Mechanical or Electric Gauges?

What that says.^

For those who put electric. Whats your reason?

I prefer mechanical because they are directly linked to what you are monitoring and don't rely on a sending unit to transfer the information. The one exception for me is when using a fuel pressure guage inside the car, I'm just uncomfortable with a pressurised fuel line inside the car, and with guages, the pressurized fuel line will most likely be aimed directly at your face.

it all depends on what the guage is for, as stated above a mechanical fuel in the passanger compartment is a big no no:no:

Mechanical, because going to a carded set up I'm gonna lose all my computer stuff.

I prefer mechanical because they are directly linked to what you are monitoring and don't rely on a sending unit to transfer the information. The one exception for me is when using a fuel pressure guage inside the car, I'm just uncomfortable with a pressurised fuel line inside the car, and with guages, the pressurized fuel line will most likely be aimed directly at your face.
Most things do anyway. The only one I wouldnt do is fuel.

NHRA does not permit lines with fuel inside the passenger compartment. You can use a high pressure fuel isolator, and fill the line inside the passenger compartment with glycol, but I would not even recommend that. I had an AutoMeter high pressure isolator fail when I was running a mechanical fuel gauge in the car, and fuel did get into the lines inside the car. AutoMeter recalled that particular isolator, and gave me full credit for the mechanical gauge, S/S lines and isolator, toward the cost of their electric fuel pressure gauge. They have since redesigned the high pressure isolator two more times, because of problems. Definitely electronic on the fuel pressure.

Mechanical is acceptable for a nitrous pressure gauge, but you have to use the flow restricting orifice that comes with the gauge, to prevent a large amount of nitrous from entering the passenger compartment in the event the gauge or line breaks.

Mechanical oil pressure is routinely used and preferred.

I think the the sensing elements for temperature instruments are reliable and accurate enough to make them preferable to a mechanical temperature gauge of any kind. Running the awkward capillary tube from the engine to the passenger compartment is a royal PITA, and gains you very little.

I've got mechanical oil pressure, mechanical nitrous pressure, electronic fuel pressure in the center A/C vents, and electronic oil temperature and trans temperature in the A-pilar:

http://members.aol.com/InjuneerZZ/images/Photos/AutoMete.jpg

Nice setup there, thanks for the input guys. The only two gauges im looking to get right now is a Oil Pressure and Water Temp gauge. So I guess I'll go with mechanical. I like the Autometer C2's, anyone use them?

Ok I found some Autometer C2 gauges for pretty cheap at egauges.com. I have never heard of this site before and I found it on google. Has anyone ever bought from them? Their selling mechanical full sweep Autometer C2 water temp gauges for 83$ and Full sweep C2 Oil Pres gauge for 60$. Those look really low compared to what I see on eBay and other sites. Just wondering if anyone has bought from them?

Summit sells them for about $1 more than the prices you quoted. Their add-ons for shipping and handling are fairly reasonable.

They sure do and so does Jegs. I guess I was looking at the electric ones. Summit is out of the water temp gauge I want but Jegs has it and also has free shipping so I think I'll go with Jegs. Any other places that may have it cheaper?

While we're on this topic...what are the stock gauges? Electrical or mechanic?

All the guages from the factory are electrical.

Has anyone ever checked the accuracy difference between say, electric and mechanical oil pressure guages? I know the sweep has some to do with it. Thanks.

My AutoMeter mechanical oil pressure gauge reads the same as my stock dash gauge.

OK, thanks Fred. :)

Guess the stock gauge isn't off that much after all.

There's really nothing wrong with anything other than the tach..... people just like to come up with in-depth technical assessments like "the stock gauges are junk". :D

Haha, true true. I know the stock sensors and senders go bad more often than the aftermarket ones do. I have a scanmaster so I can watch that tach if I really wanted to. Now I have a two-gauge pod and I don't know what I want. I don't really need two gauges that read the same thing and I already have two readings for water temp.