New from Oz

[inboxtoys]

Welcome from Oklahoma. Beautiful car indeed. If that is your shop you are a fortunate man indeed. Chuck

Not my shop, just my work place

 

[inboxtoys]

Nice car: if that’s your shop, you are on lucky man! More pics of both please.

This was after replacing the rear springs. That was a saga…ended up cutting out the left side with a grinder!

 

[inboxtoys]

Welcome to the Group - Great to have another Australian Member.
About to fit my Dakota Digital gauges to the dash so I may need your help.
I am almost there with a 71 Mach 1 restomod which has been an interesting project.
Regards,
Mel ([email protected])

Hi Mel, the gauges are great! Had a car cruise on the weekend and they worked perfect, Speedo was spot on (kph now)

 

[inboxtoys]

Hi Mel, the gauges are great! Had a car cruise on the weekend and they worked perfect, Speedo was spot on (kph now)

I took out the center gauges as everything was in the Dakota gauges

 

[inboxtoys]

Hello,
Roger here from Brisbane. Welcome to the club and a very nice car. I like the color, nicely understated but handsome.
Let us know how your digital dash gauges go. I have not got the taco dash and I would like to upgrade. I rebuilt mine 10 years ago when we basically had parity with the US $. No longer, so things will cost a bit more now.

Hi Roger, posted a pic of the gauges. I’ve got a few more somewhere. In a way I’m lucky, I’ve been sitting on parts for a while trying to find time to fit them but the Aussie dollar is looking pretty average at the moment.

 

[mrgmhale]

View attachment 69258
I took out the center gauges as everything was in the Dakota gauges

In our 1973 Mach 1 and our 1973 Mustang Convertible I took out their original idiot light laden instrument panels, and installed a set of Dakota VHX analog gauge equipped instrument panels (also). Like your experience, we are very pleased with how they look and work. Our center vertical bezel never had the three factory gauges, and I did not want the analog gauges to be put there, so the Dakota solution was ideal for our purposes. We did add Air Conditioning to both Mustangs (neither had factory A/C), and the Classic Air add-on air conditioning system used the top of the bezel as an A/C vent outlet. But, the part of the bezel that has the MUSTANG plate was still there, and bare looking. I wanted to have a GPS, so I mounted a Garmin Drive 72 GPS in that area, using a 2 " x 2" x 1" block of clear Acrylic plastic adhered (3M "Extremely Strong" double side tape) to the depressed part of the bezel where the "MUSTANG" name is presented. Then I used a screw mounted GPS display base to install that mount, using 3 self tapping sheet metal screws. The GPS sits there perfectly, and I can adjust its viewing angle quite nicely. Further, it is not interfering with the A/C vent registers, or access to the radio.

The Garmin Drive 52 unit has a camera display option (as do several other Garmin devices). In our case the cameras feature a wireless video feed. So for our backup camera I only had to run a switched 12 volt wire leading from the fuse block to the trunk, which is used to power the camera and the video signal wireless transmitter - which works well. But, I can have up to 4 such wireless video cameras if I want. So, I added a 2nd camera to both cars for the front bumper, so when I pull into our garage stalls I can see the distanced between the bumper and the wall! That leaves me room for 2 more cameras but I really can't think of any practical need for more cameras, unless I wanted to add cameras to the side mirrors to check for side clearance - but with two hemispherical spot mirrors adhered to the side mirrors already I have no need to do that, so I won't.

I mention the Garmin and backup cameras, and where/how I mounted them, because I thought that may be of interest to you or other Big Nose Mustangs owners might find it of interest. Attached are some files showing mounting details. That Garmin screw mounted base part is shown in one of the attached photo files, as well as the 3M "Extremely Strong" double side tape. I used a switched power source from the fuse block that feeds the Center Console two 12 volt sockets, dual port USB outlet, and digital voltmeter in the console's Power Panel (fabricated to replace its ash tray). The GPS display unit, as well as the center console's Power Panel, were initially supplied current when put the bared end of a 12 gauge wire under the fused end of a fuse that is powered on when the ignition switch is in the Run or Accessory position. I later installed a Wirthco brand Fuse Tap to the fused end of the fuse being used to power the Center Console and GPS display unit, which makes for a better, cleaner looking connection.

With respect to the Fuse Taps available, one design is held in place on only one side of the fuse, the other encircles the full end of a Buss glass, cylindrical fuse end. The 2nd style looks more durable, but I found it adds so much thickness to the end of the fuse it is attached to that it is too wide to fit properly into the fuse holder. I actually broke the glass on two fuses when trying to get the end of the fuse into its holder when the fully encircled version of the Fuse Tap was used. Hence, I recommend the single sided Fuse Tap design, as it is still a good connection, but it is not so wide that it makes it hard to insert the Buss fuse into its holder in the Fuse Block. The photos of the two different Wirthco Fuse Taps provided do not clearly show their differences, just because of the angle the devices are photographed from. But, the photo indicating it is the RoundTapper is the version I found resulted in too tight a fit to be installed easily. The other Fuse Tap photos of both NAPA Part #: NW 784637, and from Summit Racing Part #HO3020, both of which are the single sided design Fuse Tap I recommend (there is a Wirthco part for the single side Fuse Tap also, but I could not find it). The Wirthco branded Fuse Taps were purchased via Amazon (beforeI realized the thickness problem they caused).

 

[Stevieray]

Welcome from SW Louisiana. Nice looking car.

 

[Stanglover]

Hello and a warm welcome from SW Ontario, Canada.
Great looking car you have there.

 

[Melfunctions]

Thanks for your note on your Dakota Digital install.
One thing I have set to install is a local Polaris Head Up Display for my Mac 1,
they are amazing and have saved me many dollars in my M3 & X5.
We get booked for less than 5 klms over the speed limit with heavy fines in Victoria.
I will have one in every vehicle I drive when the Mach 1 is completed.
Cheers,
Mel

 

[nryans34express]

Hi all, thank you for allowing me to join. I’ve had my 73 Mach 1 for just over 2 years now and discovered this group when Googling wiring diagrams as I was fitting Dakota Digital gauges and needed a little help. It’s not easy finding information on these cars in Australia but thankfully I found this group.
Prior to this car I had a 65 Mustang coupe.

Welcome from Idaho. I joined as well yesterday. I just posted a picture of my 1972 Mustang. I just brought it last week. I had a 65 Mustang before this one. It's my 6th Mustang.

 

[James Bond]

Welcome from Oregon.