mjmwrx
01-02-2004, 07:10 PM
First i would like to apologize for not having any pic i have not quite mastred my digital camera yet.
Now on to the mod,ok for all of you who want to put gauges in your wrx but do not want to put them on your a-pillar you now have a way.
First i bought three gauges from Autometer( you can use any gauge company just my preference)for this mod you can pnly use 2inch gauges for the hole you will cut has to be exactly 2 1/16 inches when you are done. Next you have to buy the factory gauge pod from subaru( it replaces your clock ) it is about 70$
be sure and just ask for the housing, not the gauge kit it Cost about 400$
Next i took a sheet of abs plastic (most car audio places carry it) and cut it a little larger than the opening for the housing.I use abs plastic because once you score your line with a razor knife it will break cleanly giving you a straight line and a clean finish.
Now you will need a hole saw(2inch is all i could find at hardware store but 2 1/16 is prefered) and a drill to cut the holes.Now measure out evenly and mark the center for each gauge with a punch or awe. now remember the bezel on the gauge is larger than two inchs so take that into account when measuring. the holes will be very close but it will fit. To drill the holes after marking the exact location i placed the plastic on a 2X4 and clamped it down using C-clamps, this is important because the holes are so close the torque from the drill could tear the plastic.
After all the holes are drilled i took a dremel and a sanding drum and cleaned up the hole to allow the gauges to slide in smoothly
now you will have to use the sanding drum in the dremel to remove some of the plastic on the gauge housing that you purchased from subaru be sure to only take out a little at a time so that you keep the holes clean and tight for that factory look.
Now that all your gauges fit i used a plastic epoxy and glued the new piece holding the gauges to the factory piece once it has cured for 24 hours you are ready to pull out the old clock and install the new gauge pod.
To remove the clock you have to carfully use a flat head screwdrive to pry it out starting from the rear first .
and good news to speed things up the four pin connector you will take of the clock has a solid ground,one switched 12volt,one constant 12volt, and one dash light switched 12volt, you will have to use a volt meter to test i did not write down the color code sorry, after you in stall the metal base piece that comes with the housing the whole piece just slides into places and looks really clean when finished .
If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me Michaelmcls@aol.com
And i will try and get pics good luck
Now on to the mod,ok for all of you who want to put gauges in your wrx but do not want to put them on your a-pillar you now have a way.
First i bought three gauges from Autometer( you can use any gauge company just my preference)for this mod you can pnly use 2inch gauges for the hole you will cut has to be exactly 2 1/16 inches when you are done. Next you have to buy the factory gauge pod from subaru( it replaces your clock ) it is about 70$
be sure and just ask for the housing, not the gauge kit it Cost about 400$
Next i took a sheet of abs plastic (most car audio places carry it) and cut it a little larger than the opening for the housing.I use abs plastic because once you score your line with a razor knife it will break cleanly giving you a straight line and a clean finish.
Now you will need a hole saw(2inch is all i could find at hardware store but 2 1/16 is prefered) and a drill to cut the holes.Now measure out evenly and mark the center for each gauge with a punch or awe. now remember the bezel on the gauge is larger than two inchs so take that into account when measuring. the holes will be very close but it will fit. To drill the holes after marking the exact location i placed the plastic on a 2X4 and clamped it down using C-clamps, this is important because the holes are so close the torque from the drill could tear the plastic.
After all the holes are drilled i took a dremel and a sanding drum and cleaned up the hole to allow the gauges to slide in smoothly
now you will have to use the sanding drum in the dremel to remove some of the plastic on the gauge housing that you purchased from subaru be sure to only take out a little at a time so that you keep the holes clean and tight for that factory look.
Now that all your gauges fit i used a plastic epoxy and glued the new piece holding the gauges to the factory piece once it has cured for 24 hours you are ready to pull out the old clock and install the new gauge pod.
To remove the clock you have to carfully use a flat head screwdrive to pry it out starting from the rear first .
and good news to speed things up the four pin connector you will take of the clock has a solid ground,one switched 12volt,one constant 12volt, and one dash light switched 12volt, you will have to use a volt meter to test i did not write down the color code sorry, after you in stall the metal base piece that comes with the housing the whole piece just slides into places and looks really clean when finished .
If you have any questions feel free to e-mail me Michaelmcls@aol.com
And i will try and get pics good luck