What gauges do you actually look at?

For sure oil and temp

..................A story from the old days. A friend of mine was chasing a divorcee who had ex-hubbie's 80's Rally Camaro. Had a full set of gauges. Evidently the water pump leaked slowly, and nobody noticed. She didn't have warning lights, and too stupid to ever look at the gauges. Ran it until it would not run

he talked me into "moonlighting" the engine. I pulled it out, pulled some plugs, and "struck water." At first I thought the ends of the heads were greasy (black.) Nope. Paint was COOKED black. The interior of the cylinders had rainbow colors like when a knife blade temper is removed

I told her there is NO way I'd rebuild it, either buy and exchange engine or find a good used one

So she comes up with a used one from "some guy" and I'm sposed to install it. Back then, I knew little about actually IDing a 400 SB vs a 350, and this was sold to her as a 350. Of COURSE it wasn't. Burned oil bad, and vibrated to beat hell. Just like a 318 vs 360 out of balance

So I told her to go gripe at HIM. HE told her "Heck I can overhaul your old engine no problem". I told her "Don't come running to me, in about a year, when that junker of yours starts to use oil again"

...............And just about a year later, my friend came in, laughing and giggling like a girl. "Just saw Kathy's Camaro, with a HUGE blue cloud out the back.

She never did pay me all she owed me on that mess.