custom gauge cluster

[dusterbd]

check it out. i finally got pics of the cluster that got built for my duster.
michael
P.S. : I can build more.....

[dust]

cool!

that gauge with those four gauges in it on the right side. did you build that or did it come with all four of those as a assy?

[dwc43]

You can get all of those gauges from Autometer. See tha name on the dials in the pics?? Get you a Summit Racing book and go at it. Not hard to do. They've been doing that to Challenger dashes for years.

[dusterbd]

never seen the challenger dash done like this.
hardest part was figuring out how to retain the gauges. had to scratch the head for a while. also had a hard time figuring out how to get the fuel gauge to work without using their entire sender. finally dissassembled both, used the autometer sender in the chrysler fuel pickup.
all in all, this setup worked pretty good.
michael

[dwc43]

Just check out some Mopar mags and you'll see a Challenger or 'Cuda in there every once and a while with a set up like that. I'd rather have the stock stuff in such rare cars as those.

[Stus300]

same here, I would like to upgrade my gauges, but maintain the older look, why I am thinking I might get their black face and white letters, but I want to mainatin that green light on the gauges at night, cause thats jsut awesome =-)


Good job tho on the cluster mounts, I know I need to figure out how I am gunna get the rpm gauge in there, thinking I might be able to stick it where the clock was suppose to go in the sah, but I ahven't measured it out yet to see if their 2 1/8?? size gauge will fit in their ok, or if I am gunna have to mod the dash, and refrab a bigger chrome ring to go around it..

[dwc43]

There's an article in one of this months Mopar mags featuring a company that will reface and rebuild your stock gauges to better than factory spces. Get that mag and check out that company.

[dkn1997]

Not hard to do. They've been doing that to Challenger dashes for years.


Just check out some Mopar mags and you'll see a Challenger or 'Cuda in there every once and a while with a set up like that. I'd rather have the stock stuff in such rare cars as those.

If you think stock looks better, and that his cluster is really no big deal, then it would have been better to just keep it to yourself in this case.

BTW, I like it. that is one of the nicest jobs I have personally seen of using aftemarket gauges in a stock dash frame.

[dwc43]

Never said I did not like it. Just that it's not new. And they have been doing it to the "cuda Challnger dashes for years. I still prefer the dark face over he white face Autometers, but that's my preference. Amd in a rare Challenger or 'Cuda I would rather see the original parts since originality is getting hard to come by. Once everyone mods all of these things, they factory sure wont make any more and each mod brings there value down quite a bit on something that started out as an original car.

[sbuc72]

Whoa! where/how did you get/make that black guage backing? it doesnt look stock?

If you *made* that, lemme know, cuz that looks badass.

.rs

[dwc43]

Stock Autometers have black facings. If your talking about stock gauges there's a company featured in one of the Mopar mags this month that reworks your stock gauges for accuracy and reworks the stock face color, numbers, and pointers. If that's what your asking, I can dig up the mag and get you more info.

[Breech]

Dusterbd,
Dude........that is wicked. I sure wish I had some $$ cuz I'd be given you a call. Anyways, nice work and thanks for giving me one more mod to dream about

[dusterbd]

sbuc72: by black gauge backing, what do you mean? if you mean the plastic bezel, i used a factory cluster from a 68 or 69 cuda, just modified a bit to fit my application.
and breech, its really al that expensive...
thanks for the mosdtly positive comments. i thrive on them....
and some guys like black, some whit, some red. with some research and scrounging, anything is easily built, modified, or purchased.
michael

[dwc43]

If anyone wants to redo there stock gauges the article is in Mopar Muscle may 2005 edition pg. 42 and the company featured in the article is Autoinstruments Martinsville Va. 877-450-0110 or www.autoinstruments.com

[Rods67Cuda]

here's what I did in my 67 barracuda, since I had extra dash panels lying around

[rumblefish360]

nice!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dusterbd]

dude, that came out trick.
howd you do the three centers?
michael

[Rods67Cuda]

oh...sorry...guess i could have given more info....
i had 3 panels in the garage, so i took the worst one and cut out the gauge area. them i rolled some sheet metal for the outer sides, and cut the flat panel to size and cut out the holes for the gauges. welded it together, then screwed it to the insides of the panel and sealed around the edges. I had to also cut the back out of the metal piece that goes on the back of the panel (where the original gauges mounted) in order to fit the AutoMeter Phantom gauges. then painted it black, and the lower part sassygrass green (to match the car) and painted the "trim" and lettering with silver. all model paint, so it shouldn't flake off, since it's made for plastic......

[Rods67Cuda]

oh, and those are green LEDs from autozone for the turn indicators on either side of the fuel gauge. and in place of the original trip odometer reset is a blue LED for the bright indicator (that can be seen in the second pic of the prior post between the headlight switch and the speedo)

[dusterbd]

thats really groovy, man
thanks for sharing. gives me more ideas for the next one...