[FlyingPerformance]

I am going on Monday to meet with a local guy to make me a gauge pod for the 08 STI. I personally am only doing a single 60mm PLX DM-200 gauge, but I am going to discuss with him three possible gauge pods for our cars. And the possibility to put them into production if there is enough demand. Since there are zero gauge pods out right now, we may end up doing all three methods and seeing how they come out.

The first one would be just to the left of the gauge housing and would sit just above the AC vent and blend into the factory gauge hood, similar to the Zero-Sports piece.

The second will be a 3 gauge pod that will be molded to fit in and follow the countours of the stock clock area. This one would necessitate moving the display that is there down to the little cubby under the A/C controls(or where ever you deem necessary) or hiding it behind the dash if you dont mind losing it. We may try to do a plate that would go down under the A/C controls to mount the clock to so that it would look factory.

The third option is going to be another single gauge pod that will fit on the far right side of the clock area. Just as the clock ends on the right side there is about an inch and a half more space. We are discussing molding a small gauge pod into that space that will angle towards the driver. This method will leave the clock intact and fully visible.

All three can be finished in what ever finish you want. They are going to be made out of fiberglass and either painted, wrapped, or textured.

This is just preliminary info. Please vote in the poll which pod you would be most interested in even though it may be hard to visualize exactly what they will look like.

[UberWagon]

I was looking at this the other day and I think a hood the follows the countours from the clock area would work. You would like have enough room to insert the clock at the bottom (like the 04-07 Zerosports piece) if you brought it out far enough. Just don't make it look too ricey!

[FlyingPerformance]

Well we are trying to make it look factory and not come up to high so the clock likely will not be able to stay in its original position. I dont know we will know more on monday when I take the car in and we make some molds with some foam.

[rjacobs]

subscribed for more info.

[FlyingPerformance]

OK went and met with the guys today. I am taking the car back in two weeks to get reverse molds made of the dash so that we can start actually designing the gauge pods. All three of the designs that I laid out above are going to get proto-types made. These guys have looked in the past at doing injection molded plastic parts, but the initial piece cost somewhere north of 25k bucks. Not something we are prepared to do financially. At this point all of them are going to be hand laid fiberglass with lots of options(color, texture, wrap, gauge size, etc..). I will get more info out once we get the reverse molds of the various parts of the dash done. Keep watching this thread if you are interested. I hope to have the first prototypes done within a month to month and a half.

[UberWagon]

IMHO matching the stock dash texture and color looks best. Lot's less ricey than a big carbon fiber bulge coming out of your dash....

[FlyingPerformance]

That is ultimately what we are most likely going to go with, but because these are each going to be hand made the options will exist to get anything you want. You are the only person that has been watching this thread I think.

[UberWagon]

I'll be anxiouslly awaiting prototype pics.


Free bump!

[AKLGT]

I really like the Zerosports pod that is just to the side of the clock. I hate those huge 3 pod center pieces. THey just look like rice and gets in the way of my vision.

Keep us updated on your progress and what you end up doing. I'm very interested pending the outcome of the pod and placement. (I only need one, not 3 anyways).

[mofoSTI]

I dig the zerosports version. And I would even get the jdm one too for the right side of my dash

[Spaceman]

I've been waiting for ZeroSports and ATI to come up with one. It is great to hear that yours should be available sometime soon.

I will let you know right now that you can sign me up and I will put down a deposit if you come up with a pod for 3 gauges. Something with hoods to help with glare and of course slightly tilted to the left to face the driver...

[FlyingPerformance]

Like I said, I gotta find time to drop the car off with the guys who I am working with on this overnight so they can make the molds of the dash so they can start working on this. They gotta have the car overnight so that the material they use to make the molds will be hard enough to pull off the next morning. I may do it this friday night, otherwise it will be early next week. Shouldnt take to long after that to get something into prototype.

As for pricing, I am not sure what it is going to be yet. I know it will be more than the ATI and Defi pods available for the 02-07 cars because these are going to be essentially one off pieces in hand laid fiberglass and hand painted/textured or wrapped. I will post some pics of these guys other fiberglass work tomorrow so you can get an idea of the quality that they put out.

[Spaceman]

Originally Posted by FlyingPerformance

Like I said, I gotta find time to drop the car off with the guys who I am working with on this overnight so they can make the molds of the dash so they can start working on this. They gotta have the car overnight so that the material they use to make the molds will be hard enough to pull off the next morning. I may do it this friday night, otherwise it will be early next week. Shouldnt take to long after that to get something into prototype.

As for pricing, I am not sure what it is going to be yet. I know it will be more than the ATI and Defi pods available for the 02-07 cars because these are going to be essentially one off pieces in hand laid fiberglass and hand painted/textured or wrapped. I will post some pics of these guys other fiberglass work tomorrow so you can get an idea of the quality that they put out.

Cool. Waiting for the pics.

[Spaceman]

Any updates?

[FlyingPerformance]

I have been super busy dealing with some family stuff and havent had time to take the car up. I am out of town currently, should be back on Sunday(I hope) and will probably drop the car off on Monday evening to get the process started(as long as I am back on Sunday). Sorry this is taking longer than it should have.