordered a billet OEM grille for my dream cruiser to make the front pop a little more, and sorta link the front of the car with the rims and headlights. Not sure if you saw pics or not, but I opened my stock headlights up, painted the "surrounds" the same color as the car, and removed the amber reflectors, replaced that with the white reflective DOT tape, and replaced the bulbs with the sylvania silverstar blue / amber bulbs. Really changed the look of the front of the car.

My next mods will be the hard charge pipes from jim (amx) over on PT Crew, and then to the body shop to get the Mopar body kit, Maxxfab 02 housing, Needswings 3" downpipe, and BTG dual exhausts installed. After that I think I will be done.

Here are pics of the headlights I opened up.







~CYCLONE_06