I'm considering adding a temperature and oil pressure gauge to my truck (currently has only idiot lights) but I really can't find anywhere to mount the gauges without hacking or drilling into something. If any other pickup owners have added gauges to their trucks could you post pictures of your gauges installed, and what size of gauges you used?

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82 D150-225/727
02 Dakota-3.9/5 speed
87 GMC C7000-8.2 Detroit Diesel/5+2

I have a 1980 D-150 truck and I put a tach on one side of the instrument panel and an oil pressure gauge on the other. They are both mounted in the "wings" of the panel. I used the Auto Meter 2-1/16" diameter gauges.

bwhitejr

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'72 Duster (Performance 360)
'83 Ramcharger (Performance 318)
'80 TrailDuster (360)
'80 D-150 Truck (See Below)
CompCams 252S, Holley 390cfm, Offy manifold
Ported, Polished and Gasket Matched
P4286813 Springs,0.040 Overbore,
0.090 Shaved Head

This is the dash of my truck, what do you mean by the "wings" of the panel?



I thought about putting them in the spot above the A/C controls, but I can't find a good way of anchoring them.

I have an autometer retro tach that I also want to mount in this truck, but everywhere I put it on the column it seems to cover up one of the other gauges.

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82 D150-225/727
02 Dakota-3.9/5 speed
87 GMC C7000-8.2 Detroit Diesel/5+2

Like this. I still have to figure out how to make a spacer for the heater controls to poke through, but the hard part is done. That's real Brazilian wood (free from scrap) and I sprayed the original dash insert with oven cleaner to remove the factory dye. After a bath in dish soap and scalding water, all traces of Armor All were gone. Painted it with Fusion paint in black metallic. A dremel tool makes fast work of cutting the original plastic. You will need to find a way to secure the wood to the plastic, but I found that small sheet metal screws and Gorilla Glue (foaming kind) works well.

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If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.

I see you are making use of the rectangular clock hole next to the column. Mine has that also, but instead of a clock it just has a glossy piece of black plastic.

I don't want to cut or hack up my dash though. The more I think about it the more I'm considering that spot above the A/C controls.

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82 D150-225/727
02 Dakota-3.9/5 speed
87 GMC C7000-8.2 Detroit Diesel/5+2

I'm using the plastic clock hole by the column to power a TomTom, and to house some toggle switches. I added a generic cigarette lighter plug there. As for the space above the A/C controls, there should be lots and lots of room. There was on mine, but mine came without A/C. Then again, mine came without gauges too.

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If it was easy, everybody would be doing it.