Anybody set up a gauge pod that looked...good? I'm planning on getting an EGT, boost, oil pressure, and temp gauge set up proper in the GL-10 (86 digi dash) and want to install something that looks...kinda correct. I'm going for gauges with similar amber colors as the digital display, and I'm trying to find something squared instead of rounded, but I'm up for ideas. There doesn't seem to be too many convenient mounting locations so it's probably going to have to be an under the ashtray or on the A-pillar kinda setup.

on a side note, has anybody got a good idea of a the range (good - bad - you're melting the motor) range for exhaust gas temps?

I also have an 86 GL-10 with the digidash and need to install a mechanical temp gauge. Got one from the parts store a while back but it had the wrong thread...

The first gen WRX aftermarket A-pillar pods are a very close fit to the XT pillars and that's what I'm using. It might work for you.

The EGTs you see will vary depending on where you mount the probe.  Ideally, you want to know the temperature inside the combustion chamber, since that is where the magic happens.  Trouble is, there really isn't a simple, cost-effective way to get a probe mounted in there.

 

The solution is to mount the probe as close to the exhaust port of the head, as in with a few inches AT THE MOST.  The further you mount the probe from the combustion chamber, the more inaccurate your readings will become, since the heat of the exhaust gas column will have dissipated into the walls of the exhaust system.

 

As for temps, many engines see up to 2,000*F in the chamber, over 1,800 in the exhaust may be a cause for concern.  ~1,600*F during a WOT pull would be pretty normal.