I've been driving my 'parts' truck this last week (an interesting experience and a whole 'nother story).

Anyhow, the cluster on my 67 f250 ranger parts truck has a red line below the speed starting at 70mph.
My 67 f250 4x4 does not.

I haven't pulled either off to see if they are really 67 clusters. I was thinking about swapping in the cluster with the ammeter and oil pressure since my dd truck came stock with that stuff...

I'm guessing that beneath the plastic bezel on the ranger the cluster is exactly the same for size etc and should fit into the plain metal bezel on my daily driver.

Does anyone know what years the speedos had the red lines or not?

See pics below:

My daily driver:


My pos parts truck:


darrell

 

I will check the 2 67 clusters I have and see if they have the line or not. 1 is from a f350 metel bezel like yours and the other is a f100 custom cab. I will look when I go out tomorrow and let you know.

 

Hi Darrell,
My 1967 F250 2WD Camper Special has the exact same plastic cluster as your DD,
(with the red line starting at 70mph).
However my 1967 F250 Merc 4X4 metal cluster differs from yours slightly as mine has the Alt/Oil gauges AND the red line starting at 70 mph.

 

red403: Thanks! Let me know what you have.
67 Merc 4x4: I wonder if it's a canuck thing, since the cluster in my dd (the blue one) for sure has been replaced -- maybe with a ford cluster (rather than a merc cluster)...
darrell

 

Basically it's a "you're going too fast" if you are in the red zone. Not much more than that. Ever notice most of them stop the numbers at 85mph? You didn't need to know any higher. Basically all US gov. BS.

Was it Carter that set the US national speed limit to 55mph?




John

 

Hi John
It was Nixon in 1973

 

Yes, it was Nixon that proposed the law in November 1973 but signed into law by him January 2, 1974.

 

I know you cant swap Oil and Ammeter Gauges with the clusters for the idiot lamps very easily as the altenator wiring is different between the altenator, and the regulator as well as into the truck. If the proper ammeter shunts are NOT used, it can cause the factory ammeter to catch fire and burn up. Just a heads up.

As for the Speed law, it was 70MPH, (IIRC) untill Nixon mandated it to 55mph, due to the Opec Oil Embargo of 1973-1974. It was a way to save gasoline as we were running out. Then they found ways to make it stick as it saved lives.

The speedometer on my 1972 went to 120 mph.

By 1977, 85 mph speedos were the norm, because the govenment thought if you didn't know how fast you were going over 85, you would be less inclined to drive over 85.

 

My speedometer in my 4x4 crew cab has the red line starting at 70 MPH and steel Bezel. Built at the Ontario plant. And yes John it makes quite a racket at the line, not freeway friendly.

Garbz

 

I have checked the metel one from the f350, it is like your blue one except it has the alt and oil gauges like your bottom one and it has the red line. I will check the 67 f100 as soon as the wife gets back. It was made in Ontario also but not sure where the f350 was made.


Just checked my f100 and it has the line under it also.

 

Resurrecting my old post:

I pulled the dash apart on my 67 parts truck and pulled out the instrument cluster. It's a 67 cluster as evidenced by the loose wires on the back between the lights.
I pulled the cluster out of my daily driver (a 68 cab), and found the cluster is stamped 1970 on the back (and is a printed circuit).
I also found the dis-used wires that would have originally powered the ammeter and oil gauge (I think). According to my build letter from Ford, my truck came with the 4 gauge instrument cluster. I really want the factory gauges (yes I know they're not that accurate etc, etc)...

Now, here comes the big question. The harness connector that attaches to the cluster is *very* different between the two trucks. I ran out of light before I had to put my dd back together, so now I'm sitting around puzzling how to hook up the 67 cluster to my 68???? wiring harness. Is it as simple as cutting off one harness end and splicing on the other? Are the wire colours the same?

And question two: is the odometer on these trucks 'sealed'? I remember on a 64 chevy I had as a kid I built one cluster out of two, and simply set the odometer in the new cluster to be exactly what the old one was.

darrell