I may have found a triple gauge pod that will work...

Judson

Veteran Member
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Jan 18, 2001
Location
Cheyenne, WY
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2001 Jetta
I've been looking for a long long time for a gauge pod that is low profile, doesn't block the cluster, isn't blocked by the dash cup holder (and takes up the space where a double din radio would sit).

Ideally a triple gauge cluster above the vents would be best but no one makes one for the MK4, and generic ones look like ass.

I think I may have found one but dealers are up in CT, NY, NH, and NC; not anywhere near me...

http://www.rexspeed.net/2012/en/dealer.php

Here's the unit. It is meant for an Evo:

(pic link didn't work, so I pasted below).


If you choose one of the close-up pictures you'll see the left side of the pod is slanted up so it tucks up against the instrument cluster bubble (for lack of a better word).

Now in the Evo pic the gauges appear to stand quite high. But if you look at our MK4s, you'll see that our bubble is much taller allowing for this pod to tuck in close and be fairly low profile in nature.

Here is a night-time pic :

(pic link didn't work - see below)

Our MK4 dashes slant away from the driver and thus a good cluster has to angle back towards the driver:

(pic below)

So the ideal gauge pod would slat the gauges towards the driver and tuck up close to the instrument cluster so they look integrated and "designed that way."

I think this one does the trick. No other vendor comes even close to offering something that works.

Thoughts? If anyone in one of the states listed ever had the time to study one in person, I would like to hear about it.

Jud
 

romad

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That link takes me to a Cadillac dealer down on the Gulf Coast, and www.rexspeed.net by itself takes me to a page that says "This domain may be for sale"
 

Judson

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2001
Location
Cheyenne, WY
TDI
2001 Jetta
I've seen the Evo unit on other sites.

HOWEVER, I have abandoned this particular unit. Really, for a gauge pod to look integrated with the interior, it needs to be hooded and really custom fit right up against the dash.

Note that one would have to drill a hole in the dash cover to make this work; it's not a pleasant option. So buying the right one is that much more important.

This might require a visit to someone with a 3D printer....
 

Fix_Until_Broke

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Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, USA
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03 Jetta, 03 TT TDI
I've looked quite a bit and have not found anything decent. I don't have any trouble putting things in my cluster (as you indicated that you don't want to do), but I like all the gauges in one spot so it's easy to read.

Interested to see what you come up with.

 

Judson

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Jan 18, 2001
Location
Cheyenne, WY
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2001 Jetta
I've looked long and hard at the pod solution. I may have to settle for that as it appears I'd have to have this other thing custom built. But I don't want anything blocking my cluster in the slightest. AND like you I'd like to have more gauges - at least oil pressure among other possibilities.

For example, someone could easily have made a gauge pod like the one you have but another 90 degrees offset to the left and right. The gauges wouldn't be in the way of the cluster any more and still be visible.

There's obviously room to the lower left and lower right of the gauge cluster - just look at your oil pressure gauge there to the right. How did you mount that? All I'd need is another on the left side for now.
 
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Lug_Nut

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
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Sterling, Massachusetts. USA
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idi: 1988 Bolens DGT1700H, the other oil burner: 1967 Saab Sonett II two stroke
Instrument cluster, or instrument clutter?
What time is it? How many miles? What alert lamps (other than the air bag light) are on?
It's for those personal reasons that I'm with Jusdon in not wanting to add obstructions on the column top.
 

Fix_Until_Broke

Top Post Dawg
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Aug 8, 2004
Location
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, USA
TDI
03 Jetta, 03 TT TDI
Instrument cluster, or instrument clutter?
What time is it? How many miles? What alert lamps (other than the air bag light) are on?
It's for those personal reasons that I'm with Jusdon in not wanting to add obstructions on the column top.
I can see the clock no problem, same with the odometer - my head has stereo vision and my camera is mono :)

How often do you check the miles anyway?

No other alert lamps on, and any that do turn on behind the gauges beep when they're turned on.

I don't deny that it's "busy", but in my opinion there's more information available than not and anything that's obscured isn't of any significant importance anyway (coolant temp gauge for example).
 

Fix_Until_Broke

Top Post Dawg
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I've looked long and hard at the pod solution. I may have to settle for that as it appears I'd have to have this other thing custom built. But I don't want anything blocking my cluster in the slightest. AND like you I'd like to have more gauges - at least oil pressure among other possibilities.

For example, someone could easily have made a gauge pod like the one you have but another 90 degrees offset to the left and right. The gauges wouldn't be in the way of the cluster any more and still be visible.

There's obviously room to the lower left and lower right of the gauge cluster - just look at your oil pressure gauge there to the right. How did you mount that? All I'd need is another on the left side for now.
I like the "quad pod" idea with two more gauges outboard of the existing ones, but they would definitely obscure the clock/odometer. You might be able to purchase a couple single pod ones and add them on to a "frog eye" dual pod one just to test drive. If it works well, use it as a pattern, make a mold and then you can figerglass one up pretty cheap/easy.

The oil pressure gauge is just setting there between the back of the dual pod and the front of the dash on the mounting bolts. It's been there for a couple months and never wiggled surprisingly. I'd like to actually mount it, but have not figured out a way to do so yet. I have a short piece of 2" PVC which the gauges fit in perfectly, but I have not figured out how to mount the PVC in a way that it's removable and that you can get wires and such to the gauge.
 

Judson

Veteran Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2001
Location
Cheyenne, WY
TDI
2001 Jetta
Here is one for a BMW. For us it would need to be set farther back but this is a good image for depicting the goal for a column pod:

 

Judson

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Joined
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Location
Cheyenne, WY
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2001 Jetta
ATI replied and sent me a pic of their pod, which looked like every other dual column pod in that it blocked the view of the cluster.

However they did say theirs was adjustable. They are working to find me a pic of one installed after it has been adjusted outwards as far as it can go.

I have already told them they have a sale from me for this if they can show me it doesn't block the cluster.

I also told them, as a way to motivate them, that if so, there are others very interested in buying one as well
 

Judson

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Joined
Jan 18, 2001
Location
Cheyenne, WY
TDI
2001 Jetta
Update: ATI couldn't find a pic of the pods adjusted to the outside.
Which is a bad sign. I offered them the possibility of buying one, and returning it if it didn't work on my dime, but the refused. Another bad sign.

I took another look at our setup, and actually the best mounting point is onto the piece that pulls out and away from the cluster to get at the cluster screws. This is the perfect place to attach gauges, NOT the column, for our vehicles. IMHO of course.

The search continues....
 

graeme86

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Not yet - fuel is too cheap! - 3.2 VR6 R32
A guy on vortex molded a gauge into that removeable piece you are talking about and set it right off into the corner of gauge pod - looked great!

Just can't find link at the moment. :(
 

nickdemers12

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02720
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For your 2003 variant? 42 Draft Designs used to make one to match the brushed interior. There's also a black plastic version...

Saw these. I actually have an 05 wagon now. I have a double din radio. Was looking for on top of the dash. I think I might get the evo one that was mentioned above.
 

Judson

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Cheyenne, WY
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2001 Jetta
FYI - I never did get the Evo one. I put a boost gauge on the a-pillar and called it good....

if I remember correctly it was because I didn’t want to drill a hole in the dash to run the wiring to the gauges. It’s sort of a one and done deal...
 
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J_dude

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SK Canada
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Going to drag this one to the top again. I've been looking for something like the first post too, found this Ford thing that would probably not look too bad but they're minimum $150 so that's out:
 

J_dude

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Then I saw this:

There used to be a print file on yeggi or something but now it's gone. I thought perhaps if one could add a second gauge to that design I could be happy with just the two and maybe a vent pod... can't find anything else like that though.
 

J_dude

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SK Canada
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Here is one for a BMW. For us it would need to be set farther back but this is a good image for depicting the goal for a column pod:

Found files for a 3D printed one:
I personally don't like column pods because that's where I put my Scangauge2 and it fits really well there.
 

hskrdu

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42 Draft Designs also made an A pillar pod for one or multiple gauges. It came in three colors, matched to OE VW fabric (and covered in fabric, not hard plastic). They are no longer made, but pop up on Vortex and Ebay a few times a year. There is a picture in this link, for anyone who isn't familiar:
 

J_dude

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I took another look at our setup, and actually the best mounting point is onto the piece that pulls out and away from the cluster to get at the cluster screws. This is the perfect place to attach gauges, NOT the column, for our vehicles. IMHO of course.
And I found one of those too, for a mere $233 😳😳

Another example:
I like this idea best as it puts most of your gauges all in the same space so it's easier to check them all. And I could keep my Scangauge location still. If only I could find stl files for this one...
 
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Rob Mayercik

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Whoops I lied, there's this:

(pic removed to keep post size down)

Um, I'd be concerned about which direction the A-piller airbag going off would launch that thing...
 
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