My '87 has a perfectly functional inclinometer - functional but useless. I'd like to take it out and replace it with something more useful, and darned anything would be more useful!

I've thought about an altimeter, vacuum gauge, compass or thermometer. I'm sure there's probably a lot of things I haven't even considered! Trouble is that I want it to look "stock" - if it's a gauge, it needs to kinda-sorta match the voltmeter and oil pressure gauges, for instance. Not necessarily perfectly, but not glaringly obviously different either.

So, tell me what you've done with the gauge in your Gen 1. Pictures would be preferred so I can see how & what you've done!

Find an orange Compass/outside temperature gauge from a pre '96 Gen 2 Montero, that'll look really close to stock.

Far Left, you'll need the compass sensor in the center of the dash behind the pod closest to the wind shield, the temp sensors are in the bumper endcap and under the steering column plastics. It's a pretty stand alone unit.

Is that altimeter a stock Montero part? Hmmm...I like the compass/thermo, but I also like the altimeter!

Some did have altimeters. The ones I have seen are only good to something like 10k feet. So depending on where you travel...

Boosting gauge? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

I did a boost gauge on mine.

Barometric altimeters are almost useless. Any time the baro pressure changes, you have to recalibrate the gauge by setting it to a known altitude. Most do a pretty good job of self adjusting for temp changes. You have to recal at least daily. Once this is done, they are pretty accurate. GPS alitmeter readings are the least accurate of the lat/long/alt measurements. When calibrated, a baro altimeter may be more accurate. I had no luck calibrating a baro altimeter off a GPS alitmeter.

THe altitude data is nice to have, but given the above, perhaps a mani vac gauge would be more useful overall, primarily as a fuel econonmy gauge.

A true magnetic vertical card compass from an aircraft application would be nice, too. I've never been wild about the electronic flux gate compasses in auto applications. The resolution can be as low as 45*. It's often useful to know if you are closer to nnw or wnw when all the compass says is nw...

I have an oil temp on mine

I'm used to using barometric altimeters in other applications, enough so that I can get good data from them, but the poor resolution of the compass is surprising. If I were to put one in I'd want it to be reasonably accurate, and 45* doesn't cut it!

As to the boost gauge suggestions: I have no boost. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Vacuum gauge is still in the running (like the altimeter, I'm used to using them and know how to interpret the results.) Finding one that looks good next to the other gauges may be difficult, however.

Oil temp may be a good idea - any out there that look good in the Montero decor?