Doing A Monza Dash In My '61 Lakewood ?

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kenshapiro2002
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Doing A Monza Dash In My '61 Lakewood ?

Post by kenshapiro2002 »

Anybody do a Monza dash change over? Is it pretty much "plug and play" or are there some pitfalls when doing this? What takes the place of the boost gauge on the non turbo models?
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jennirw
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Re: Doing A Monza Dash In My '61 Lakewood ?

Post by jennirw »

do you mean a "Spider" dash, a Monza dash is the same as a 700 dash
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kenshapiro2002
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Re: Doing A Monza Dash In My '61 Lakewood ?

Post by kenshapiro2002 »

jennirw wrote:do you mean a "Spider" dash, a Monza dash is the same as a 700 dash
Yep...sorry. What do ya'll replace the boost gauge with? Does almost everything else "plug and play"? I know I'd need to mount the wiper control underneath as well. Anything else?
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Re: Doing A Monza Dash In My '61 Lakewood ?

Post by terribleted »

Not plug and play. If you want the functions of the spyder dash to work (tach, temp gauge) you will have to add wires for the tach feed and wire and a thermistor for the temp gauge. Vendors sell (or have sold) an adaptor to mount a proper thermistor on the left cylinder head. If your car is a stick there is no issue at all with the shifter, if it is an Automatic the Spyder dash can be pretty easily modified to work (the shifter mounting bosses are in the back already and the face can be carefully cut out to display the gears). You can also plumb the manifold pressure gauge to the rear and hook to vacuum for use as a vacuum gauge. The rest pretty much plugs in as I recall (I have done this before on an early car...can not remember if a wire or two might need to be lengthened or added to get all the dash lights etc. working.
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kenshapiro2002
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Re: Doing A Monza Dash In My '61 Lakewood ?

Post by kenshapiro2002 »

Thanks
jdflight
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Re: Doing A Monza Dash In My '61 Lakewood ?

Post by jdflight »

Thanks for posting this I am considering do this as well. One question Terribeleted I currently have an aftermarket tach can I assume that I can use the wires from that.


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Re: Doing A Monza Dash In My '61 Lakewood ?

Post by Trip »

If I'm not mistaken that's a "maybe". Also worth noting on Corsa's in non-turbo (140) models the exact same boost gauge is installed and operates as a vacuum gauge. I don't recall for sure whether or not the Spyder gauge has the negative range as well as positive the way the late model does.
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Re: Doing A Monza Dash In My '61 Lakewood ?

Post by bbodie52 »

:think: SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT...

The Spyder instrument cluster certainly makes for an attractive upgrade over the standard Corvair instrument panel. The tachometer and speedometer are fairly easy to connect. Some wiring harness modifications would be needed, including a power tap for the tachometer and a sensor wire to run to the engine compartment for connection to the ignition coil negative terminal. The fuel gauge should be a straightforward connection in place of the original fuel gauge.

The cylinder head temperature gauge would be something of a problem, unless you were able to get the thermistor sending unit when you obtained the Spyder instrument cluster. The Corvair thermistor is difficult to obtain and usually fairly expensive if you can find one. VDO did market a cylinder head temperature gauge that offered the correct range to support the Corvair air cooled engine. Their gauge used a sending unit that attached under the spark plug mount. However, that gauge was discontinued a few years ago. VDO stated at the time that they intended to offer a new design for the cylinder head temperature gauge. But so far that new gauge design has never materialized. I tried sending an inquiry to VDO customer service to inquire about the new cylinder head temperature gauge, but their response offered no useful information.
Cylinder Heat Temperature Sensing Units.jpg
The manifold pressure/vacuum gauge would also be difficult to connect. If you were able to obtain the necessary length of thin nylon (plastic) tubing to route from the gauge to the engine compartment, you will find that there is no easy location to connect it to the engine. On the 140 hp Corsa non-turbocharged engine, there is a connection point on the vacuum balance tube. But there is no such connection on a 1961 engine. In addition, you will likely find little value in the vacuum readings that you would see on the manifold pressure gauge. It's primary function was to reflect turbocharger activity in the Corvair Spyder. Without a turbocharger, it offers little value.
Spyder Instrument Cluster (1).jpg
Spyder Instrument Cluster (2).jpg
Spyder Instrument Cluster (3).jpg
Spyder Instrument Cluster (4).jpg
Spyder Instrument Cluster (5).jpg
Spyder Instrument Cluster (6).jpg
Spyder Instrument Cluster (7).jpg
You might consider adapting other VDO gauges to the Spyder instrument panel. The gauge diameter, I believe, would be correct to fit the Spyder panel openings. You would have to fabricate some mounts or brackets to secure the gauges. I made a similar conversion on a Corsa instrument panel some years ago. I relocated the fuel gauge to the upper portion of the instrument panel (in place of the clock) and then fitted an ammeter and a oil pressure gauge in the lower section. The style was not an exact match, but I felt that it was acceptable in that the gauges were much more useful than the broken clock and the manifold pressure gauge in my non-turbo Corsa.

If you wanted to fit aftermarket gauges that would be more useful in the Spyder instrument panel, VDO makes a wide range of instruments that could be fitted. A voltmeter, oil pressure gauge, and even a matching fuel gauge could be considered. They even make larger diameter tachometers and speedometers that could be mounted, if a complete matching style of all the instruments was a concern.
Corsa Gauge Modifications.jpg
Here are a few examples of other Corsa instrument panels that were upgraded using modern instruments...
ImageImage

ImageImage

ImageImage

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:link: https://www.vdo-gauges.com/

Image
:link: https://www.summitracing.com/search/bra ... -_-keyword

If you wish to examine a wiring schematic for the 1964 Corvair (that includes wiring details for the Spyder instrument panel) you can find the diagrams using the following link…

CORVAIR COMBINED WIRING SCHEMATIC DIAGRAMS
:link: viewtopic.php?f=225&t=12968
Brad Bodie
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