Budget Rally Computer/Dash Display?

I'm not sold on a $1k gauge setup for a rallycar. What benefit does the AIM give you that is worth a grand? Just datalogging? what's wrong with plugging a USB into the ECU?

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aj_johnson
I'm not sold on a $1k gauge setup for a rallycar. What benefit does the AIM give you that is worth a grand? Just datalogging? what's wrong with plugging a USB into the ECU?

As was pointed out, you could ...
Oh wait, I have data!
I spent $306 + shipping costs for my fairly low end VDO gauges. I then had to find a location to mount all of them and almost never have time to actually look over at them during a rally and there is no data logging.

A top open class spec Subaru engine probably starts in the $3-5k range for the short block. The ECU is $1k-3k and more money additionally spent on tuning. $1k for a simple digital dash display that simplifies everything and provides data logging is only $700 more than some of the cheapest VDO gauges to do the same thing. Higher end gauges are even more money!

So, full blown race car with race engine, probably not a bad or unrealistic investment.
Now if you are doing something like this M3 which is basically stock with Reiger suspension and upgraded brakes.
http://www.heikkinenracing.suntuubi.com/?cat=7

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Grant Hughes

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aj_johnson
I'm not sold on a $1k gauge setup for a rallycar. What benefit does the AIM give you that is worth a grand? Just datalogging? what's wrong with plugging a USB into the ECU?

Well you can impress all the boys.. That is why people do a lot of the things they do, ya know, to impress the other boys.

Better latent than never, I guess.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Grant is right on the money.

I had a fairly decent gauge set-up before (SPA Dual Digitals). To effectively monitor Boost, Water Temp, Oil Temp, and Oil Pressure. I had to install 4 external sensors just for the gauges. There were more wires going all over the place, as the gauges needed power/ground. An i needed to find some where to mount them.

Ditch the factory cluster (which is pretty much useless except for the tach), Ditch the aftermarket gauges, wiring and sensors.

Install 2 Aux sensors and wire them into the engine computer. Then run one cable (basically a USB cable) from the ECU to the Dash. Give the dash power/ground from where you just removed the OEM cluster.

Now all the gauges and warning lights are in one place. one quick glance down and i can see everything. it's just dead simple.

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Chris

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Do It Sidewayz


Ditch the factory cluster (which is pretty much useless except for the tach), Ditch the aftermarket gauges, wiring and sensors.

Factory cluster has a gas gauge---that's nice, it has a water temp gauge, I like that, it has a alternator change idiot light, and that ain't bad per se..

A VDO oil temp/oil pressure sender can cost from $2-35, a VDO Oil Temp gauge from $5 to 36, oil pressure gauge same.. so for $12 to $100 I haver all the info the co-driver needs to see.

How have we survived for so decades without spending $600-1000+?

And really, in a era when 99.8% would make better results just learning how to brake more agressively----the single biggest total fuck up most do---doesn't it just seem like better results might be found spending money and time on the most powerful system in the car?

Unless of course you want to impress the boys when hanging around...

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

John, you trust the fate of your engine to the co-driver?

You may not buy one, but that does not mean they are not a smart buy. Being able to program the thing to turn on a bright lamp if the pressure drops below X psi above X rpm, and so forth for coolant temp, and fuel pressure, I think is a neat thing to have in a race car where your focus should be on reading the grip of the road so you CAN brake hard and late. Yes, this may be a waste of spending for you, but Derik's car already has very good brakes, very good suspension ect.

I can see the point there, I was more trying to compare the AIM digi dash to other available, cheaper options. In comparing the aim to say an acewell for $300 or any other 100- $300 dash?

Just data logging/ ease of installation? A good ecu will log it all to a usb or memory stick, and I see a few dashes that will plug right into an obd2 port.

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phlat65
John, you trust the fate of your engine to the co-driver?

I trust my engine to the guy who built it..
And he trusts, but verifies these:


and
and


And I know him real well.

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You may not buy one, but that does not mean they are not a smart buy. Being able to program the thing to turn on a bright lamp if the pressure drops below X psi above X rpm, and so forth for coolant temp, and fuel pressure, I think is a neat thing to have in a race car

Oh of course its neat, but but but but.....

whatever.
Fuck it, I need to raise prices on a everything so i can splurge on neat stuff.

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where your focus should be on reading the grip of the road so you CAN brake hard and late.

That is a matter of focus. Never had problems focusing.

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Yes, this may be a waste of spending for you, but Derik's car already has very good brakes, very good suspension ect.

Well I guess he wants to spend the money..

Most people seem top have, or claim to have, a limited budget.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

I personally would love one, but like you, would rather spend $1000 on other stuff. My car has stock dash, and an extra really bright oil pressure lamp. Thats it. It works for me. But they are cool....

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phlat65
I personally would love one, but like you, would rather spend $1000 on other stuff. My car has stock dash, and an extra really bright oil pressure lamp. Thats it. It works for me. But they are cool....

Hey for $18 you can get a idiot light sender for like 20 psi or even 30psi.
1/8 NPT so its easy.

$1000 buys a lot of used tires to burn up driving...

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

In my own defense, some straight lines just can't be passed up.

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john vanlandingham
That is a matter of focus. Never had problems focusing.

Ummmm...

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john vanlandingham

Before you go all JVL on my ass, I know... not your pic, not that 'focus', 'stop picking on me,' blah, blah ...

I just thought it was funny, in context.

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First Rally: 2001
Driver (7), Co-Driver (44)
Drivers (16)
Clerk (10), Official (7), Volunteer (4)
Cars Built (1), Engines Built (0) Cages Built (0)
Last Updated, January 4, 2015

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john vanlandingham
Blame is for idiots. losers.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2012 08:41PM by Morison.

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Morison
In my own defense, some straight lines just can't be passed up.

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john vanlandingham
That is a matter of focus. Never had problems focusing.

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john vanlandingham

Oh the humanity!

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"Talk about drugs. Driving a car like that, going that fast, it’s like all the drugs at once." - Tommy Byrne

"Now, Pinky, if by any chance you are captured during this mission, remember you are Gunther Heindriksen from Appenzell. You moved to Grindelwald to drive the cog train to Murren. Can you repeat that?" - The Brain

I was more disturbed by the pictures of shitty knock-off Chinese measuring tools than the poor focus

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Tim Taylor
I was more disturbed by the pictures of shitty knock-off Chinese measuring tools than the poor focus

Remain clam, ma'am.
just photos grabbed to illustrate where reliability comes from. Not some cutsie display on the dash...


Kinda like many in the machining business won't look at a lathe or mill that doesn't have a big color TV screen...
Nice but that ain't the important thing with the machine---
its what ya doooze wif it.

And I LIKED the dial in focus and the unimportant thing--some ol iron block---gently blurred with a short depth of field. That draws the eye to the dial. The dial with the nice clear sweep.

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

But the dial is overexposed!




(Keith started it )

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Welcome to the cult of JVL drink the koolaid or be banned.