Just changed newsgroup reader and back to my nick "Macsoft" instead of my name "Manuel Macedo" (just to those who keep track.
Finished my Gear Readout. I took some ideias given here an came up with thissetup:
(sorry about the lack of proper english terms) underneath te backseat, I unscrewed a plate that covered the gear shaft(?) to the gearbox and fiberglassed a magnet placed vertically. Arround the magnet I used 4 alarm-type sensors (switches that react to magnetic pull), and place them where they closed one switch when each gear was on. The magnet did little movements from gear to gear, but enough to diferenciate each.
HERE'S A PIC: (it aint pretty, but it's under the backseat)
For the gauge reader itself I used a simple calculator with big digits(only the first digit is showing, the rest are taped over).
GAUGE PIC:
So when I put in 2nd gear for example, the magnet closes one alarm-switch, that closes the circuit of key number 2 on the calculator. and so on, and so on. Since the calculator only allowed 7 digits, and I need a 0 (no gear) to be active too, I placed a switch on the gear pedal that closes circuit for the CLEAR key on the calculator. That way, you push the pedal to switch gear, it erases last number, and when you release the pedal, the number on the netx gear will go up. Since the magnet psitions for reverse gear and second gear are very close toghether, for reverse I used another tecnic: When you put in reverse (reverse light will go on in the back of the car) so I connected a relay to that light that unpluges the current to the calculator (or else the number 2 would come on), and lightsup a small LED on the right of the gouge. LED lit = Reverse. Rest of gears shown as numbers! :) usefull when you dont knwow if you have car in gear allready. Or if reverse is really engaged. Or if you dont remember witch gear we are (not that we have that many). But I just did it 'cause I think it's cool, and I needed a way to know if the car is in gear, since I built a remote start system from an ordinaryremote lock, and don't wan't it to remote-start if in gear.
Sorry to those who like their VW kept original... but I like gizmos!Many more gizmos to come!
MM '70 1300 bug