[T3] Gauges

[David]

You'll get opinions with pros and cons on each side of the do-or-don't have
gauges question.

If you look at today's water cooled cars, almost everyone out there has a
water temp. gauge. Why?.....they have a thermostat that regulates the water
temp to a certain temp no matter how hot or cold it is outside, so why have
a gauge?
Well, in my opinion, the gauge will show you what is happening when you are
putting harder than normal stress on your engine, like pulling a heavy
trailer, or running in city traffic with the A/C on max., or cruising at
Mach 5 across the desert. IF you look at a temp. gauge and see you are
running hotter and hotter pulling that trailer up that hill; maybe you
should back off trying to maintain the speed or take it outta of OD so as to
not lug the motor.....whatever you can do to avoid the motor from getting
hotter and hotter (increasing wear and tear) will be much better for your
engine.

The same situation will happen in our VW's, only we are much more at the
mercy of the outside air temp. A water cooled car will tell you it's going
to overheat by blowing out water. Driving down the road; (unless you are
KEENLY aware) our VW's won't tell you a thing until real damage, wear and
tear has already started from running too hot.

I like having my gauges and knowing what is going on back there. I know what
are normal operating readings on my motor, and if I think conditions may
show otherwise; then one glance and I can see what's going on. Plain and
simple. I see it as; Why ignore "free" information?

I also have a dash installed tach.. I just want to know how fast it's
turning. I'll never drag race it, or hit 5 grand climbing a hill (although
I'll never have to guess what rpm's I AM turning up that hill), and my dwell
meter has a tach built-in for tune-ups....so I don't really need a tach
permanently mounted in the car. But I have this need to know what's going
on, so I have a tach. Plain and simple. I don't "need" it, I just want one.

Some people like gauges, some people don't like gauges. It's your car, do
you like motor information?

Dave Pallo
'72 Square ~ "Elwood"
Fairport, NY