Aftermarket Gauges

[snow]

The speedometer is broken on my truck, and while I could go find a another factory one used somewhere, my moto has always been to upgrade when I replace something. Im thinking of replacing all the factory gauges with Auto Meter gauges. I guess I can use all the factory wiring if I can figure out what is what on the instrument cluster plug. I guess that means I will need to wire up some new indicator lights etc in the process. I was kinda hoping to maybe mount them behind the factory bezels and keep a somewhat factory appearance if that's even possible. Or I may just have to make or buy a new panel to mount it all on. Has anyone here done anything like this and can offer any advice? I've seen a digital replacement cluster but Im not really into the 'star wars' look on my 78 Chevy.

Thanks!

[bohicababy]

here is a good link

www.73-87.com/7387garage/interior/gauge_surface.htm

or maybe this:

www.73-87.com/7387garage/interior/gauges_recessed.htm

[bohicababy]

after searching the web the sky is the limit as far as what other enthusiasts have done to the interiors of these trucks. try these sites on a bunch of info for our trucks. hours of reads and builds

www.73-87.com/

and here's my favorite

forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php

[Pontiac1976]

Hi snow if you look in the same post section on page two you will find a good set up by a member here a link Oh there is tons of info on this site. :LINK bowtieguy.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=InteriorTalk&action=display&thread=51

[snow]

Cool thanks for the links guys, that is exactly what I was looking for!

[rally912]

Just wondering if anyone can shed some light (and pictures) on the actual wiring up of these. i'd really like to do this to my truck, but I'm not that great with electrical stuff. Lol.

[snow]

May 14, 2010 20:46:15 GMT -5 rally912 said:

Just wondering if anyone can shed some light (and pictures) on the actual wiring up of these. i'd really like to do this to my truck, but I'm not that great with electrical stuff. Lol.

I just bought the painless wireing harness. Comes with everything you need, i had to reroute some of the wires since it was setup for having 2 small guages on either side of the tach and speedo, just a matter of unwraping the electrical tape, rerouting it through the plastic wire organizer and wrapping the electrical tape back on. Everything is color coded. it was just a matter of plugging them on to the guages, except i did have do a little crimping as the lights that autometer guages use for black lighting have no coeections, its just 2 wires coming off the light bulb. I just crimped on some male conectors so they hooked right up to the wiring harness.

As for the large 16pin connector, just basicly have to cut it off, but before hand make sure you lable all the wires so you know whats what. That article was correct as the numbering for the 16pin connector, the wires on my truck were the same as that article, excpect the colors of the wires between a 85 and 78 are different aparently, but reguardless of the color, the same location ie pin 7 or 10 of whatever did the same thing on both trucks. I did however test each wire just to make sure, ocasically tracking the circurt board on the factory cluster to make sure what went where.

Actually the hardest part was cutting the back out of the factory cluster and then fitting it into the dash, I had to take it back out and retrim several times, I even had to cut come of the mounting bolts short off the guages so they would clear. Below is some pics of the finished product. I intend to clean up the insall a bit in the future, but its completely functional for now. Green light up top is the high beam indicator, lower red light is the brake fail light, and the 2 green lights are obviously the turn signals, all the lights were bought from radio shack.

[snow]

Oh just noticed that photo looks kinda weird, yes all the gauges work, but the truck was shut off when I took this photo. The water temp is mechanical so it always indicates the temperature, (oil pressure is mechanical too) I had just driven it so it was still warm, and the tach remains wherever it was when u turn off the ignition, that's why its not reading zero, as soon as u turn the ignition on again it will go to zero. You can also see my new radio, completey new radio, plays mp3s, can control a CD stacker or ipod but looks and fits like the factory radio, very nice, LMC truck has them in their catalog.

[jbone]

I like those gauges. I want to do something similar, but with a new dash.

[Pontiac1976]

You have the custom look now