Tell me more. I've toyed with putting aftermarket guages in my 62 but with only hand tools it's difficult to get it to look right.

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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.

dang! I almost missed this thread!

what I am doing is making a "back panel" that replaces the back of the gauge cluster in 70(?)-76 a bodies (the kind that are used in dusters, etc.). I cut out the existing back and CNC machine a new plastic backer with any size and configuration of holes you need for whatever gauges you want. this ensures you have a set up that fits in the dash and eliminates the need to add extra housings around the dash, which I never cared for the look of. this makes an impressive guage set up, since I can also do it in colors too, right now I have green, white, red and black I can use.

I would need a test cluster from an early a body to get the measurements correct, but I think it could be done for your early style also.

I can't quite figure out why you'd want to put aftermarket gauges in a '62 A-body. That instrument cluster is second only to the '62 Plymouth B-body in legibility and clean design.

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

purely a personal opinion there dan, some people just want to customize.

for myself, I wanted gauges for everything I wanted to monitor, I wanted a tach, oil pressure, electric fan and pump switches, and a reliable fuel gauge. Other people might want a boost gauge, fuel pressure, oil temp, whatever. this way they can have what they want to fit their particular set up, instead of what happened to be good thirty to forty years ago.

I have nothing against the original set ups, and have nothing but respect for restoration, but customization is what makes sixes fun. why not bring it to the rest of the vehicle?

with my set up I have everything I want in a color that matches my interior and I don't have to buy any of those goofy attachment units and mess with the lines of my dash. everything fits in the existing cluster.

I can only speak for myself on that, but thats my opinion anyway.

I agree that the layout is clean and legible but I am by nature a tinkerer and since my gauges are not presently working I was exploring alternatives.

My speedometer was totally hosed, with a loose face, and the pointers on all the gauges are all badly faded. Since then I've picked up a nice clean speedo which I should be able to have cleaned and calibrated so some of the impetus is gone, but I'm still exploring.

It will, to some extent, depend on what is wrong with the temp and fuel gauges. I made up a solid state cluster regulator and now have a nice constant 5v source but they still refuse to budge. I suspect the harness under the dash has been hacked because there were several loose, foreign wires hanging out from under the dash but I haven't had time to pull it out and look at it.

Perhaps when I finish stripping down the old lancer parts car and get things cataloged and stored I can tackle that task.

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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.

The 62 is a little different. The cluster housing is an aluminum casting which houses not only the gauges but also the auto trans shifter and the heater controls. The speedo is monunted to the back of the housing by 2 screws and the fuel, temp, and alternator (ammeter) gauges are mounted on a printed circuit board which in turn mounts to the housing. All of this is covered by a plastic bezel. My first thought was a plastic or metal face plate with the gauges mounted in it to replace the bezel but I hate to hack up the metal housing, which I would have to do to make room for anything else, and space is limited. It will be very difficult to do with the typical 2" gauges but I haven't been able to find a 1.5" fuel gauge.

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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.

true, I can't find a 1.5 fuel gauge in any of my catalogs either now that you mention it. They have temp, oil pressure and amps in that size, but I can't find a fuel.

I have seen the early style of clusters for a-bodies, I have a few pictures I collected when I first got this idea. without trying to dig a hole for myself, I think it might still be do-able. I realize there are year-to-year differences, but I have seen much worse in my day job projects.

Again, I would need a guinea pig to play with as I did for the duster clusters (thanks again to slantzilla for his donation) before I could say for sure.

its definitely something I am going to look into more closely now.

either way, the later model a body style looks like a go for me. One last thing to work out before I can start up and that shouldn't take too long.

Also, I would like to ditch the ammeter and put in a voltmeter instead. Once I get the old parts car torn apart and the parts catalogued I might be able to send you a cluster to work with if you're interested.

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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.

sounds good. let me know when you find out.

Well, I got under the dash today and found the problem. The wiring harness has totally fried at some time and they have hacked in some repairs. My guess is that the fuel and temp gauges were damaged, Fortunately the parts car has a mostly intact harness and a temp guage. The most I'll have to buy is a fuel gauge. I'm still interested in the other route though, from the curiosity factor if nothing else.

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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.

sounds good, looks like you lucked out a bit.

If you end up with a junk cluster let me know, I can use it if you can't.

hopefully I will be done with my duster set up soon, and I'll let you know how it turns out. I have the basics done, just one minor mod to make for the lights and wiper motor.

I have solved the wiper and light switch positioning, and I am a mere few days away from posting some pics of the final finished product (providing my new hosting service can find my account in time....).

I am actually pretty excited about this.

I do have one question though, when removing the standard light and wiper switches, did ma mopar ever have a socket type tool made for these? I have my own way of removing them without any trouble (no, I don't break anything), but I was just wondering if there was ever a tool made to make it go faster.

Actually there is a tool for it and I'd bet you can get it at NAPA, but I've always just used a pair of needle nose pliers. I stick the points of the jaws into the slots then give them a twist.

I may well end up with a spare cluster - it will be with the Lancer bezel but the housing and circuit boards are identical. The Lancer guages are black with white markings but are otherwise the same. The bezel is somewhat different as well but guage locations and sized are identical.

I'll be glad to send it your way for some consideration regarding the finished product.

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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.

that sounds great, let me know if you are willing to part with it and what you would want for your trouble.

inccidentally, the duster cluster is DONE! I just need some decent pictures taken since my camera died, so I will need to buy a cheapo-throw-away deal to get some pictures up.....and then hope my new hosting service has figured out my account by then.

Did you ever get picture of the Duster gauges? I'm still turning it over in my head about the 62. I know that at a minimum I'm going to disconnect and bypass the ammeter and add an oil pressure gauge and voltmeter, probably in pods mounted below the existing cluster housing. Still, a complete custom setup would be way cool.

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

Growing older is unavoidable but growing up is strictly optional.