besides the need for accuracy in tuning, how do you guys justify spending $200+ for a SINGLE gauge (GReddy & HKS come to mind....)
I can understand the need for good gauges if you're running 28psi and are on the edge of blowing up...

but for someone (me) who has a bone stock car with no real plans for increasing power, do i NEED $300 GReddy/HKS gauges?
or could I go with ones such as VDO (inexpensive like autometer but more accurate)?

I can't think of any reasons why I would need more than just Boost/Water Temp/EGT as well.


What do you guys think? Get some ok gauges to keep an eye on things or spend hundreds of dollars for top-end gauges?

 

It's not necessary to go with expensive gauges. Autometer is fine, they've been used by many professional racers for years.

 

I'd take VDO over autometer. I just don't normally like american products. plus, VDO gauges are stock in porsche, VW, Saab, etc..

 

for any t2 the first guage I'd buy is a decent boost guage. Greddy makes a manual boost guage for like 35 dollars. If you have a few basic boltons like dp/mp/catback then I'd probably cough it up for the 52mm elec. EGT, but an a/f guage would be ok. No it's not going to be as accurate as a wideband, but it will do it's job good enough for the user to know when to get off the gas!

 

If you planning to run more power you should get a high quality guage such as DEFI or Apexi. I don't like autometers guages because they are inaccurate and the quality is poor. DEFI makes some mech guages for about 100 - 150 bucks and are very nice. Unfortuantley you get what you pay for.

 

haha tell me about I have defi gauges

 

Ok, under NO circumstances, do not, EVER get an autometer boost gauge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Regardless of whether thay are the sport, prof., phantom, whatever, they all use the same CRAP *** style of mechanism that varies greatly with heat and air pressure.
I'm sure there are MANY forum member that will support me on this accouunt.
The fluid filled ones look like **** because the fluid only goes up 3/4 of the way to allow for expansion.
As for their other gauges, I'm not sure about them, but don't ever get the auotmeter boost gauge. It's pointless. Might as well gauge boost with an inflatable hot water bottle under the hood.
I've seen mine sit at from +5psi to -10hg when the car is off. Just depending on what mood it's in.
Of course, when it's resting position is at -10hg, at full boost it reads 2-3 psi. If you are tuning by that, you've got a recipe for a $3000 engine rebuild simply because of a cheap *** gauge.
As for the HKS and Greddy gauges. They charge abolutely insane prices because they are imported and because they can. Lots of little yuppie ricers will eat them up because of the brand name. Well, maybe not them so much, but there are some brands that are purely Japanese, and charge through the *** because, well, I already said.

European gauges like VDO (standard in Porsche and Ferrari, not to mention lots of aviation applications)work for me. Ever see a Greddy gauge in an airplane?
But definately get accurate gauges like VDO, or else you are tuning your car under false perceptions!
Ok, I'm done!




Ok, I'm done.

 

You don't need any of those gauges. You have absolutely no need for a boost gauge if you don't monkey with the boost level. An EGT gauge is great for tuning, but is unnecessary for normal driving, and the same goes for a wideband AFR meter. A cheap $65 narrowband AFR meter works just fine as a monitor. As you add modifications to your car, you will probably want to add more gauges. Modifications cost money, and there is always more money required to support modifications than the car magazines will admit. My 20B car has over $1,000 worth of gauges, and I still need to buy a few more. If you don't want to spend a lot of money on your car, then don't modify it in the first place. These cars are very nice in stock trim.

 

Spending a lot of money on gauges is completely unnecessary. The problem is that most car guys want looks, as well as function. For those of us who believe that form follows function, aircraft supply houses (such as Aircraft Spruce) are a GREAT source of gauges. They may not be indiglo or have a 270 degree needle sweep, but if their target demographic is willing to trust them at 15,000 feet and 150 mph, I'll trust them at 2 feet and 70.

Brandon

 

Awesome!
I guess I should have divulged a little more about my mods but in terms of power mods, I have none.

But I will be upgrading my radiator (Koyo) & my turbo has been rebuilt (previous owner didn't idle enough before shutting her down)
Plus I plan on doing auto-x's & roadracing, I figure boost & water temp would be something good to have to keep an eye on things.
Boost => make sure turbo's doing ok
Water temp => make sure I'm not overheating

& it looks like consensus as given VDO 2 big thumbs up

 

that's not true.. if you buy the electric version of the autometer gauges they are very accurate... But they are around 200+ dollars as well.

Remember what RETED said... japanese aftermarket parts for a japanese car

 

I want a link to this 35$ greddy boost gauge. I have NEVER, EVER seen anything in greddys name for under 40$ (unless its small parts like wiring harnesses)

 

ah, you called me out. I remember someone saying something about it, I think it was scott but I might be wrong. None the less i'll take it upon myself to find out

for the record I have

greddy 52mm elec. boost guage
greddy 52mm elec. EGT guage

I love both of them. Greay quality.

 

I believe you can get a $100 GReddy boost gauge, but I got the $200 one that has a peak/hold memory funtion. I figure I won't be able to look at it while I'm driving since it moves and drops so quick. Thats just me though.

 

who sells VDO? anybody, preferably in CND but as close as possible, i have one of their boost guages, and i want to find an a/f guage! but am not doing so well!

 

i like my GReddy p/h/w EGT gauge.. but my blitz id-series boost gauge is ****.. soon to be replaced i think.

 

You hate all your boost guages lol.... Are you hooking them up wrong? This guys gone thru like 5 now

 

Doesn't your stock boost gauge and temp gauge work?

Hehehe, you won't have time to look at your boost gauge while autocrossing. Besides, what's it going to tell you? If you have no mods, then you will not be over-boosting. If you aren't getting any boost, then you will certainly know it due to the lack of power. So what's the point of monitoring your boost gauge?

Once you autocross, you will finally realize the value of that annoying redline buzzer. Racing is all about buzzers and warning lights.

Yes, upgrade the radiator. The radiator is one of the few bad stock components of the FC.

 

yeah they "work" but what about all this talk about the stock temp gauge as a dummy gauge?
doesn't move until it's too late????

 

What I dont like about the stock gauges is they are not numbered. You are guessing where your temp or boost is.

 

I'd beg to differ, Evil - Dale Clark made good power with his stock radiator with a Cartech FMIC in front of it. I specifically asked him about that, because I'd thought the same way. His response was "I don't run hot on the highway doing boost runs... if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Especially without an FMIC and at stock power levels, I think as long as the sealing around the radiator hasn't deteriorated, it's more than good enough.

Brandon

 

I just spent $700 on three GReddy gauges. Granted they are 60mm warning gauges. I used to have autometer gauges, but I sold that **** iff and became a believer of you get what you pay for.

 

Definitely. GReddy gauges are very good quality

 

anybody VDO vendors?

 

ebay