What did I buy?
 

Here's a photo of the instrument panel said to be from an f600. The guy said it had a tach, and yes it does, but it's an aftermarket Sun brand. It does have all the extra gauges and a really weird surround with two removeable panels on top. I am still seeking a tach for a diesel that reads off the alternator or better yet, the fuel line pulses, yet looks 50's period correct. It is cool, but what is it?......

It looks just like mine from my F100 only with a big hole in the left for the tach. I don't know anything about diesels, but if you can use that tach, that would look perfect. I bought a repro one with that look for mine, and hole I drilled is on the opposite side (and doesn't look as nice because I also had to enlarge two of the other gauge holes for working temp and oil pressure gauges).

The tach is definitely aftermarket, a stock tach would look similar to the speedo and would also be on the right side of the cluster instead of the left.

All the other gauges are stock for a '57-'59 larger truck('60 had grey gauges).

If you can acquire a stock tach then there are companies who will convert it to read whatever you want and still keep the stock face/needle etc.

I'm not positive, but for some reason this looks to me like the instrument panel from a C-series cab over.

Here's a pic of a dash in a 59 F100. I don't know how long they kept that design but it sure looks like a dead ringer huh?
http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o...psca7873ab.jpg

BTW, that tach is a Sun model NC 40 and should have either an EB or WB transmitter box. I have the same tach with the EB-9A transmitter (12vdc / 8cyl.) if anyone is in need of it I could be persuaded in letting go of them.

Can't see the picture you posted, CAPT; however, the instrument panel itself looks remarkably like the one in my '59 Custom Cab F-500 with one exception: the white surround in the original picture seems different from mine somehow. In my mind, my white-and-silver gage cover fits into a hole in my red-and-white dash and doesn't have the separate white surround this "F-600" panel looks like it has. The white surround is what made me wonder.

Unfotunately, I can't access the pictures I need from work (some security thing) and my truck is about 25 miles from where I'm sitting, so I can't tell if it's just my bad memory, an angle different from what I've seen of my own truck, the memory I have of being in a neighbor's C-series Custom Cab a few times and what its dash would have looked like, or if something is indeed different. I'll try to look later today--either here if your picture comes up or at home. Thanks!

I agree it looks like a C series gage panel, the only thing defferent is the stand-off and the gauges instead of idiot lights. Which is why I changed to that style. I just used the inner bezel. But the whole thing minus the stand-off will mount to your dash. If mine had come with a tach I would give it to you but all I got was the bezel no gauges.

GB- Here's a shot of my '60 F-750 dash. Looks like yours might have just had a replacement tach installed.
http://i1162.photobucket.com/albums/...ps412641c8.jpg

Looked at the picture just now. Other than the red and white being reversed, and the F-100 CAPT'N posted being cleaner (restored?) compared to mine, the instrument cluster looks like mine. The reason I said the "What Did I Buy" panel might be from a C-series remains what I said: the white surround with screw holes below the instrument cluster cover. My instrument panel fits into my dash like I thought, too.

Oh, and just for fun, notice that the truck had 71,207 mi in 1989. You can see it's gone a whopping 317 miles between then and when this picture was taken two years ago, before I was recalled to Active Duty and stored the truck. I'd guess it's got 71,550 on it now--if that!

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot...64240396_n.jpg

Check this out Gary. Same tach.
VINTAGE OLD SCHOOL HOT ROD INSTRUMENT CLUSTER SUN TACH GASSER

C series without tach/vacuum gauge same cluster as F100/1100. With optional tach & vacuum gauge, C500/1100, F500/1100 cluster has two factory punched out holes. 1957/60 same as 1961/72.

Thanks for all the replies. Been burried with work in the woodshop, and haven't been keeping up with my post. Yes, it looks just like Bill's parts manual drawing. Glad I can fit it into my dash without the surround. Looks like a tough thing to paint, while keeping the chrome accents, but a good project for next winter. I have researched aftermarket tachometers for diesels, and found some have a magnet to attach to a rotating part like the flywheel, some read off the alternator, but the easiest and most accurate seems to be the 'tiny tach', which reads off any of the hard lines out of the injector pump. It senses the fuel pulse. Problem is, it's a little rectangular digital box and would look out of place in my truck. The 6at cummins I installed in my truck is an indirect injected engine and develops it's max hp @ 3600 rpm. I just want to know when I'm nearing that area. It needs to wind up a bit on the hills, and we have a lot of them on this island......