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Hello everyone, after recently acquiring an oil pressure gauge to monitor the infamous gallery gasket woes I decided that I wanted to put it in a new location. I am not a fan of A pillar gauges and currently my phone mount is in the area where the pod would go so, time to improvise!
I know that an analog clock is an old holdover from the luxury brands of yesteryear but in today’s digital age (and always wearing an analog watch) I decided that the G’s clock location would be a perfect for a gauge pod. I will not talk about how to wire a pod as you should follow the instructions that came with your pod. Also my pod came with a shade so I used it as well.
Tools needed would be a Philips head screwdriver, Dremel with a sanding wheel as well as a cut off wheel & a file. This is a very simple and easy mod but does require patience so that it can look OEM. This should take no longer than an hour if you take your time. You will need to cut and use the original clock trim for this to fit nicely. As always, I am not responsible or liable for any mishaps you may have if you try this. Let’s begin!
Firstly, remove the assembly that holds the clock and the temp control from the car making sure to be careful when disconnecting any of the plugs. When you flip it over you will notice that there are 4 Philips head screws that hold the clock in place. Remove them and carefully lift the clock assembly out. You will also notice that there are 6 more screws holding the circuit board to the rest of the trim. Carefully remove those screws and set the circuit board in a safe area. Panel Removed, Hot Dog! Clock Removed, So Much Space! Trim piece separated! Put the screws in its place so you don't lose them!
You will notice that there is almost the perfect amount of space for a gauge pod to fit in the middle of the trim as well as sit nicely between the circuit board. I am using a standard 52mm gauge pod for this install. At this point you can try and wedge in the pod where the clock would sit in the trim. As you can see it’s a very tight fit, but this is where the Dremel and file come into play. Slowly and carefully grind away at the top and bottom pars of where the clock would sit. Essentially you want it to be more circular and less oval. It doesn’t take much before you notice that it is easier to press the pod in. Notice where it drags, you can file it down so it scrapes less in those areas. Starting to take shape.
Keep test fitting until you can press it in without much difficulty. If you file too much then the pod would just be able to slide in and be loose. I haven’t found a way to make a bracket to hold it in place however I believe you can make one if you are so inclined. Once you are press it into your liking the next step is to cut and trim the black trim around the clock.
This comes off the clock & is very easy to cut and trim. Don’t go too fast or you will melt the plastic. This just takes a lot of test fitting and trimming. For my pod I had to cut and file very close to the lower buttons for it to fit properly. Just makes sure for your pod that you take that into account. Cut it in half first and then file it back. How it should look, notice where the cuts ar in relation to the button holes from the clock.
When it’s done you should have been able to fit the pod in, as well as the board and the trim bezel from the clock with no issues. Just go ahead and do the reverse to install back everything in the console. Finished product with hood installed Back of board. left the install pegs to mount a bracket if I decide to go that route. So far the tension of everything holds it in place. Final Product. Will upgrade the pod at a future point but for now it works well!
Thats it! You're all done, now go ahead and enjoy your pod placement!
