First off Yes i searched for some information on the A-Pillar and well i might be completely retarded but I wasn't able to find any good information on it.

Alright I heard AMI has started up producing thier guage pods again for the A-Pillar. I had some questions for the people who do own one and wanted to know how visibility was. I'm a short person 5' 3" and also wanted to know if anyone had issues seeing the top guage with it set at the lowest point. As far as guages go i was probably going to do oil press. boost and AFR. As far as oil pressure guage goes is it a good idea to have or would there be something more important to put in its place? Ya it may look a little ricey but it's the cleanest looking guage pod that still retains all factory parts without using 3M tape to the dash or something along those lines.

I'm sure someone is going to sugjest using the steering mounted guages but I think I might have some issues seeing the mph's and rpm's due to the lack of height.

 

Gauges on an A-pillar that has an airbag in it... Hm.

 

Well i checked some of the reviews and one person had said they were in a wreck and it dropped down like it was supposed to and didnt damage the guages at all

 

I figure they would drop down. In a serious wreck the gauges may take some damage but I don't expect them to hinder the airbag.

 

Thats what i was thinking as well, But then again im not completely too sure on how the function with the airbags works. If there is any other good substitutes out there i would appreciate the input.

 

The airbag is not a concern. It does not go down the a-pillar. There are also pegs and a safety latch holding the a-pillar on that is a ***** to take off. If you want to see for yourself pull the weather stripping back a bit then give the a-pillar a little tug and you can see exactly where the airbag and strap are.

I'm 5'9 and have no visibility issues. It doesnt block visibility anymore than the pillar does by itself. I have 3- 52mm gauges and they dont stick out far at all.
I agree on oil pressure being a good third option.

If you are worried about a ricey look then get analog gauges. I have the AEM analog ones. They have the silver bezel with black background and white numbers which matches the factory dash.

 

I've owned one in the past and as far as quality and fitment goes AMI can't be beat. I never had a problem with visibility but I'm a bit taller. Also there's no airbag behind the A-pillar the label on it is for the side curtain airbag. When the side curtain deploys the A-pillar will pop out slightly but it's held in place by that annoying black clip so it doesn't become a projectile.

 

Great info guys thanks alot. Makes me feel a lot better about making this purchase!!

 

I love my ami pod pillar, it's functional, it works, and if you crash it just hangs down as long as you connect the clip.

 

The AMI A Pillar is really pricey though. They want like $210 for the dual gauge pod proved you send in your stock A Pillar, if not they charge you an extra 60 bucks for an OEM A Pillar that they modify to fit your car.

 

I wish I would have got the A Pillar pods, because I can't see anything under 40mph.

 

i have the same pod. the quality is excellent.

i'm personally not worried about the airbag and the a pillar is held into place as others mentioned.

as for visibility, i don't think your being vertically challenged should be an issue. for street driving it pods aren't in the way but if you're doing track or autox it starts to be a problem. i have been just dealing with it since in my opinion it's the best place to take a quick glance at your gauges.

 

If you're in an accident that bad that the airbags deploy, I'm pretty certain that the gauges will be the least of your concern. I've looked everywhere and couldn't find any alternative to an a-pillar pod that I liked. The AMI ones look awesome in photo's, but the guy never contacted me back so I never ordered one yet.

 

^ I just lost The Game. Thanks A lot.

 

From what I remember AMI has a full time job and family and does the pillars in his spare time.
If you are in a rush go to evoxforums and find a thread by DSG. I havent really been following it but they are coming out with mass produced oem quality pillars.