You have several options you need to define what you want. The first is a mechanical gauge with would have a needle. This type has a copper like line that comes attached to the gauge. For the most part these dont come with a small enough sender to fit the OE location in our motors. Next is going to be some setup with an electrical sender. Most of the electrical senders are the proper size for our motors and then have adapters to go bigger. Once you have that sender you can get all sorts of options for what the gauge looks like. They make them that have a needle just like the mechanical ones. They have them with a bar graph. They have them with digital number readout. They have them with all 3, your choice. What I think I would do if your car came with a light stock is leave that alone and get a late model tstat housing (which I have read are available from the normal parts stores) that has the threaded hole in it for some sort of an emissions sensor or tube in it already and install your gauge there. The reading wont be the same as it would be if it was in the block but its still going to tell you what you really want to know which is are you getting warm enough that you maybe could do something about it. You will then still have the light to tell you that something is seriously wrong. Remember that temp probes have to be in the flow to give you a good reading. You cant just build out a bunch of T's and adapters till it fits. Pressure (oil or fuel) works fine that way. Since blowing up a fairly recent rebuild this summer I am going to put back my lights in addition to the gauges. Especially the oil, when you loose pressure you only got seconds to respond, if a light comes on there is a much better chance of seeing that quicker than waiting for what ever your scan the gauges cycle happens to be. Thats one thing I like about some of the more modern cars is they have that nice bright yellow check gauges light (that you see on along with the check engine light of so many of the cars you pass on the road).
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