New dash cover, grant wheel, Speedhut gauges w/photos

[MEZZZ]

I dipped into MSA for a few items for my interior, namely a new steering wheel and dash cover for my '77 280z. The Grant wheel went on without a hitch, once I figured out I needed to bend up the horn contact a little.

The dash cover was a different story. I read posts on here from 2 years ago about ill-fitting full covers. I had a 1/2 cover on before and thought a full one would look nicer. Since I had to destroy the 1/2 cover to remove the speedo and tach, it gave me an excuse to get a new one. I figured that in the past couple years, MAYBE MSA talked to their supplier about fitment. Looks like I was wrong. The same proplems I read about are still there, namely bad fitment (1/4-3/8") off on the trip reset, dash vent above it and the dash emblem area. I tried warming it up, pulling, stretching, cussing, etc to no avail. I ended up taking a Dremel and grinding out the holes for the trip reset and rheostat. That didnt look bad as the knobs covered most of it up. The dash vent above those ended up needing some major (1/2") reduction to make it lay (almost) flat. The emblem area (I pesonally wish they didnt have one on it to begin with) was off about an 1/8" and made it necessary to use a spacer to raise it up as well. Overall, not too happy with it although it still looks better than before.

The Speedhut gauges( I know, ricer but I still like them ) were a PIA to put on, had some issues as well. First the amp/fuel gauge is wrong for later model cars. When I called them about it, they said they were unaware, yet I read a post a couple days later about a member that had them custom make one for a late model car. They should send the correct face per year. Other then that, the reverse indiglo look nice IMHO, but you CANNOT see the needles at night, even painted orange as I did. I originally removed all the bulbs so I got no backlighting. I ended up removing the green lenses and replacing all bulbs with new ones. The pictures dont do it justice, it actually turned out looking nice and I can read the needles. I wired the faces into the light for the clock and the rheostat now controls both the stock lights and the faces. The set also came with its own rheostat so I can control the brightness of the faces with that as well.

On a plus note, I actaully have a working clock now too! I found the quartz movement from a '78 on Ebay for $39, has been keeping perfect time for days now!

I chose the metallic silver face with dark blue fonts just to be a bit different than the white face crowd.

Bright orange paint from the hobby shop on the needles.

My clock is keeping perfect time yet while posting this pic I noticed the needle on the center gauge seems to be stuck, it was working flawlessly, time to take it back out and see if it is hanging up on the face.

A couple night shots

[Arne]

I think that center gauge face is incorrect for your car. Later cars should have a voltmeter, not an ammeter. The ammeter would be centered when the car is off, but a voltmeter will be pegged at the right side. Totally different gauge functions.

[geezer]

Bummer about the fitment problems and the gauge problem; nothing you can't solve, keep working on it. It looks great in the pics. I think the timeless beauty of the cars design alows this modification to be pulled off well. When you tried to get the correct Voltage/Fuel overlay from them and they said they weren't aware, didn't they offer to rectify the mistake?

[Danglybanger]

When I heard "Grant steering wheel" I thought the worst, but that actually looks good

Whiteface guages look alright and illuminate nicely...

[MEZZZ]

I think that center gauge face is incorrect for your car. Later cars should have a voltmeter, not an ammeter. The ammeter would be centered when the car is off, but a voltmeter will be pegged at the right side. Totally different gauge functions.

Yes Arne, you are correct, it is the wrong face for my car. I touched on this in my original post, typing my dismay for Speedhut to send out the incorrect face for later model cars when they are well aware of the difference in the ammeter/voltmeter issue.

I didnt even notice the difference until I went to install it and then I called and got the "oh, really" kind of response. I thought at that time I would just go ahead and use it anyway. I removed the red plastic light so the face sat flat and pulled the bulb that illuminated it. I also had to trim the top of the face which was straight across the top, and dish it out so the needle moved freely. It seemed to be working fine and pegged right after turning off the car. I suppose I will open it up and see why it is hanging now, if I tap on the dash or close the door, it pegs right again.

[MEZZZ]

Bummer about the fitment problems and the gauge problem; nothing you can't solve, keep working on it. It looks great in the pics. I think the timeless beauty of the cars design alows this modification to be pulled off well. When you tried to get the correct Voltage/Fuel overlay from them and they said they weren't aware, didn't they offer to rectify the mistake?

From you, I will tkae that as a huge compliment ! I agree, I want to be a little different, afterall, its a '77 not a '69 series 1 I am dealing with.

No, they did not offer anything to me when I called. THey did give me advice that I could carefully trim the top to fit my gauge better and thats it. Stupis as I am, when I wnet to put the speedo face on, I discovered that I had inadvertantley ordered the 0-160 face instead of the correct 10-160 one.

Speedhut sent me a whole new set, all 5 faces minus the inverter for $49 vs the $89 price and didnt charge me for shipping. It was not until a week or so after receiving those when I ran across a post about the custom face being made.

I just think that once they were made aware of the problem, they should be correcting it. The same with how they wire the faces. The three small faces have a seperate plug for the harness. The speedo and tach are piggytailed together. In order to install, you either have to cut and splice back together, or install the tach out of the car and then pass the speedo thru the tach hole and pull back thru the speedo hole and do it in the car. I read a post from 2 years ago and they were going to address this issue, yet when I spoke to them on the phone I was told they still havent changed their tolling around...duh!

All in all, it is a very nicely made set. I like them better than the vinyl overlay from Speedhut and I didnt want to attempt to scan my own. The option of replacing all the bulbs to L.E.D.'s seemed like as much if not more of a hassle to me, so ricer as they are, I opted for them. At least I didnt have flame graphics put on them

[ktm]

The gauges look good. I was looking at Speedhut gauges myself, but opted to do the LED conversion route myself.

Hey now, not all Grant steering wheels are bad.

[m4xwellmurd3r]

>_< I want a grant wheel now

but I'll stick with my old wooden wheel haha. It's nice to have since it doesn't conduct heat too well (very nice in arizona. I'm able to grab the wheel after my car sitting out in the sun an entire day, where the rest of the body is so hot I can't even touch it)

[MEZZZ]

When I heard "Grant steering wheel" I thought the worst, but that actually looks good

Whiteface guages look alright and illuminate nicely...

, thanks. The first wheel I bought from MSA, another Grant was total junk IMO, so much, I sent it back. Uneven stitching, rough edges where the rubber met the metal. I called and voiced my displeasure and they were very accomodating in accepting it back, as long as I paid shipping.

I wrote back asking the guys opinion on a replacement wheel and he told me the one pictured was the wheel he would pick for a later model car. They do not advertise it as a Grant wheel on their website or any wheel as a Grant that I can remember. I got a wheel from MSA just because I wanted that "exclusive Z horn button" they provide at no extra charge

[MEZZZ]

The gauges look good. I was looking at Speedhut gauges myself, but opted to do the LED conversion route myself.

Hey now, not all Grant steering wheels are bad.

Thank you...I like your Grant wheel better than mine

BUT...I got about 5 extra HP at the rear wheels just by bolting on my shiny one..and the silver gauges had to add another 10 HP

I'd like to see some pics of your LED conversion if possible, just 'casue I enjoy lookingat pics on here

Edited August 13, 2008 by MEZZZ