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4/15/01 -- As I continue to work on restoring the extra tub sitting in the driveway, I decided to go ahead and install a trio of additional instruments that I've been meaning to add for some time now...
I desired additional gauges to display oil pressure, the state of the charging system and the time of day, but as you well know, early Spitfires in particular don't have many options for installing additional instruments where they can be easily seen or aren't in the way of something else. Years ago, I installed two gauges in place of my radio on the dash support. Three would not fit comfortably. I modified the radio plate to accept the gauges and installed switches in the middle that operated a power antennae and my fog lamps. This time around, I elected to place the gauges at the top of the driver's side parcel tray. I've seen this done before and admired the clean look of it. So why bother? Simply to keep a better eye on the operating status of the vehicle while driving. By the time the low oil pressure indicator light might come on for example, the damage may already be done.
I purchased a chrome gauge holder, unable to decide at the time whether I wanted to leave it chrome or paint it black. In the end, I decided to match the krinkle finish of the steering column support working under the theory that the cluster might look more intentional this way, (as opposed to being an obvious aftermarket addition). The left edge of the bracket overlaps the steering column support slightly, which creates the illusion of a continuation of the column support, rather than a separate piece. Besides, the chrome face just drew too much visual attention to these instruments, not to mention the blinding effect the sun can have bouncing off that chrome (I've already had a taste of that compliments of the polished aluminum spokes on the wood steering wheel).
As it turns out, the front side of the gauge holder is still chrome... I did something a little unusual. I actually turned the holder around so the back of it is facing forward. I did this to place the gauges back a bit further from the opening of the parcel tray. This creates that nice, even transition from the column suppport to the gauges. The holder is attached to the top part of the dash opening with two pop rivets. I opted for the rivet approach because I wanted a smooth, flush fit and didn't want to be distracted by the appearance of the screw heads.
I haven't connected the instruments yet, nor have I wired in the backlighting for them, but here's what the Jaeger oil pressure, Smiths clock and Lucas ammeter look like together. I believe the Jaeger oil pressure came from a TR4, maybe. I haven't seen too many of these, but it matches the Jaeger fuel and temp gauges so I like it. The Lucas is also a good match. The Smiths clock might look even better with the minute hash marks blacked out -- it's almost too busy -- but I'm going to enjoy the luxury of having a clock I can see, since I don't wear a wristwatch and prefer listening to CDs versus the radio.
My only disappointment with the clock (which I had to purchase new) is that the face of it is plastic, not glass. That's due to the small hole drilled through to operate the adjustment knob.
I hope the oil gauge works. It should, though I needed to repaint the pointer because a bit of rust was popping up on it. It was probably in a car that sat outside for years... I also purchased a "T" fitting for the oil pressure gauge so I can keep the green low pressure indicator light in the speedo connected and functional (even though it's not very useful). The oil line will exit the bulkhead alongside the tachometer cable and will probably be cable tied to it before splitting off to the oil connection on the block for a nice, neat appearance.
4/17/01 -- Late this afternoon I managed to install the oil line and run it from the gauge, over the transmission cover above most of the wires in the dash (to keep it out of trouble) and exiting out of the bulkhead alongside the wiring harness. This seemed to take the most logical path and made for a clean installation.
I used a "T" fitting to retain the stock oil pressure light switch. My preference would have been to position the old switch on the bottom or facing left for a more graceful appearance, but I didn't want to risk stripping the threads in the block by over-tightening the fitting.
TIP: You see where I used the teflon plumbers tape where the oil line termination enters the end of the "T" fitting? I skipped this step in the cockpit, feeling that the threads would 
seal fine without the pipe dope, but no doing. I had a small oil leak that I had to address after the fact. Be certain to leave yourself enough slack in your oil feed line to be able to pull the gauge out to service it. It's much easier than lying on your back and doing everything from behind the gauge.
Once I had the small oil leak in the back of the gauge handled, I started up the motor and checked for any additional leaks. Everything looks terrific. Including my oil pressure which hovered around 65 lbs. A Spitfire engine should produce between 40-60 PSI when the engine is fully warm and pushing about 2,000 RPM. It took several seconds after the initial startup for the gauge to register as the oil make its way up through the line. But it sure felt good to see that everything is working as it should. Next, I'll connect the clock and install the lights.
To be continued...
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