The standard VP-2 instrument panel has room for just three 3-1/8" instruments (RPM, ASI, ALT) flanked by two, 2" oil gauges (OP, OT). I wouldn't want to mess around with that too much since the instrument panel is also the main spar bulkhead, though I could see rounding the main cutout to allow an oblong panel shape and enlarging the two small holes to 2-1/16" to fit a wider selection of instruments. Here's the layout from the plans and a pic of one that is almost perfectly stock except for the size of one gauge.
An alternative that I have in mind is to put a 3-3/8" automotive quad gauge (OP, OT, volts, fuel) in the middle of the panel (fits in the stock cutout), flanked by the ASI and ALT, with a 2-1/16" or 2-5/8" tachometer on the left (it's actually a 2-5/8" face on a 2-1/16" body so it fits in the smaller hole). The pics below are resized so the two gauges look the same diameter but they are not in reality. There are also optional bomber-style bezels if I want to get fancy! These are from https://www.speedhut.com by the way.
That would get me more functions in fewer gauges and I thought I'd put a plain black round plate on the right (the same diameter as the tachometer opposite) for the ignition switches. I could even mount the plain black plate in a bomber bezel if I wanted to show off. This is for a single-magneto-only VW engine with a ground-rechargeable 12v battery to run the engine gauges and maybe an LED anti-collision beacon. If I wanted dual ignition then the second circuit would be a dead drain 12v system with a bigger rechargeable battery.
It seems to me that the different sizes would actually help distinguish the gauges when scanning and the having the OP/OT/volt/fuel with warning lights right in the middle would make it more likely to catch a problem in time. My question is, do you think it would be weird to have the tachometer smaller than the ASI and ALT like that and the slightly larger quad gauge in the middle? There is also the issue of front-mounted vs. rear mounted gauges, but that can't be helped if using auto gauges.
An alternative that I have in mind is to put a 3-3/8" automotive quad gauge (OP, OT, volts, fuel) in the middle of the panel (fits in the stock cutout), flanked by the ASI and ALT, with a 2-1/16" or 2-5/8" tachometer on the left (it's actually a 2-5/8" face on a 2-1/16" body so it fits in the smaller hole). The pics below are resized so the two gauges look the same diameter but they are not in reality. There are also optional bomber-style bezels if I want to get fancy! These are from https://www.speedhut.com by the way.
That would get me more functions in fewer gauges and I thought I'd put a plain black round plate on the right (the same diameter as the tachometer opposite) for the ignition switches. I could even mount the plain black plate in a bomber bezel if I wanted to show off. This is for a single-magneto-only VW engine with a ground-rechargeable 12v battery to run the engine gauges and maybe an LED anti-collision beacon. If I wanted dual ignition then the second circuit would be a dead drain 12v system with a bigger rechargeable battery.
It seems to me that the different sizes would actually help distinguish the gauges when scanning and the having the OP/OT/volt/fuel with warning lights right in the middle would make it more likely to catch a problem in time. My question is, do you think it would be weird to have the tachometer smaller than the ASI and ALT like that and the slightly larger quad gauge in the middle? There is also the issue of front-mounted vs. rear mounted gauges, but that can't be helped if using auto gauges.
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