Since you asked for opinions and ideas here goes;
IMO, on the street, the only gauge worth having is an oil pressure gauge and only to monitor the change in pressure over periods of time. If the pressure drops while you foot is in it, it's too late, the damage is done.
As for a temp gauge, same deal, it's too slow, and it will just make you nervous. Build your cooling system right and you'll never need it. If a hose blows, you'll know it. If you derail a belt, your charge gauge will show it waaaaaaaaaaay faster than a temp gauge, and you should be eyeballing that charge gauge after every time you wind it up.
IMO, the factory gauges do well enough.... with a proper dash-gauge regulator, and they are almost where they need to be..
My only concession was a 4"/8000 rpm/270* sweep, Autogauge tach with a built in shift light. On the street you'll never need more. The 270sweep gives better resolution than a 5"/10,000
I mounted mine on a bracket I formed to fit the dashpad, and so it slides left/right. Most of the time it's sitting under the mirror. But You know what; with 3.55s you don't even need a tach because you're only gonna shift once on the way to 65mph, and only twice on the way to 90/95.... and you can just mark your speed-O at the appropriate spots; I ran like that for years.
But you know what else; after a few thousand miles your senses will tell you when the engine wants to be shifted. regardless of what the stinking gauges are saying.
And you know what else; on the street it doesn't really matter if yur a couple of hundred to even several hundred (unless you have a stock lo-compressiom 1973up pos 318) rpm off the mark, cuz most street cams have long flat lazy power curves.
And besides, in the heat of battle you will never look at those gauges, you will be far to busy monitoring roadside conditions to avoid collisions with objects or persons you have no business colliding with. Then, later,switching from looking outside to looking inside, those gauges are in a deep dark shady hole and yur gonna have to stop the car, to let your eyes adjust,so you can read them, screw that I said.(Different cars). But you won't stop, cuz yur looking to not be anywhere near here when the cops come looking for who's making all that noise. ( do not paint your car in easily identifiable colors or patterns..... like any 70s high impact colors, with billboards,lol; try white or brown or whatever is popular in your neighborhood.)
Just put an electronic dash-gauge regulator on the factory gauges so they don't wander around , and then you can monitor them.
To tell the truth about the only time I glance at them is if I think I might be needing gas, then it's like; "well, since I'm here what are the others saying?"
You asked what I thought, and there you have it; save your cash and just make sure your engine is well built, then just drive it; your results may vary..........lol..
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Funny story.
In the fall of 1970, I bought a very low mileage 1970 Swinger340/4spd/ with a flat-black hood and a spoiler; The day I bought it, the owner had parked it under a mercury-vapor street lite.It looked Plum Crazy;what a beauty.
After the test ride, I put down a large deposit, namely my life's savings.
Next afternoon, I showed up with the balance, and instead of a PlumCrazy Swinger, here was a Panther Pink Swinger. Well at the age of 17, I was not walking away from that deposit, no way.
So I became the somewhat reluctant owner of a girlie car, and for the next 3 highschool years I heard it all.
Hang on the funny part is still coming.
Ok so naturally this red-blooded cowboy drove the chitoutta that salmon swinger, mostly anywhere anytime.And I grew to have a personal relationship with every cop in the municipality. And apparently with a lot of the residents as well.
After hi-school, I got a government job that was 10 days on 4 days off and took my strong back hundreds of miles away, usually a days drive in a company truck, in either direction, so really I was only home for Two out of 14.
Hang on I'm almost there.
So One day the cops (yes two of them for a 145pound skinny-azz 18 year old kid), show up at my mom's door looking for me and they are none too friendly towards her; after all she's the Mom of the renegade Pink-Dink Swinger the Purple-Plick, the Dastardly Dart, or whatever phrase was popular at any particular time.
Well, she informs them,She talks like me;lotsa "wells", "Well then,they'd have to go to CranberryPortage",(small town a days drive North) where I had been sent, over a week ago. But I'd be home later in the week.
It appears that at least some local residents had the Police on speed dial, against anything that sounded like a Petunia Pink Plick screaming at redline for 6 seconds, atta time, in front of her house.Mom suggested the cops go visit the caller and see if that woman also had a dysfunctional son. BadBoom! thanks Mom..
Moral of the story;
if you have a readily identifiable car; dontchit in your own neighborhood.
I moved away from home shortly afterwards and by spring of 1976 the car was gone.
Ok well, IMO, that's a funny story,lol
