55-57 Instruments

[CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS]

Wondering if anyone has taken the time to look at what Classic Instruments has for gauges? They have a great lineup for styles and colors available. Get a hold of them for more info.
http://shop.classicinstruments.com/content/images/thumbs/0000954_be01t_300.jpeghttp://shop.classicinstruments.com/content/images/thumbs/0000969_bt01w_300.jpeghttp://shop.classicinstruments.com/content/images/thumbs/0017135_bel-era-iii-black_300.jpeghttp://shop.classicinstruments.com/content/images/thumbs/0001007_ch01aslf_300.jpeg

[JT56]

I actually have the Bel Era Gauges in the Tan color. Will CI be monitoring this site and providing tech support here?

[CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS]

We will be monitoring the posts created here and can provide tech help if needed. Always can contact the main head quarters also.

[CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS]

One of the Best features the ne Bel Era III has is the fuel gauge is programmable. If you have a specific OHM fuel sending unit, your capable of programming the fuel gauge to what OHM range you have by selecting it with the push button. Great and easy feature!!

[WagonWonder]

Cool!

[chevynut]

As far as I know that gas gauge sender programmability function isn't unique to Classic Instruments. The competition has had it for a long time. ;)

Are your gauges backlit, and do they use stepper motors or old-style movements? Is there any way to set alarms/lights or any other programmability? The CI website is sorely lacking in technical information, IMO, or I can't find it.

The Bel Era III doesn't have a tachometer and it seems to be aimed at those who want a stock look. Too bad nobody's really come up with a gauge set yet with a really good tach.

[WagonWonder]

Other than Race applications, what, beyond looks, functionality does a Tach have? Most all of my past factory rides had and have one but I can't ever recall rolling down the highway at 75 MPH while looking at my tach. My old racecars, yes and on the dash with a shift light next to it.

Just wondering and not trying to be argumentative.

[chevynut]

My Chevy Silverado has a tach...my Porsche has a tach...my wife's Infiniti has a tach. I personally think it's an important instrument. Don't you run your cars hard on the street? I do. I want to know how fast my engine is revving. A separate tach on the dash or steering column looks too old-school to me.

If I were to design a tri5 gauge cluster it would have a big tach in the center, and a digital speedometer below that. I hate digital tachs, but a digital speedo works well. I have both a digital speedo and analog speedo in my Porsche, and I find I only look at the digital one.

http://images.hgmsites.net/med/2003-porsche-boxster-2-door-roadster-s-6-spd-manual-instrument-cluster_100278854_m.jpg

[BamaNomad]

No oil pressure gauge???

[chevynut]

No oil pressure gauge???

If you're referring to my Porsche, no it doesn't have one, nor does it have a voltage gauge. The lack of an oil pressure guage has bothered me because I think it should have one but there is a light for each of them. Here's a cluster for a Carerra with the two added gauges. But the thing to note is that BOTH of them have the tach as the main gauge in the center of the cluster....the speedo is secondary. That was my point in posting it. ;) The lack of a tach would make me not buy a gauge set.

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01/Carrerra+Gauge+Faces+on+Carrera+Circuit+Board13599 53659.jpg

[BamaNomad]

In my opinion, a manual shift car - especially a high revving one, needs a tach. For most people running an automatic transmission, the tach is superfluous... that said, I 'like' having a tach, but don't feel the necessity in an automatic trans car to have one.

I DO feel that having oil pressure and water temp are a necessity, and volts or ammeter gauge is desirable.

I think Chevynuts' earlier point re preferring analog gauges for most displays, but accepting a digital readout for speed is a good point, and perhaps the aftermarket gauge manufacturers could consider that.. a digital display is also acceptable for a 'Volts' gauge. and even for a fuel gauge and possibly for temperature. In fact for situations where the instruments are driven by digital inputs, why not display the digital as well as the analog?

[WagonWonder]

In my opinion, a manual shift car - especially a high revving one, needs a tach. For most people running an automatic transmission, the tach is superfluous... that said, I 'like' having a tach, but don't feel the necessity in an automatic trans car to have one.

I DO feel that having oil pressure and water temp are a necessity, and volts or ammeter gauge is desirable.

I think Chevynuts' earlier point re preferring analog gauges for most displays, but accepting a digital readout for speed is a good point, and perhaps the aftermarket gauge manufacturers could consider that.. a digital display is also acceptable for a 'Volts' gauge. and even for a fuel gauge and possibly for temperature. In fact for situations where the instruments are driven by digital inputs, why not display the digital as well as the analog?

I suspect, were a poll taken of all high performance high revving automobile owners the "Never Look" column would win out, stick or not. Just sayin.

[BamaNomad]

You may be right.. :) are you saying that you never look at your tach, and thus don't need one? :)

I have a '69 Z28, 69 Corvette 350/350hp/4speed, and a couple of 90 ZR-1 (7K redline, 6 speed), and when I'm power shifting those cars, I always look at (and shift at) my tach... Otherwise, I only look at the tach if I'm trying to figure something out or having some issue... :)

[WagonWonder]

You may be right.. :) are you saying that you never look at your tach, and thus don't need one? :)



Instrumentation is, for me, entirely dependent upon the application. I see no need if there is no need. If I have issues relative to performance I pop out the laptop and look rather than fumbling with something as inaccurate as most of the present-day instrumentation.

In the area I live in, taking your eyes from the roads to look at something that mundane will get you killed, run over or otherwise sidelined. It's a matter of preference for certain and I simply prefer not to have or use one. Should I build another task oriented vehicle, i.e. racecar, then as I mentioned, once again a tach and shift light will be ever present along with a full compliment of other instruments alerting me to any issue requiring my attention.

Gadgets not required.

[rockytopper R.I.P 5-13-2017]

Bama I agree with electronic auto and tach is optional but nice to have. But I do look down ever now and then 15 miles down the road or so doing 70 and wonder why I'm taching 3 grand only to realize I pulled it past OD lol and I'm still in drive. Guess I'm getting old. I might want a tach on my nomad sense I plan to paddle shift a 6 speed auto lol.

I personally like the belaire III but don't like the high beam not in the middle and the current one used for a check engine light which is a must with obdII. It does not appear to support that? IMO if ones desires to remain stock no real need for this product. You can run a stock speedo with gps box or x box. I can display an entire dash like Cnut posted or any form digital or what ever you desire on a IPhone or Ipad via obdII wireless and see it in real time even air intake temps and tons of other data if desired. Every thing but oil pressure I would hide it and check engine light in ash tray if I kept he stock cluster and run a 56 temp gauge.
Just my opinion lots of folks like them looks like a great product. For the record I did ask if I could get one customized on their post on the other site to address my dislikes and no response so I gave up on it lol.
Rocky

[JT56]

One of the Best features the ne Bel Era III has is the fuel gauge is programmable. If you have a specific OHM fuel sending unit, your capable of programming the fuel gauge to what OHM range you have by selecting it with the push button. Great and easy feature!!

Yes,just had my gauge set sent in to be adjusted to 0-90 ohms.

[chevynut]

I wonder how long before someone comes up with a large LCD display that covers the entire 55-56 instrument opening, and you decide what you want to display on it. You could have a couple modes...one for cruising, one for racing. You could change the layout and colors to be anything you want them to be. The technology is all there....someone just has to decide to do it.

Personally I like to see a tach ( I look at mine regularly), speedo (digital only is preferred), oil pressure, fuel level, temp, and voltage. I wouldn't buy a cluster without a tach or anything else missing. I want backlighting, since side-lighting like the stock instruments is really lacking and non-uniform, LED or not. I want the accuracy of stepper motor movements that initialize themselves every power cycle. I want to be able to set up alarms like hood open, e-brake on, and other programmable things. A bonus would be OAT and Compass but I currently have those in my rearview mirror. And on top of that it all has to look good and be laid out right and use modern instrument technology while being reasonably priced.

[WagonCrazy]

all of that...plus heads up display projected onto the windshield.:eek:

[55 Rescue Dog]

I love the original style of the Bel Era III. I like tachs too, but not a must have with an auto, with a rev limiter. With a LSx OBDII, I can scan anything on the engine with a $12 Bluetooth adaptor, along with GPS on my phone if needed. Warning lights/shift light are a must have when racing, autocrossing, or driving at the limits for me anyway, because my attention is focused on driving the car with no chance of having time to look down at a gauge. If you look at your tach while autocrossing, you will run over a cone. I love gauges though. My Camaro has 12, and I don't even have a fuel level gauge. Speedo, tach, plus digital tach with shift light, F/R brake pressure, air/fuel ratio, volts, water temp, oil pressure, fuel pressure, water pressure, and a vacuum gauge, plus 3 more bright warning lights. On the other hand, I can't count the thousands of miles I've driven only glancing at maybe the speedo, while the water temp could be pegged, or oil pressure on zero, and I wouldn't notice until something was smoking, knocking, or the engine stopped from running out of gas, and the left turn signal still flashing!

[markm]

I love the big Jones mechanical tack on the dash of my 55, Tack mandatory speedo on the other hand is not so important. I spent serious coin adding factory ones to my 72 Cheyenne and K/5. Tachs, Posi, and tilt wheels are must haves at my house.

[CLASSIC INSTRUMENTS]

The backlighting is LED. Motors are Aircore. There is one light that is programable for what ever function youd like. It is the red light. The Bel Era III is strickly designed to go for stock original looks. Daily we monitor the website and improve things to make sure it is user friendly.

[chevynut]

The backlighting is LED.

I don't understand why your website doesn't show the tri5 instruments in the dark with the lights on as I think knowing what they look like at night is an important criteria for choosing instruments, at least for me. Backlighting is like modern instruments where the light comes THROUGH the face. It looks to me like yours are side-lit, not back-lit. THIS is NOT backlighting as far as I can tell:

http://shop.classicinstruments.com/content/images/thumbs/0009686_led00_300.jpeg



Motors are Aircore.

Aircore is pretty old technology isn't it? I thought most modern instruments use stepper motors driven by a computer that reads the sensor.


There is one light that is programable for what ever function youd like. It is the red light.

Is it really "programmable" or is it just an input to a light? How is it "programmable"?

Your instruments seem to be priced higher than the competition for some reason that I don't understand. So what do you offer that others don't? I think it's a legitimate question for someone looking for a set of gauges for his car.

Found this on your website...what's a "wiggler"?

Some manufacturers will furnish the more cheaply-built "wiggler"-type of movement in their gauge set and claim their set is "all-electric." Regrettably these manufacturers can legally advertise and market even the "wigglers" as being "all-electric" . . . so much for "truth in advertising."


Daily we monitor the website and improve things to make sure it is user friendly.

User-friendly is one thing, but having detailed descriptions of the technology is another. I see very little about your technology or benefits of your products anywhere on the website.

Are your tri5 instrument lenses made of glass?

[rockytopper R.I.P 5-13-2017]

Cnut it is because it looks like a Christmas tree lite up and the original vibe it is meant to give is all but dead lol....

[55 Rescue Dog]

The old-school side lit incandescent lights will always be cool, otherwise they would have to re-write the song to... "Paradise by the LED Dashboard Lights"