Veglia Borletti oil temp gauge?

[FiatRunner]

I was browsing a listing on the Bring A Trailer for a 1970 124 Coupe, and I noticed that it has a factory Veglia Borletti oil temperature gauge. Not pressure, temperature.

Here's a link to the photo, and another for the auction listing if that link won't work:

https://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/up ... 048%2C1365

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970- ... 4-coupe-4/ photo #73

I've been looking into swapping out my broken clock for an oil pressure gauge, but it would really bug me if the gauges didn't match. I got little to no results when I looked up "Veglia Oil temperature gauge", and there wasn't anything on Vick Auto related to an oil temp gauge.

Does anyone know where I could get one? Or a sender? Would it be something that is more common in Europe?

[18Fiatsandcounting]

Wow, Runner, that is a good question! I've never seen one, and I suspect you're right in that it was on European models. I had several USA 124 sport coupes in the early 70s, but none of them had an oil temp gauge.

If you can't find one, I suppose you could use another Veglia coolant temperature gauge that matches, but then you would need to find a sender. Normal oil temperature is around 220 to 260 Fahrenheit, so that would be at the high end of the temperature gauge scale. But, you could put a resistor inline in the sensor connection that would bring the needle down. You would need to calibrate, but if you assume the engine oil is about 240 degrees F when warmed up, you could put a resistor inline to bring the temp gauge needle down to the middle of the scale, and if you went much above that, you would know your oil was getting hot.

But then you still would need a sensor. I suppose you could use a coolant sensor, and I'm not aware of any issues with this, but again, I've never seen it done and so just guesswork on my part. I'm sure auto racing parts stores sell oil temperature senders and then you would just have to get it reading somewhat correctly on the gauge.

It would be a cool project if you could get it to work!

-Bryan

[FiatRunner]

Wow, Runner, that is a good question! I've never seen one, and I suspect you're right in that it was on European models. I had several USA 124 sport coupes in the early 70s, but none of them had an oil temp gauge.

After a fair bit of research, I've come to the conclusion that the only car that ever used this style Veglia Borletti gauge was the Fiat Dino. Veglia has produced many other oil temperature gauges, but the only ones that have the sane faceplate as the Fiat 124 gauges came in the Fiat Dino. I'm not 100% positive that the Dino was the only car that used it, but I have yet to find anything that would suggest otherwise.

I'll keep my eyes peeled for a gauge for sale. I haven't found one yet, but we'll see. It doesn't exactly seem like they're a common find. The senders, on the other hand, are readily available and fairly cheap. I don't think it would be difficult to wire in and plumb an additional sender.

I'll post an update if I ever find one for sale!

[TX82FIAT]

I guess I don't fully understand the need for an oil temp gauge unless racing le Mans and hope for some added insight. I would think oil pressure is a much more important thing to measure to see if there is a sudden or gradual drop. I understand that lower engine temperatures prolong oil life and therefore engine life. However, I would think the temperature gauge on the head would also spike if the oil temperature got over say 260 degrees because the coolant would not be able to cool the block sufficiently. The oil at the pan could be as much as 50 degrees different than the engine hot spot/piston wall?

[18Fiatsandcounting]

I guess I don't fully understand the need for an oil temp gauge unless racing le Mans and hope for some added insight.

I view it as an added engine diagnostic that is nice but not strictly necessary. My (limited) understanding of oil is that the best lubrication behavior is when the oil is around 200 to 260 oF. Less than that and there are flow issues, and much more than that temperature leads to a breakdown of the oil components.

While an oil temperature gauge might be fun to look it as you're driving along, the optimal use of such a gauge might be when making engine modifications such as increased compression, addition of an oil cooler, changes in clearances, etc. In other words, more of an additional monitor that the engine is performing correctly rather than a routine diagnostic such as fuel level and coolant temperature.

-Bryan

[FiatRunner]

I guess I don't fully understand the need for an oil temp gauge unless racing le Mans and hope for some added insight.

Honestly? There isn't a need.

I was looking into it mostly because my clock is broken, and even if it did work, I wouldn't use it. I liked the idea mostly because it would make my car unique and add a touch that very few other cars have. If anything, it would simply be cool to have.

You are absolutely correct, oil pressure is a much more important value to have, and even if I did have an oil temperature gauge, that information would be pretty useless, as I really wouldn't be able to do much to change it.

[Special]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/153489818628

[Anbele]

You can also “fill the whole” with a Amp meter. VB also manufactured these. VB supplied the Amp and Oil Temp meters to Fiat Dinos—as you stated—, Ferrari Dino, Ferrari, Lancia Rally models. I also believe they’re were some models of Spanish Seats that had them. Unfortunately, they are not cheap. Or easy to find. But from time to time they do show up on eBay.

[FiatRunner]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/153489818628

Thank you Special!

Glad to know that those gauges aren't as rare as I thought. I had never heard of the Abarth A112, what a cool little car!

Thank you very much for sharing.

[DarrinG]

Did you ever get the gauge? I found mine in Italy, and am having artwork created so it looks like the other gauges with the English and Italian text. My issue is finding a sending unit and where to install said sender. What did you do?

[FiatRunner]

Did you ever get the gauge? I found mine in Italy, and am having artwork created so it looks like the other gauges with the English and Italian text. My issue is finding a sending unit and where to install said sender. What did you do?

I never ended up getting around to buying one. I'm not sure where to get a sender but I think AutoRicambi sells an adapter to allow the use of multiple oil senders, instead of just one. Maybe that would work?

[DarrinG]

I have an oil temp gauge and the sender can be had from Arnold Classic Shop. I'm having a black bezel put on it so I can add it to an Abarth gauge cluster I'm looking to sell on eBay.





https://shop.arnold-classic.com/en/3336 ... ider-coupe

I'm having my gauge specialist West Valley Instrument Specialists in Reseda, CA work up some artwork so my gauge looks like this



And then I'm having custom dash made to install the gauges like this.