Customzing the Original Dash Cluster.
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Post Fiend
Joined: May 2004
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From: St George, SC I-95
Customzing the Original Dash Cluster.
I have the custom gauge cluster with the dummy lights and I want to do somehting to it that is different from ordinary. I dont have it in the budget for custom gauges so I want to make what I have really unique. So far I have airbrushed the needles on the gauges Torch Red Metallic (eventually the same color as the truck) and Ive clearcoated the gauge face. I have several parts trucks and a few extra gauge clusters so screwing up isnt a big deal. I would like some suggestions or pictures of what youve done to yours. Check out my gallery to see what Ive done and let me know what you think
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,404
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From: Cleveland, WI USA
I completely remade my dash and ditched the original. I made an insert from sheet metal that's 3" deep on the top and flush with the dash on the bottom. It has a lip on the outside to screw it to the dash and a lip on the inside that I screwed a piece of plexiglass to. It's painted from the back side with Ford blue and the guages all mount to that.
The only guages I bought were the 3-pack (oil pressure, temp., and volt meter) and an aftermarket tach (which actually came with the truck). I used the original fuel guage, but modified it to fit into an old tachometer case I had. The speedo is original, but I made a case for it out of PVC and plexiglass, and used a Miller Lite bar coaster as the backgound. I can't tell how fast I'm going, but it's strictly an off-road truck so I don't care.
I used 12v LEDs for turn signals, high beam indicators, gear indicators, and t-case gear indicators.
Aside from a few switches and LEDs, most of it was just junk I already had. If you have several guage clusters, you could play with cutting them apart and/or putting new faces on the guages. They're not backlit, so you could really print anything you want and stick it to the face. If done right, it could be pretty cool.
I'll post some pix tonight.
Kevin K.
The only guages I bought were the 3-pack (oil pressure, temp., and volt meter) and an aftermarket tach (which actually came with the truck). I used the original fuel guage, but modified it to fit into an old tachometer case I had. The speedo is original, but I made a case for it out of PVC and plexiglass, and used a Miller Lite bar coaster as the backgound. I can't tell how fast I'm going, but it's strictly an off-road truck so I don't care.
I used 12v LEDs for turn signals, high beam indicators, gear indicators, and t-case gear indicators.
Aside from a few switches and LEDs, most of it was just junk I already had. If you have several guage clusters, you could play with cutting them apart and/or putting new faces on the guages. They're not backlit, so you could really print anything you want and stick it to the face. If done right, it could be pretty cool.
I'll post some pix tonight.
Kevin K.
Freshman User
Joined: Jul 2004
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I thought about painting the guage faces white and the division lines black, with bright red pointers. The speedo would be easy since the numbers and dividers are raised. Getting the other faces' lines placed correctly would be tricky, though. Maybe paint the rest of the inst. panel white, also?
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Post Fiend
Joined: May 2004
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From: St George, SC I-95
I was thinking of the polished alluminum but I dont know how it would look. So far I think it will look really good but Im worried that I wont know Ive done too much until it already happens. Keep the ideas coming but I would mostly like to keep the extras pertaining to the original gauge cluster itself rather than building a new one with custom gauges. thanks though
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 8,542
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From: Louisiana
I know this isn't a big thing, but try taking out the little blue/green lenses out from the inside of the cluster and change the bulbs to a different color(I changed mine to red and it looks great).
Elder User
Joined: Nov 2004
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I really like the way you've "cleaned up" those gauges, dont do anything else to them. Next just make sure you have good light to them, maybe LEDs or even eazier would be the W5W bulbs, they're like the stock 194s but 5 watts instead of 3.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 843
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From: USA
crazy04, I put the polished covers into my cluster and I like the way it looks. It just changes the stock appearence enough to make it interesting. I do wish that they made a piece to go in the center of the speedometer face although I understand why they didn't. There is a photo in my truck gallery.
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Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 8,542
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From: Louisiana
garypettengill, really nice truck to start off with, but what kind of headers are you running, and how could I get some?
To stay on subject alittle, the gauge cluster looks really clean, and did you swap in the 100MPH speedo?
To stay on subject alittle, the gauge cluster looks really clean, and did you swap in the 100MPH speedo?
Junior User
Joined: Aug 2005
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G'day
Whilst I realise it is not customising the original gauges.
I have found that the cluster from a Toyota Landcruiser ute is almost the same size.
I am sure that many people would regard this as sacrilege but down here in sunny OZ we only ever got the "poverty pack" F100's
My XLT came with carpet, some sort of cloth on the seat and extra chrome trim, that's all folks.
The intruments are a speedo flanked by a fuel gauge one side and a temp gauge on the other.
Mike
Whilst I realise it is not customising the original gauges.
I have found that the cluster from a Toyota Landcruiser ute is almost the same size.
I am sure that many people would regard this as sacrilege but down here in sunny OZ we only ever got the "poverty pack" F100's
My XLT came with carpet, some sort of cloth on the seat and extra chrome trim, that's all folks.
The intruments are a speedo flanked by a fuel gauge one side and a temp gauge on the other.
Mike
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2005
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Here 77460ford, gallery, https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...=85692&width=0 customized instrument cluster. https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...=75625&width=0
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 350
Likes: 1
From: Friendswood TX
Autometer speedo? What P/N? How do you account for the gearing of the cable? Does the stock cable just plug on like the OEM? I hate my panel because it is just wore out.
Last edited by Boltgunner; Feb 13, 2006 at 07:17 PM.