Interior Upgrade

[MeZapU]

The big 5" monster tach, aftermarket gauges and radio had done their time and for years I've been wanting to convert my dash parts to a more factory original feel.  I had been amassing the bezels and parts over the past two years or so and I finally got everything together and working. 

I had purchased a factory tach cluster but decided I didn't want to change the wiring.  I sold it and it got me one of Rocketmans Tach conversions for my factory cluster, and I installed a trio of Auto Meter electronic gauges in the center bezel.  To top it off I went back to a traditional two knob radio.  After hunting for a decent affordable AM/FM for about a year, I decided on a Custom Autosound Slidebar retro radio.  Some things about the radio I didn't like, but it looks the part to the casual observer, and does the job.  

Before:

After:

 

[mwilson7]

Looks much better IMHO!

Great job!

 

[eddyw]

::thumb::   GREAT JOB   ::thumb::

 

[DK73]

Wow I just love it [THUMBS UP SIGN]

Sendt fra min F8331 med Tapatalk

 

[Stanglover]

You've just done what I'm doing now, or shortly when it warms up. I did not find the Autometer gauges you used, but if you had read a post from me, Any tips on refinishing the chrome trim, or something like that, and a subsequent post on re-chroming dash parts, the Bosch gauges were suggested as they are down-sweep. Ordered and still waiting for them to show up though. I am thinking I will need to fabricate an aluminum bracket to mount them as I do not want to damage the original gauges or the dash panel other than to refinish the chrome and paint. On that, I have requested a quote from Vacuum Orna-Metal in Romulus MI. Not heard from them just yet.

I would be very interested to learn how you chose to mount your center gauges and how you wired them up, especially the volts gauge. I know factory gauges run on 5 v off the circuit board regulator, but like you I am using the RCCI tach conversion. The Bosch oil pressure and temp gauges are mechanical, (not sure yet how a mechanical temp gauge is supposed to work??), so only the volts is electrical which I would think needs to be run off the alternator or solenoid as I think it needs to see unregulated voltage. Am I right?? Electrical is NOT my thing by a long shot, so does anyone have a suggestion on that?

Anyway, what you've done looks great and I may also go the retro radio route as my AM/FM recently quit working on the FM side. Do I spend 150 bucks to fix it or just buy a new radio. Hmmm, I'll have to compare prices!

 

[MeZapU]

I actually had some used and cheap mechanical oil/water temp gauges for a long time contemplating this upgrade, but I could not come up with a decent and easy way to make them work. I too was a fan of mechanical gauges and was reluctant to use electrical gauges, but I saw no other alternative to mounting the gauge to the bezel, them mounting the bezel to the dash. The gauges are pointed towards the driver and building a bracket to hold the gauges would be quite complicated with all the angles involved. Ford angled the gauges within the molded gauge housing, then the gauges matched up to the angled bezel holes.

I'm almost ashamed to say that I mounted the gauges to the back of the bezel with an abundant amount of hot melt glue. Scuffed the chrome behind the bezel for more bite. Seems to work a treat. I actually needed to remove the 1st mechanical oil pressure gauge I was trying to mock up as I never even noticed it was a 0-200psi gauge before I mounted it. No idea what application you would use that gauge. It was free so I didn't argue back when I picked it up. Cut the gauge out, cleaned it up a but before gluing in the new electrical gauge. Then I built a wiring harness with a 6-pin connector (only used 5-pins) to plug in the bezel containing the gauges into the car. Voltage at the regulator is the same as voltage anywhere else in the car. I have it tapped into the fuse block at a switched fuse. That same 12v is powering the oil/water temp gauges. Then there is just the lighting wire tapped into the factory radio connector. Common ground. Then the two sender unit wires for the oil/temp gauges that run into the engine compartment.

 

[timsweet]

I think  the stock look is the best.

I purchased a working set of original gauges (Temp, Oil, Battery) from a Mach 1 and the stock tach, speedometer and gas from another source - really only needed a needle for the speedometer, but the price was right for all three.

I need to pick up the center console pieces for holding the Temp, Oil and battery gauges.

 

[Mister 4x4]

I recently did pretty much the same thing (RCCI tach, LEDs, and Bosch voltmeter) - good stuff!

 

[73429mach]

I recently did pretty much the same thing (RCCI tach, LEDs, and Bosch voltmeter) - good stuff!

Do you have the part # of the Bosch volt meter gauge?  I'm looking for all three gauges, oil, volts and temperature. My car did not have the gauges. I like the fact that yours has the top sweep needle. It looks closer to the stock  gauges. Ryan