As some of you already know, I am a CNC machinist and I have been making gauge cluster assemblies for some of the board members. Until now, I have had no decent pictures of a finished product, but recently a customer of mine ( RDJ ) was nice enough to have sent me a photo of his finished assembly.



I CNC machine out new backing plates for existing housings, in any size and configuration you need. Any size gauge will work on later model a-bodies up to a 3 and 3/8 gauge. This keeps a more stock look, while using new aftermarket gauges, the ones I wished the car had in the first place.

I wanted to have gauges to monitor things that the stock cluster just wasn't up to. I wanted a real oil pressure gauge, rather than just a red idiot light that shared a space with the brakes. I wanted to see actual NUMBERS when I look at something. This also makes it much easier to spot potential trouble areas and monitor your improvements. A reliable fuel gauge, a tach (yay!) and switches for my electric fan and electric fuel pump. Others may want a boost gauge, fuel pressure for nitrous, there really is no limit except for size. So with allot of time spent getting the sizes and math correct, I came up with the above creation.

I knew there were manufacturers of custom clusters out there, and entire dashes actually, but I just could not justify the prices they were charging. I know the time and costs involved, I have been machining for over a dozen years now, and there was no way it was worth it to me to pay so much for something I could do myself. Us slanters tend to be a "frugal" bunch anyway.

Also, if you look to the lower left of his housing, I have made provisions to use the stock wiper and light switches, something I have yet to see in many other set ups.

I believe this style fits all of the later a body styles, 70-76. Just to be sure make sure the above looks like your outer shell if you do contact me for more information. I have also done a 62 valiant, but I am waiting for customer feedback before I can safely produce those.

I have even done some S-10 chebby blazers in my neighborhood.

Other years and models can be done, I just need more of them to study to know if it is possible to do in this style or not, but don't hesitate to ask if you might be interested in another model.

The actual outer housing itself I do not make, it is the original stock unit with the old back area cut out and my new plate attached. I do not sell gauges, and MOST of the time I do not do the assembly (the attaching of the new plate), just to keep the costs down. Most slanters are usually capable of installing the new backing plate themselves using a super epoxy. It really is quite easy to do.

Price varies with complexity of the design and current plastic prices (I use an 1/8 thick black acrylic with a high gloss appearance). $55 to $65 is usually the area I try to keep it to, but as plastic prices go up, so do mine. I’ll hold it to these prices for as long as I can.

Turnaround time varies greatly by the wishes of the person, volume of workload, and by the demands of my day job. These are all one-of-a-kind pieces, custom made for each person and so far no two people have wanted the same design. That doesn't bother me, but it does add to the time before I can even get cutting. Generally we talk out a basic idea, then I email out PDF files back and forth until we reach a design agreement, then I’ll quote a price and get cutting. I don't ask for anything up front, which I hope is not a mistake at this point since I invest quite a bit of time before I see a return.

If anyone is interested, or has any questions, feel free to ask.

I am also trying to make some "slant 6" emblems for us too, I'll let you know how that goes after I get a couple good prototypes.

Wow, that is really nice work!

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

thanks dan, I appreciate that!

Mark did a plate for my 62 Valiant but I just got it yesterday so I haven't had time to do anything other than test fit it. It maintains the stock styling pretty much but adds a cutout for a real oil pressure gauge. In order to have room for everything I had to go with 1 1/2" gauges but everything fits. I even had provisions for seperate turn indicators for left and right turns and a place to mount a windshield washer switch. I will have to have my fuel sender modified for the Stewart Warner gauge but I needed a new sender anyway so that should be fine. Alternatively I can have the tank modified for a SW sender. I'll post pics when it's all hooked up but it will probably be a while. Everything will fit in the housing nicely except the gauge that was added in place of the oil pressure light - for that I will have to cut out the back of the cast metal cluster housing.

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David Kight
'62 Valiant Signet, White
'98 Dodge Dakota
'06 Jeep Liberty

Growing older is unavoidable but growing up is strictly optional.

Looks nice! If I were to commission one for a '66 Dart, what information would you need? Would I need to get you a stock cluster to work with, or what? I wouldn't need it right now, but there's something in the works that I might need it for.

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"Mad Scientist" Matt Cramer
'66 Dart - turbocharged 225
My blog - Mad Scientist Matt's Lair

yes, I would need a stock one to work from. I always want to have something I can hold in my hands and compare it to, because I want every bit of it to be accurate. with the '62 I made, it took a long time since nothing was a striaght line, and I needed to make a few test pieces to compare the original to. All just part of the process.

david had sent me a spare face plate to work from, and as I had time, I made all the measurements I could and started making a few mock ups.

I have not seen a '66 so if you had a picture, that would help. I will PM you my email address. I don't want to post me email out in the open, since the last time I was nailed with spam for a month or two.

sent you a PM!

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'70 Plymouth Duster 225
"A girl can fix stuff too! (sometimes.)"

hey sick6 glad to see you're coming along with this. as I recall you contacted me when you were stariting. I have one question, would you be able to machine an entire cluster? some ofg our dashes are a bit different than yours and I'd love to get a custom dash cluster on my project. If you think you might be able to pull one for me, I'll send you pictures of the original piece, a prototype I've made in fiberglass and some artwork of what I'm looking .

Thanks!

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Juan Ignacio Caino

Please use e-mail button istead of PM'ing. I do log in sometimes but I'll be answering quicker thru e-mail.

I am not sure what the differences are in an argentina unit, so go ahead and send me some pictures!

I sent you a PM with my email.

I will say, sick6's panel fit perfectly into the factory housing. I got the housing/gauge panel from a 72 Dart from Pick-N-Pull, put a jigsaw in a vise upside down and cut out the backing from the factory gauge panel, then cleaned it up with a dremel, some glue around the edges, and ready to install.

I tried the new voltage limiter, worked for a while, then the gauges spiked for some reason and fried. Right now I have an after market gas gauge by my left knee, a tach on the windshield pillar, and a water temp gauge on my AC vents to the right, and the speedometer just started going bad 3 weeks ago (works sometimes, bounces around other times). I would fix it, but the new gauges are going in anyway. I will be glad when I have working gauges in the dash again.

Right now a "gift" MGB is taking up my Dart's space in the garage. As soon as that is running, the MG is out and the Dart is in, I will post a pic when the finished project is in the car and working.

That would make a good next project, I'd actually be interested in is a 2 or 3 gauge 'pod' to replace the pillar trim on the drivers side, I have a spare stock plastic trim piece I gotta dig up if you wanted a challenge...(say for 2 1/8" gauges...). Would look better than the tach holder screwed into the trim hole and looking kinda 'goofy'.


-D.Idiot

is there enough room behind the pillar to support a gauge? are you thinking of a gauge right through the trim piece? Its a good idea, and I'd like to try it, but I am not sure what would fit in there.

No, the panel almost rests on the pillar...but if the panel had a couple of 'cups' attached to it to put gauges in, things would be easier (and there is room for the wiring behind the panel...which then can be tucked under the driver's side kick panel, under the dash)... sure better than the foam under the sheetmetal bracket , and using a trim screw to hope the tach stays there/trick...

-D.Idiot

So, are you looking for an adapter plate to attch a couple cup style gauges to on the pillar? That shouldn't be too hard......I'll have to look in the gargae tomorrow of my spare parts and take a look.

I sent everyone a PM, so everyone has my email address...I am waiting for pictures from some of you still.

I have also started some work on a slant six emblem. I'll get some pics of the prototype up as soon as possible.