En-Gauging
But now the column pokes right through some of the unseen support bracketry
for the gauges. The fix - in my mind - was to assemble the separate gauges
and back-lighting into a single instrument cluster. This would allow me to cut
the lower center out of assembly (where some of the original mounting studs
are) and bolt the whole thing in on its perimeter without having to worry about
the gauges flopping around in their holes. <-- I hope that description makes
sense.
I bring this up mid-stream, because I'd rather do the gauges
before
installing the column since it's much tighter up there than it was before all of this.
Top side:
From the bottom:
Straight back - You can see the nut and bolt (lower center, left) still holding
the pieces together. This was only for fitting/assembly. That entire tab got
cut-off when I was done since it would interfere with the column's new location.
I know a lot of builders shy away from ampere meters and prefer volt meters
for reasons I am very well aware. I personally have no problems running
most of my electrical load through this gauge and if something should
go wrong that almost everything dies, I'll know where to look.
However, the fuse tab on this one was broken and needed some attention
before it could be put back into service:
so I did just that:
The completed assembly:
I've since installed the gauge cluster and the column but realize as I sit to
write to you that I haven't taken pictures of these completed steps. I'm
heading out there now and will take some to post with my next update.
BTW, I always paint my gauge (and taillight, etc) interiors white. It does a much better job of reflecting light than does silver.