It does look as if the hook is meant to latch...so allowing the gauge pod to be used as a lid?

 

I did wonder that, but if you squint at picture 13, the instructions show the pod sitting cleanly on the trim surrounding the vents. There is no mention at all of it doubling as a storage area.

I suppose the makers knew that the gauge wires would have to be routed through the base of the cubby, and therefore render it pretty useless as a storage space.

It's one to throw out to the forum, everyone else's pod seems to fit perfectly; then again, nobody else has shown or mentioned the strange metal hook / latch on the underside.

 

Have you managed to get these fitted and working now? I was going to get mine fitted but your thread has inspired me to have a go at it myself!

 

Not so far, topshot - for various reasons listed above, I've ended up taking them all out for now, and will begin again in the near future.

It just needs patience, which I'd recently lost with them because the pod is a poor fit, the wiring was fiddly, etc. But, that was because I'd mounted the gauges in the pod first, and ended up having to access the wires through the stereo slot - i.e a gap slightly smaller than a letterbox. Utterly impractically, I need someone in the same position as me - about to install their own gauges, so they can be done quite literally side by side, extra pair of hands for each car, etc.

If you do have a go, feel free to contribute to this thread as you go along, we can compare notes. There's plenty of advice up above so far, but the best thing to do is to complete as much of the wiring outside the car, then you can carry it all in and thread it all through. Got to be easier than my first ham-fisted approach.

 

Not been at this for a while for various reasons, but here's a little update.

After a chat with Neil @ Slowboy, he suggested I bought a pod from Scoobyworld, instead of plumping for the one I bought with the gauges. Or, if I could find one, a Defi / ATI pod. The latter proved impossible to find, so I ordered one from Scoobyworld.

It arrived today, and it's exactly the same as the one I already have, with the same metal hook protruding from the bottom in exactly the same place.

I can only presume they'd both fit the compartment for which they're designed; but I now have a spare one. If you need a centre dash pod (to replace the lift up compartment) to install gauges on your classic, I'm prepared to do a deal for one.

Can I also appeal to anyone with three gauges in a centre pod on their classic to confirm whether this pod is going to be a good fit? See previous posts for pictures.