I installed the oil pressure and water temperature gauges yesterday. Now my set is complete. The challenge in installing these two gauges was installing their sending units. Both of the new sending units have 1/8" NPT threads so both required adapters.

The oil pressure gauge came with the appropriate adapter, so the challenge became removing the oil pressure flex hose and the hose adapter in the block. I was able to get an open-end wrench on the hose fitting enough to loosen it and then I could remove the hose with my fingers. I then used a large socket and extension to remove the hose adapter. Installing the new sender was pretty easy, just a lot of wrench flipping to get it done. I didn't have to remove anything else to get this done.

The water temp gauge required a very hard to find adapter (1/8" NPT to 5/8"-18 UNF). The only place I could find one was in England (http://www.speedycables.com/threadadaptors.html), and their part number is TE7. Once I got that, the installation of the sending unit was a snap.

Pictures of gauges and adapters attached.

I bought the LE Spoiler from Moss. I painted it with two coats of plastic primer, two coats of pageant blue and then two coats of clearcoat.

The installation was very simple. No need to remove the bumper or valence. You just have to drill seven holes in the spoiler and the valence and then attach the spoiler with sheet metal screws and washers.

I took the car for a drive a couple of days after installation. The drive included about 20 or 30 miles on an interstate. I could tell that the car was more stable and rode much smoother at 70MPH and above.

I also like the look of the car with the spoiler. Well worth the effort and cost

Today I received and installed a GPS speedometer and a new tachometer that I ordered from Speedhut (http://www.speedhut.com/). See pictures below. I ordered the gauges with black background and white letters to match the older gauges as much as possible, although I did get red pointers on both gauges.

I love both of the gauges. The tach is very nice and the original one never worked properly so now I have a real tach! The speedometer is the real star of the show however. It looks like a regular analog, cable driven speedometer, except that it has a small LCD screen display. It runs off an external GPS signal and has many cool capabilities:
Features included
•Odometer and Resettable trip
•5 Htz update for fast needle response and accuracy
•Display 0-60 Time and distance in feet.
•Display 1/4 mile time and speed.
•Show elevation
•Peak Recall max speed during run
•Current direction heading
•Accurate GPS Clock
•Current Speed in LCD
•Hot start satellite acquisition allows GPS speedo to function within 2-3 seconds of power up
Easy hook up- requires only power, ground and lighting and GPS accurately displays speed. included 15' long antenna cord to route antenna to convenient location in corner of dash.
Speedhut Life-time warranty on all GPS speedos
- It also has the ability for the odometer being set to whatever you want. I set it at what my old speedometer read for mileage.

The install was pretty straightforward. I was able to use the existing wiring for almost all of the hookups, except for two power hookups for the speedometer. One of those powers the speedometer and the other keeps the GPS warm so the intial boot up is only a couple of seconds. The 4" gauges fit perfectly in the dash openings for the old gauges and the actual fitting in the holes is facilitated by the gauge casing being threaded. You push the gauge through the hole in the dash and then secure it from behind with a large threaded plastic locking ring.

One tip that isn't in the instructions - Just be sure when you first start the installation to put that plastic ring behind the dash and run the wires through it. Otherwise you have to disconnect everything you just connected to get the ring on the back of the gauge. Don't ask me how I know.

I took a short drive tonight and the gauges worked flawlessly. I really like how the gauges look lit up after dark, but they make the other 4 gauges in the dash look really bad. I hear Speedhut's cash register warming up!!

Update - I have installed a new fuel gauge and I installed a voltmeter in the clock hole. They both work great and look great too. I now have oil pressure and temperature gauges to install. I'm having trouble finding an adapter for the temperature sending unit.

I bought the Rostra “Global Cruise” universal unit (250-1223). I got the small square, dash mount switch (250-3592) and a speed sensor (250-4165) which is required. With shipping, the total cost, from Summit Racing, was about $300.

Without problems it should take an “amateur mechanic” like me about a day to install. Someone with experience doing this task could knock off at least a couple of hours.


My first roadblock was because of my electrical ignorance. Since I have LED tail lights, a relay is required in the brake light switch installation. When I went to get the required 5-terminal relay, the auto parts store had only a 4-terminal relay. Since only 4 terminals are used, I assumed that would be okay. My assumption was wrong. The unit wouldn’t engage. I called Rostra tech support (fast, experienced folkks there) and the tech support guy realized the mistake in less than a minute’s conversation.


Also, during the first conversation I asked about one wire of the control switch. It is a pink wire and it’s supposed to connect to a pink wire on the servo, but there is no pink wire on the servo. He informed me that I needed another relay and was supposed to use the orange wire on the servo. (Not in the instructions).


Once I replaced the brake light relay, the CC would engage, but surged – speeding up and slowing down continuously by about 10MPH. When I called and reported this problem, I was told to disconnect the connection to the coil. The instructions “recommend” a connection to the negative side of the coil for over-rev protection, so I had hooked it up. When I disconnected it, the CC starting operating normally, like any other CC I have experienced.


The biggest PITA by far was the installation of the speed sensor on the driveshaft. You first have to install a magnet on the driveshaft using a cable tie. Then you have to mount a sensor on the underside of the car with a bracket to ensure the sensor is pointed toward the center of the driveshaft and only about ½" to ¾” away from the magnet on the driveshaft. Getting the bracket bent and shaped properly took several tries and required sliding under the car each time. This action isn’t helped by the fact that the driveshaft on these cars is only partially exposed. I mounted the magnet and sensor just behind the forward u-joint.


I mounted the servo just behind the radiator bracket on the driver’s side fender well. That’s about the only place I could see that would allow the proper installation of the servo cable on the accelerator. There is an article in the library, with pictures, that describes the installation of a very similar CC system very well. The only significant differences are that the system I bought has no need for vacuum and requires the speed sensor.

I took the car on a 400 mile round trip and the cruise worked great. It was wonderful to be able to cruise at about 70 mph on the Interstate with the cruise control and OD.

Money and effort well spent! At least IMHO.

I installed the Moss lowering kit and it lowered the car 1.5 inches. Went from 15.5" to 14" all around. Installation was pretty easy and only took a couple of hours. The effect on the looks of the car was fairly dramatic and I like it much better. The change in handling, although improved, was less apparent.

Update - Dec 2011 - I have been driving the lowered car for several months now. I have been happy with it except for bottoming out on bumps sometime. I finally got the shortened bump stops installed on the front suspension and the difference is well worth the trouble and expense. I no longer have to dodge any but the worst of bumps in the road. I'm thinking about shortenening the rear stops too, but I'll wait until I confirm that is really necessary.

Well, I've been watching and waiting for a good set of SU carbs so I can convert from the ZS setup. I happened to be surfing the trader forum when a set of SU carbs from a 71B, complete with intake and heat shield popped up. The picture looked great and the ad said that the carbs had been rebuilt in 2008. I jumped and bought the carbs.
Subsequently, I have bought a cast iron exhaust on E-Bay from an early 'B' and got the down pipe from Moss. I have the manual choke cable on order. Really looking forward to experiencing the promised difference in performance.

Edit - Got the carbs and manifiolds installed. Also sent the distributor to Jeff Schlemmer for adjusting the advance curve. The car runs better, but there is still a problem. It diesels badly when shut off. My mechanics, even with counsel from Schlemmer,can't solve the dieseling problem. I am driving the car as is until next fall/winter, just popping the clutch in gear to shut it off. The garage that has done all the work on my engine has promised to remove the head and have it reworked to try to solve the issue. It will be at no cost to me.