Hey guys, originally I had planned on doing a custom cab gauge panel
with aftermarket gauges. Something like this.


using this plate.


I bought a bezel from Dennis Carpenter, and was about ready to move forward... but kept running into road blocks with gauge compatibility.

fast forward a month or so... while at a swap meet I came into a deal with
a fellow slick owner I bought a headliner from on a custom cab panel with gauges.







Came home and tossed it together.











I really like the look.. but not overly thrilled with the lighting on this style of gauge.. I prefer back lit gauges. while I know that can't happen.. have any of you guys done any upgrades to these panels? Just using a few Led lights i had i lit it up.. and the mph was barely visible. the red left and green right blinkers looked kinda dirty.. any suggestion on how to clean those from the inside? i cleaned them on the outside. also the white type face was slightly dingy wiping it down with water helped a little .


post up some pics of your panel. and ideas!

 

personally, i have never modified a gauge panel... but not having a right-left blinker is a PITA when someone else may drive the truck. i would move the high beam red light to the center and use the high beam hole for the left blinker. i like the look of the panel without the extra gauge's on each side.

 

This is what I'm working on.



Regarding the dirty blinkers, I got inspiration for the arrows in that panel from a '62 Comet. The green lenses were just taped on. Is that the way it works on your panel? If so, just try to clean it and if that doesn't work, get some plastic and cut new ones.
I don't think LEDS will work well for gauge lighting, unless perhaps the gauge was designed for it. LEDs project light directly in front so it is not likely to illuminate the whole gauge like a bulb.

 

Bill, ok. now, I was wondering why the red and the green.. so the red is a high beam? and what just 1 blinker light? thats strange..

Im coming from the round gauge panel which had 2 holes with a bare light bulb shining for left and right blinker and high beam.. man high beam on a dark road was kinda annoying that bright bulb focused right into my eyes.

 

I was thinking something along this line.. is this the correct bulb type? This site didn't have listings for trucks but I picked a ford fullsize from 65 ... but never the less the 360 led pattern is what I would look at.
BA9s LED Bulb - 9 LED Tower | BA9s & BA7s LED Bulbs | LED Car Bulbs | Super Bright LEDs

 

according to a partstore web site 1895 and 1895 cross references with that bulb .
The Led has 105 lumen vs the sylvania bulb having 25 lumen.

 

I don't know if that bulb would work or not - there is one way to find out.
The issue really isn't brightness, it is where the light is aimed with an LED. If the inside of the gauge is not reflective, then the leds on the side may not contribute much.

 

Here's mine with AutoMeter gauges. You'll notice the two green LEDs at the bottom in the original cluster mounting screw holes. This is the left & right blinker. And you'll see the two blue LEDs in the upper mount holes - this is the high beam indicator. These little LEDs are available from a number of sources. Summit, Speedway, etc.

 

Some nice looking gauge setups being posted glad somebody made a thread on the custom cab bezel with gauges. I'll be doing this on my 66 haven't started on it yet but already have some ideas. Where can you get that metal plate from in your first post that holds the aftermarket gauges in the bezel?

 

Flashbacks F100's... aka Tom offers a nice dash insert for aftermarket gauges. but you need the "non custom cab" panel to use it with.

 

That panel is on Ebay. 65 66 Ford Custom Cab Billet Aluminum Dash Insert Gauge Panel Instrument Cluster | eBay

I found gauges I liked.. but, I was going to have to shell out around 450-500$$ to get them. So, if I can spruce up this custom cab panel and make it look more "custom" .. save the $$ for when drop beams from Sid when that day comes he gets them ready or investing into a industrial chassis kit.

 

Nothing better than perusing the threads and see one of your pics from your old profile! I used to be terrypen but was unable to login or find that account at one time and ended up creating this one..

Unfortunately, I got a little burnt out and laid off since then so this is still a work in progress!
Here is another pic of that same instrument cluster painted black and I painted the back side of the Lexan black. This has turned into another issue, as the Lexan is scratched during cleaning.



and then a couple more with the cluster just placed in the dash, yes wires everywhere (re-wiring) and dash ***** not installed (re-wiring.)






I'm still not finished with the cluster, I will be adding turn indicators and hi-beam indicator, and maybe an air-horn armed light so I flip a switch to arm and use the horn button.
I am also considering making a carbon-fiber version of this dash configuration.

All that being said, I prefer the original but mine was messed up and this was another route for me.

terrypen...
w5nra

P.S. I see a couple comments about the indicators (turn and hi-beam.) A good source for those might be custom motorcycle distributors, they will have the arrow and headlight logos on the lights.

 

Here is my set-up with Classic Instrument's American Tradition.

 

Here is a "How to restore a gauge cluster" topic I posted on another forum. It deals with making new green/red lenses.

How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network




I also rebuilt a cluster identical to yours using Greenback Decal's kit to reface the gauge faces to make them look new. That is posted in my build thread on page 11.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post13458266










More info on the decals.

Slick 60's • View topic - New Restoration Product Coming Soon- Gauge Cluster Decals