Making a custom instrument cluster

[85Frankencar]

I want to swap out my original instruments with all Auto Meter ultra-lite electric gauges.
I've seen pictures of home made clusters to fit these, but does anyone have a template with measures etc?
Also there's a complete cluster on gbodyparts but it has not yet been launched for sale.
Anyway, will be fun to make my own. Just wonder what warninglights and such I should include on this custom cluster.
Turnsignals offcourse.. And hi-beam, brake circuit-failure... What else? I have scrapped the ECU since I got carb engine. Just need the most common and important warninglights, and need to know which cables from the original harness goes to what instrument-light. Should I put on resistors or directly to the led?

What kind of car do you have? I created a template for my regal for 2 1/16 gauges and 3 3/8 speedo and tach....the original I did in a freeware 2D CAD program (now I have AutoCad) and had buddy (who runs a machine shop) cut it out of aluminum...one thing I didn't think about was the warning lights, so I'm thinking of creating a version 2.0, if you will with 1 less gauge and spots for warning lights/high beam/turn signals (just finished school Tuesday, so I plan on working on it over the holidays)...but I can PM you the template as a PDF of the drawing if you want.....I've been meaning to create a thread about it but haven't had time.

 

[jking78]

hey jking78 . they are made by COMP II i thought they were Marshall gauges lol but thats where they were made. . the speed o is digital. i dont really care for the plane jane set. i got them from a guy on ebay.i think i paid right around 300.00 for the set. he has a video in the listing that shows them when they light up. they are pretty kick *ss. here is the link.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Gauge-Set-Ele ... 417a6&vxp=




here's the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJwOOL9XlA8

Thx nice gauged

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[liquidh8]

Thanks Jim.
Yeah, I think Ebay might be the answer. It was between that or engine turned. I think carbon fiber might rule out. :wink:

I have a quick question. It might sound a little retarded, but on the GP dash using the factory tach, where does the tach get connected?

I know one end is off the distributor, but I'm not sure about the other end of the tach filter. I removed that out of the car with the dash, but can't remember for the life of me.. 😳

JAck, the factory tack if I remember right, was just 12V, ground, signal.

The tach filter coming off of the dizzy, was a brown wire to the cap (filter), then through the firewall. There was then a connection changing the wire color to white, white went right to the tack. Depending on the dash the pin location was a bit different.

So, it is one wire from the dizzy to the tack, with the capacitor (filter) in series.

 

[liquidh8]

hey jking78 . they are made by COMP II i thought they were Marshall gauges lol but thats where they were made. . the speed o is digital. i dont really care for the plane jane set. i got them from a guy on ebay.i think i paid right around 300.00 for the set. he has a video in the listing that shows them when they light up. they are pretty kick *ss. here is the link.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Gauge-Set-Ele ... 417a6&vxp=




here's the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJwOOL9XlA8

Really digging the back lite gauges. Anyone wanna buy some phantoms? lol

 

[jking78]

[/quote]
Really digging the back lite gauges. Anyone wanna buy some phantoms? lol[/quote]
Do you have pictures

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

 

[FE3X CLONE]

I want to swap out my original instruments with all Auto Meter ultra-lite electric gauges.
I've seen pictures of home made clusters to fit these, but does anyone have a template with measures etc?
Also there's a complete cluster on gbodyparts but it has not yet been launched for sale.
Anyway, will be fun to make my own. Just wonder what warninglights and such I should include on this custom cluster.
Turnsignals offcourse.. And hi-beam, brake circuit-failure... What else? I have scrapped the ECU since I got carb engine. Just need the most common and important warninglights, and need to know which cables from the original harness goes to what instrument-light. Should I put on resistors or directly to the led?

The only indicators I included on mine where the turnsignals, high beam and a brake light. If you really wanted to you could add a warning light for the oil pressure or water temp but that's extra wiring and sensors (depending on what gauges you go with).

You can also check out http://www.classicinstruments.com that have a few gauge lines that have the turn signals and high beam indicator's built into the gauge itself.

For the indicators I like using the ones at http://www.delcity.net

http://www.delcity.net/store/LED-Indica ... s/p_800791

http://www.delcity.net/images/photos/73386_primary.jpg

I don't have any pictures of the cluster with the above indicator's in it but here is an older pic with a different brand that looks similar. What I liked about the Delcity indicator's is that they actually had them in blue so that I could use that for the high beams:

 

[liquidh8]

They are the ones in the picture I posted a few posts ago. I very well may covert to the back lit gages.

 

[Longroof79]

Thanks Jim.
Yeah, I think Ebay might be the answer. It was between that or engine turned. I think carbon fiber might rule out. :wink:

I have a quick question. It might sound a little retarded, but on the GP dash using the factory tach, where does the tach get connected?

I know one end is off the distributor, but I'm not sure about the other end of the tach filter. I removed that out of the car with the dash, but can't remember for the life of me.. 😳

JAck, the factory tack if I remember right, was just 12V, ground, signal.

The tach filter coming off of the dizzy, was a brown wire to the cap (filter), then through the firewall. There was then a connection changing the wire color to white, white went right to the tack. Depending on the dash the pin location was a bit different.

So, it is one wire from the dizzy to the tack, with the capacitor (filter) in series.

Jim,
I can't see where the lead would connect to the back of the tach. I have the tach filter(capacitor) with the connectors. You're right, one half of the lead is brown, the other white. I'll see if I can take a pic of the back of the tach.
Thanks man!

I'll send you a PM with a few pics.

*I apologize for highjacking this thread. Alot of cool aftermarket gauge setups.

 

[jking78]

[attachment=-1]uploadfromtaptalk1395968077489.jpg[/attachment]

 

[dyrt]

I saw a picture of the GNX setup and thought, hell, i can do that.....






I cut the idiot light box off of a broken 81 regal gauge setup, trimmed off a box and used the factory lens from it.