stock gauges vs aftermarket

I have seen the many threads on installing aftermarket gauges in the center pod but I have a question or 2.  Is it better to keep the stock or go aftermarket (nor worried about "concours") but like to look period?   If going aftermarket do you use any existing wiring or install new wires/tubing for all new gauges?  If so, do you just leave the stock plug hanging in the dash or do you need to disconnect everything?  

PS:  It has taken my about 10 mins to type this as I have to look and type over Sami the cat, she loves looking at the 7173forum

lots of questions there and i dont believe I can answer all of them. If your car is in good shape, low miles and is 99% original O.E then I would say keep the O.E gauges if they work? if they dont work you then must decide on New after market or re-buy the O.E or send your old ones in for repair. Lots of different angles here.

At the end of the day buy what makes you happy, its you that needs to enjoy your car. I do believe they make after market gauge packs that are plug in play on the wiring (seen a thread just a couple days ago on here). I dont believe I would cut your plugs away from the harness. Buy a second o.e plug from a member such as midlife and make a harness for the new gauges.

A few years ago, I did an extensive thread on just this subject. Unfortunately in that thread, all the picture were deleted (don't ask) but I can sort of redo it by just picking out bits and pieces that will help.

In a nutshell, I chose Bosch gauges and mounted them into an existing factory gauge panel. These are mechanical oil and water temp with a volt meter.

EDIT: because these are mechanical oil and temp, I also used dual senders in order to keep the idiot lights working. I only needed to find a switched 12V to tap into for the volt meter. My gauge lights are all SMD's from Hi-Po Parts. www.hipoparts.com

Also, as my car did not have a tach and is a 4 speed, I got the Rocketman conversion, witch has both tach and idiot lights.

Here's a couple of picture to start. Time is short right now so, I'll get back later if you want more details.



Refinished gauge panel.



Back side showing custom bracket.





Tach conversion from Bob at Rocketman's Classic Cougar Innovations (RCCI)

According to my odometer I have 90k on the car but it is in very good condition. Not worried about 100% correct regarding the gauges, want the most acurate, especially oil and temp.

I installed Auto Meter gauges recently. I went with the electronic version for the temp and oil. Mine did not originally have center gauges so I ran all new wires and installed the correct sending units. I was able to work it so I could keep the original idiot light sending units as well so they also work. They are accurate and the reason behind the electric vs mechanical as I did not want tubing running under my dash for the oil and water.

I changed my gauges, but I used some from Classic Instruments and they are all electric. My car did come with the center gauges from the factory and I was able to use the same wires. But when you change gauges you have to change the sending units to, no big deal very easy to do. I did change the amp gauge to a volt gauge, much more accurate and safer than the amp. The amp wires need to be abandoned or removed totally, still not difficult at all.

Probably the most difficult thing is mounting the gauges if you choose to mount them behind the center bezel. You can also with certain gauges mount them from the front, but you have to ream out the holes and I didn’t want to do that. Plus the gauges I chose are too big to do that. Anyway there’s a bunch of threads and everyone here will give you all the help you need.

Here’s some pics of the ones I did.

It depends on if you want to have both the gauges and idiot lights functional. If you don't care about having the lights functional and aren't trying to be concourse I would repurpose the wiring to the idiot lights, same color coding whether lights or gauges. I had originally repurposed mine and hung aftermarket gauges under the dash, but my next iteration will be to reactivate the idiot lights and install Rocketman's tachometer conversion. I made my own panel for aftermarket gauges:

https://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-my-dash-center-section?

Those all look sweet, guys!

I kind of did a blend, in only replacing my ammeter with a voltmeter - the same one Geoff used behind the factory mask.  I wish I would've added 'VOLTS' in the same letters as the others, but I'm still happy with it.  Sorry for the blurry 3.2Mp cell phone pic.

According to my odometer I have 90k on the car but it is in very good condition.  Not worried about 100% correct regarding the gauges, want the most acurate, especially oil and temp.

Click to expand...

If you have factory gauges, my thought is to just run them. I've done it both ways and just plain prefer the look of the factory gauge pod. My car came with idiot lights, so I added in the wiring for the center pod, and retained the idiot lights as well. Nothing gets your attention faster than a red light in front of your face, certainly not a gauge 45° off your field of vision slowly drifting around. My next step is to send a cluster that I received from another member to RCCI for the tach conversion, and the ammeter for a voltmeter conversion.

My car came with the factory center gauges but I sent the pod to RCCI to have them recalibrated and the ammeter replaced with voltmeter. I also wanted better gauges for the temp and oil pressure. For those, I used autometer gauges mounted to a small 2 gauge pod underneath the center gauge pod.

I still wanted working original gauges so I kept those sending units but put in additional sending units for the new electric temp and oil pressure.  The extra gauges are all wired in with connectors so the whole thing can be removed if someone doesnt want them.

If you put new gauges in to replace the factory ones, you still need to run switched 12v for the power since original gauges run on the 5v supplied by the IVR.

I went with Dakota Digital in my car.

Those Dakota gauges are sharp!  I remember not liking the first offerings they had (looked cheesy), but these are really nice.  Well done! ::thumb::

The only question I would have is what to do with the 3-gauge center cluster since everything's all up front now?  I like the look of the 3-gauge center cluster, but with all of those gauges represented in the Dakota Digital main cluster, what kind of ideas would everybody else have (gauges, or otherwise)?

Oil, transmission, rear axle temperatures are possibilities, AFR is another, boost pressure for those with turbos or superchargers, fuel pressure (either carbed or injected)

I did same as a couple others listed here. Stock oil and temp and a Bosch volt meter. This one had no gauges in the center so added the whole pod and powered them from a little solid state regulator behind the cluster. The only sort of obvious thing if you are looking is the volt needle is brighter than the others. Otherwise it looks pretty stock and all works well. 

I did same as a couple others listed here. Stock oil and temp and a Bosch volt meter. This one had no gauges in the center so added the whole pod and powered them from a little solid state regulator behind the cluster. The only sort of obvious thing if you are looking is the volt needle is brighter than the others. Otherwise it looks pretty stock and all works well. 

Click to expand...

Did you pull the Bosch gauge apart and incorporate it into the 3 gauge cluster, or pull the cluster apart and install the Bosch gauge in its entirety?  Mine's about the same brightness as the factory gauges since I pulled it apart and made it fit into the ammeter's space.

I pulled apart the Bosch gauge and installed it in the 3 gauge pod where the ammeter was. It fits in pretty great in there with the two threaded posts going through the stock holes from the ammeter. Then put on a couple nuts to stand it off the right distance and angle on the inside of the cover and a couple more on the outside. There is actually a groove on the inside that the inner nuts sit in perfectly so once the outside nuts are installed the inside nuts are locked in place and won't loosen. Just took a few minutes to get that mounted and looks pretty clean. This is the only pic I have of it before going back together. Also pulled out the blue lenses and replaced with blue LEDs.

Nice!  Looks awesome! ::thumb::

I went with white LEDs after pulling the blue shields, myself.

Those Dakota gauges are sharp!  I remember not liking the first offerings they had (looked cheesy), but these are really nice.  Well done! ::thumb::

The only question I would have is what to do with the 3-gauge center cluster since everything's all up front now?  I like the look of the 3-gauge center cluster, but with all of those gauges represented in the Dakota Digital main cluster, what kind of ideas would everybody else have (gauges, or otherwise)?

Click to expand...

I haven't cut it out yet but I'm planning on get the Dakota gauges also. I have a Holley Super Sniper system and Dakota makes a PAC mod that connects directly to the holley and reports what the holley sees. Anyway, I'm going to cutout the center 3 gauge cluster and fab up a new insert. I'll make a cutout on said insert for the 3.5" sniper display. No factory pieces will be injured in this mod. Mine is a restomod and anything I've cut or messed with has been a repop. I have kept all the factory parts that have come off this car.

Could you tell us what the part # is for the Bosch volt meter? I think I want to install one as well.

I wanted to comment on the led lights and the filters.I sent a email to Hipo parts asking that very question.....should I pull the filters out because the leds are just not bright enough?. His answer was NO.

His first question was what Leds do you have in there? I told him Mustang project sold through Kentucky mustang. He giggled a little and said those are knock offs of our bulbs but done very poorly.

I was still skeptical as to his bulbs being brighter. He went through a lot of info about there bulbs so I went with them. He was right with the proper bulbs , blue leds pointed in the correct positions you dont need to pull the filters. Going with there elite series 2 set they work good, they have 15 leds in each bulb pointed in different directions.. Certainly way brighter than Mustang  projects bulbs. They carry a good guarantee or warranty as well. 

By the way the owner of HIPO parts owns a 1971 351 boss. His first bulbs made was for that car.