NA Miata gauges

[waltesefalcon]

Since I bought my Miata it has had several cracks in the lens and facia of the gauge cluster. I've looked and you cannot buy the lens by itself from any supplier. I finally became annoyed enough with the cracks that I searched for a cluster on ebay and found one with a decent looking lens and facia.

While I was thinking of doing this I also decided it would be a good time to swap out my dummy oil pressure switch for a real one. I found one of those on ebay as well. The oil pressure switch and sending unit came in and I swapped them into my car.

Now I was ready to swap out the facia and lens, when I saw that Adam at Revlimiter was having a sale on his custom face gauges, so I said to myself, "what the hey, it's only money. " So, I bought a set of Adam's "Fighter" gauge faces.

Finally my gauge cluster shows up and the lens has some spots that look like carb cleaner drops got on it. So I removed the facia and lens and started polishing the spots out of the lens.

Now, the new oil pressure gauge is in, the new faces, facia, and lens are all installed, and I'm pretty happy with the result.

 

[charlie74]

Those are pretty cool!

 

[NutmegCT]

What a great improvement!

You mention the "dummy oil pressure switch". What on earth was that? What purpose did it serve?

yikes

 

[JHaydon]

"dummy oil pressure switch"

It's an "analog idiot light". It doesn't register actual pressure, it just shows if you have any. If the needle is off of zero, you have oil pressure.

Apparently most modern cars with oil pressure "gauges" (aside from true performance cars like Porsche and Ferrari) are set up this way. It's kind of surprising to me that Mazda did it on the Miata.

The new cluster looks great!

 

[gonzo]

So satisfying! Thanks for sharing.

 

[waltesefalcon]

It's an "analog idiot light". It doesn't register actual pressure, it just shows if you have any. If the needle is off of zero, you have oil pressure.

Apparently most modern cars with oil pressure "gauges" (aside from true performance cars like Porsche and Ferrari) are set up this way. It's kind of surprising to me that Mazda did it on the Miata.

The new cluster looks great!

After doing some research I found that they switched from actual oil pressure gauges to the dummy gauges because, apparently, the average consumer was afraid something was wrong with their car when the oil pressure needle moved. They had enough people bring them to the dealership because of properly functioning gauges that they decided to change them in 95.

 

[waltesefalcon]

Thanks guys, I'm incredibly satisfied with the change.

 

[DrEntropy]

Nicely done, Walt. A true "upgrade" from original.

What polish did you use for the front cover?

 

[AngliaGT]

Walter,

Do you know how to remove the plastic cover at the base of the windshield
on an NA? It has small covers over the screws,but I can't figure out how to get them
off.

 

[waltesefalcon]

Doug, do you mean the cover on the top of the cluster?

 

[waltesefalcon]

Nicely done, Walt. A true "upgrade" from original.

What polish did you use for the front cover?

I used Polywatch. It's a polish for acrylic watch crystals. Worked like a charm.

 

[AngliaGT]

No,on the outside - at the base of the windshield,
behind the hood.

 

[mezy]

No,on the outside - at the base of the windshield,
behind the hood.

use a small pick and just flick them out to get at the screw underneath.

 

[waltesefalcon]

So mine is missing most of the little caps, and that makes this easier to see.

 

[AngliaGT]

use a small pick and just flick them out to get at the screw underneath.

I tried,but looked like I would damage them doing that.
Remember that it's 26 years old.

 

[waltesefalcon]

I tried,but looked like I would damage them doing that.
Remember that it's 26 years old.

That's probably why my caps are almost all missing.

 

[mezy]

If you can get new ones just put a self tapping scre through the middle of it and pull them out.
Or you could try Leaving it in the baking hot sun for a couple of hour then try a high pressure airline at the joint see if that will pop them off,
if it does im not sure you will see where they have gone so make sure you can get new ones,