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.