Unusual Dash Configuration, 1971?

[midlife]

I have someone who contacted me for repairing his underdash harness for 1971. He claims his car originally came with a standard dash cluster (no tach) but a clock instead of the usual gauges. He has the three gauge cluster in the console.

My understanding (however limited it may be...) is that the standard dash consisted of a speedo, center fuel gauge, and a cluster of 4 idiot lights, and no 3 gauge cluster in the console. The tach cars came with a speedo, center fuel gauge, and a tach in the dash, and a 3 gauge cluster.

Was there a third configuration? If so, how rare is it?

 

[hyena429]

I have someone who contacted me for repairing his underdash harness for 1971. He claims his car originally came with a standard dash cluster (no tach) but a clock instead of the usual gauges. He has the three gauge cluster in the console.

My understanding (however limited it may be...) is that the standard dash consisted of a speedo, center fuel gauge, and a cluster of 4 idiot lights, and no 3 gauge cluster in the console. The tach cars came with a speedo, center fuel gauge, and a tach in the dash, and a 3 gauge cluster.

Was there a third configuration? If so, how rare is it?

Yes..i think there is a version with a clock in the dash spot...Im sure some one will chime in with more information about it...But i remmeber seeing a in dash clock instead of a console clock that you usualy see...Its rare i believe.

 

[Tnfastbk]

my 71 had the speedo, fuel, idiot lights, and 3 gauge center

 

[c9zx]

I have someone who contacted me for repairing his underdash harness for 1971. He claims his car originally came with a standard dash cluster (no tach) but a clock instead of the usual gauges. He has the three gauge cluster in the console.

My understanding (however limited it may be...) is that the standard dash consisted of a speedo, center fuel gauge, and a cluster of 4 idiot lights, and no 3 gauge cluster in the console. The tach cars came with a speedo, center fuel gauge, and a tach in the dash, and a 3 gauge cluster.

Was there a third configuration? If so, how rare is it?

Look at this. http://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-clock-conversion-to-qartz-movement?highlight=clock

I don't remember ever seeing it but the man has it in his hands and it look OEM to me. Boss1Ray does the 71 book talk about this???? Chuck

 

[Mister 4x4]

My 'H' code came with the clock/speedo/fuel driver cluster, and 3 center gauges - no center console.

Here are the pics from Craigslist - I don't have ones showing the gauges before I ripped out the interior:

 

[Steve73QMach1]

I pulled this dash cluster from a 1973 Mustang Sportsroof that was in a junkyard in 1980. The car had the three center gauges in the mini cluster but had no Tach. Instead it had this clock with a brake warning light in the pod and no other idiot lights. It had the full center console but no clock there. Instead, it had a block off plate where the clock went that said Mustang on it. Sorry for the photo quality.

 

[Boss1Ray]

(I believe) all 71-3 Grande's all came with clocks in dash with idiot lights to left of speedometer. The car mentioned above could have been put together from other cars. Sorry can't stand too strong on this one - not real sure... Ray

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1971-71-1972-72-Mustang-Instrument-Cluster-Gauges-Clock-/200392189657?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Submodel%3AGrande%7CModel%3AMustang&hash=item2ea84e26d9&vxp=mtr

 

[midlife]

Wow! Thanks for all of the pictures. The Ford schematics do not show this configuration, but I believe what I see!

And who said you can't teach old dogs new tricks? I'll have the opportunity to reverse engineer this puppy shortly. The customer wants it converted to an OEM tach dash cluster...should be a piece of cake.

 

[Steve73QMach1]

And there appears to be two clock configurations - one for use with gauges and one for use with no gauges.

 

[Boss1Ray]

I pulled this dash cluster from a 1973 Mustang Sportsroof that was in a junkyard in 1980. The car had the three center gauges in the mini cluster but had no Tach. Instead it had this clock with a brake warning light in the pod and no other idiot lights. It had the full center console but no clock there. Instead, it had a block off plate where the clock went that said Mustang on it. Sorry for the photo quality.

This one is tricky because it appears to not have the other three normal idiot lights like the Grande example. ::huh::: and the center pod gauges too??? ::shrug::

 

[73StangCoupe]

I have a 73 T5 grande coupe that has a factory tach, fuel guage, Speedo and 3 mini cluster above the full dash with a clock.

 

[TheRktmn]

And there appears to be two clock configurations - one for use with gauges and one for use with no gauges.

I have seen the clocks with the 4 idiot lights and with only the Brake light. I just figured the ones w/o idiot lights had gauges in the center console.

 

[Steve73QMach1]

I pulled this dash cluster from a 1973 Mustang Sportsroof that was in a junkyard in 1980. The car had the three center gauges in the mini cluster but had no Tach. Instead it had this clock with a brake warning light in the pod and no other idiot lights. It had the full center console but no clock there. Instead, it had a block off plate where the clock went that said Mustang on it. Sorry for the photo quality.

This one is tricky because it appears to not have the other three normal idiot lights like the Grande example. ::huh::: and the center pod gauges too??? ::shrug::

Not really. This clock only has a brake warning light because, like I said above, the car in which it was installed had the oil pressure, ammeter, and temp gauges in the center dash console. You won't have idiot lights AND gauges in the same vehicle monitoring the same function. The Grande clock has the idiot lights surrounding it because in most cases, Grandes did not come with center console gauges so the ALT, OIL, and Temp systems are monitored by the lights in the clock pod.

 

[Boss1Ray]

I have someone who contacted me for repairing his underdash harness for 1971. He claims his car originally came with a standard dash cluster (no tach) but a clock instead of the usual gauges. He has the three gauge cluster in the console.

My understanding (however limited it may be...) is that the standard dash consisted of a speedo, center fuel gauge, and a cluster of 4 idiot lights, and no 3 gauge cluster in the console. The tach cars came with a speedo, center fuel gauge, and a tach in the dash, and a 3 gauge cluster.

Was there a third configuration? If so, how rare is it?

Look at this. http://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-clock-conversion-to-qartz-movement?highlight=clock

I don't remember ever seeing it but the man has it in his hands and it look OEM to me. Boss1Ray does the 71 book talk about this???? Chuck

Just states

Instrumentation Group (Includes tachometer, trip odometer, and triple instrument pod(oil, amp, temp) STD on Boss 351; N/A with 250 CID 1v engine)

Didn't find much reference (anywhere) to the non- tach with center gauges (aka triple instrument pod) setup. (update - see following post by me!)

Interesting for sure - not so 'tricky' as I mentioned earlier.

Thanks Steve for that clarification.

But I am curious how it would have been ordered to have this different setup? Or what configuration made/forced it be equipped this way? More research to do...

Obviously I'm not very familiar with the non-tach setup(s). Wow

Learning all the time! Thanks guys!

Ray

 

[MikeB]

I'm pretty sure that was the setup for the Mach 1 sports interior without the tach option. I have the same thing in my 71 M Code Mach 1. The idiot lights aren't there because the 3 gauge cluster is in the center making them redundant.

 

[bkdunha]

I beleive the clock in the main cluster was a 71 only configuration. I will need to do more research to back that up, but I do not recall seeing it in the dealer option listing 72 in the dash cluster and I have not seen a 73 OE example.


Some 71 information. need to get home to get my 72-73 books

71 Mach 1.docx

 

[will e]

I thought anytime there wasn't a tach a clock was there in it's place. (some are indicating there wasn't). Were there some models that just had the lights and nothing else? Weird, I have never seen that.

Also, note that in a Tach cluster the high beam indicator is on the tach side, not the speedo. So if you add a tach to a non-tach speedo cluster you have to decide which light to use.

To do it correctly you should get the speedometer that was included with a tach cluster. These will also have the trip odometer. I have never seen a trip odometer on a non-tach clustered car since the high beam light is where the reset knob goes. But just because I have never seen one, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

 

[OMS]

It is very common for 71

71 with insumentation group came with clock and center gauges

tach was another option

 

[will e]

We should start a definitive thread (wiki?) with pictures. Just info and pictures. Maybe include how to convert from non-center and/or non-tach too.

I did the conversion YEARS ago when I was like 20 years old. Hard to believe I was patient enough to map out the differences, pull pins and connectors and 'do it right' (with the exception of the amp meter because I didn't understand the concept of 'shunts' back then.)

I remember having the entire thing apart and I decided to 'test fire' before bolting it all back in. The car wouldn't start, wouldn't even turn over. I was in panic mode. Turns out the solinoid died while I had the dash apart....