aftermarket gauges in stock dash?!?!?

[oldcarnut]

Have the frames been engraved yet?  

Nope not yet.  I carried the panel plate over Tues on my way to work. Been pretty busy with working this past weekend and some shifting hours this week.  I have a new 69 dash and radio plate along with some other items I want to put up in the trade section and haven't had time to do it either.  Did get the gauges delivered and I like them.  

[oldcarnut]

Well practically done except the wiring.

[TexasStroker]

Excellent work! 

I would love to put something like that in the Duster.  I'm still at a stand still for the Charger's cluster...been too wrapped up in a little online side project.  Hoping to get time this weekend to at least finish out the backing plate.

Can't wait to see it installed and wired in!

[Long Island RT]

Nice job 

Looks familiar but with cherry veneer....

[Brock Samson]

Great to see them finished!! I like! 

[steph80]

Anyone have pics of leds from whitegauges.com?

[Patronus]

Nice Long Island!! That looks great! All one piece too 
What did you use for the sub-layer?

[Long Island RT]

It's a piece of sheet metal (16 gauge) with a cherry veneer.

I show some detail in my build thread:
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,53769.25.html

[TexasStroker]

Oddly enouh I managed to spend some time on this tonight...I'm thinking it is a lot easier to start from scratch than attempt to use a factory bezel...The stuff guys have cranked out looks great and the spacing of the small gauges is so easy to control.  I've got a great set-up in mdf, the slight offset of the factory bezel is giving me nightmares getting it all squared up.  You get the gauges right on the front side and have no clearance for the mounts on the back   

I can't get away from the factory bezel for the simple reason I like the factory look around the 3 3/8" gauges and switches...which is kind of weird seeing how juxtaposed this is to "factory," but that's just how I work, lol.

Hopefully I can get some more time in this weekend...might try glassing the front trim rings a little and see what happens.

The more time I spend on this (in little here-and-there sessions) the more I am impressed with what some folks have done.

[dkn1997]

Oddly enouh I managed to spend some time on this tonight...I'm thinking it is a lot easier to start from scratch than attempt to use a factory bezel...The stuff guys have cranked out looks great and the spacing of the small gauges is so easy to control.  I've got a great set-up in mdf, the slight offset of the factory bezel is giving me nightmares getting it all squared up.  You get the gauges right on the front side and have no clearance for the mounts on the back    

I can't get away from the factory bezel for the simple reason I like the factory look around the 3 3/8" gauges and switches...which is kind of weird seeing how juxtaposed this is to "factory," but that's just how I work, lol.

Hopefully I can get some more time in this weekend...might try glassing the front trim rings a little and see what happens.

The more time I spend on this (in little here-and-there sessions) the more I am impressed with what some folks have done.

excellent work guys!  On the point above about liking factory look around the big gauges and switches.... has anyone tried to do something in wood or metal similar to the factory?....instead of just cutting around to fit and then either rout it round or file it smooth, do some sort transition between whatever is used for most of the bezel and the gauge or switch?  I think that's what makes a custom almost look factory, it's those little tiny details that are in the stock piece.

[oldcarnut]

Just clear coated the glove box plate after Richard Petty signed it for me  .  Radio plate will be next once I figure what I'm going to do there.

[TexasStroker]

Sweet!  Did you provide the paint pen or does he keep that one handy?  That should look killer on the bird 

dkn1997, that is one of my big reasons for sticking to the factory bezel, the limiting factor is really the headlight switch.  Short of modifying everything (headlight doors etc) you have to keep the factory headlight switch, which is condusive to keeping the rest in tact (I really like the large rocker switches anyway).

If I could get away from the factory rockers I would probably go with a black hammertone finish and the new style switches.  As is with the factory headlight switch, I'm a fan of the stock bezel. 

I believe oldcarnut's cluster is the best way to go if you are going for a completely custom look, the raised borders and lettering really finish things off nice.

[oldcarnut]

Thanks Tex! I sent the pen along with the dash pieces.  He also signed the stock black one but in silver letters for me. I will put it in a display frame.  A friend of mine has family contact with him so he was able to get them autographed for me.  Petty seems to be a really great guy when it comes to his fans   I bought a blue paint marker that was as close to the dash switch plates and the Petty blue that the bird is getting painted .  It will take a few days for the Gliston clear to moisture cure out but it will be pretty hard and scratch resistant. The gauge panel took about 4 days.  I have an engraved plate also for it that reads Superbird and may include a RR hatpin bird too to go beside it but I have to see how the effect will be before I actually attach it

[dkn1997]

.........

I believe oldcarnut's cluster is the best way to go if you are going for a completely custom look, the raised borders and lettering really finish things off nice.

Yes, I like that one too!  give is some depth!  oldcarnut:  where did you find that font?  that's a dead ringer for the stock mopar bezel font!

[oldcarnut]

I'm not sure what the font is but I can find out.  I made the bezels and took them to a trophy shop and had them engraved then I filled it with the paint.  I just looked a a sample plate on their wall and said make it like that one.  Will try to get by there this week sometime.  Here's a closer shot of them.

[1974dodgecharger]

thx for the tips.....plan to do my cluster now.

[266mopars]

Just saw a photo of a 1967 charger dash with aftermarket gauges in detroit craigslist.He put the gauges in the center of the pods and it was blacked out around the edges. It looked good and a possible fix for my nightmare dash . it was still there on 5/8 /13 .

[1974dodgecharger]

Well I just faked up two guage sets 

[TexasStroker]

Well I just faked up two guage sets 

I know the feeling.  I do have something "in the works" via another Charger owner who had the necessary pieces...It will be a really nice fix for this issue, but I can't really talk much about it just yet.  I'll just say it looks promising.

I'm actually about to head out to the shop and play around with everything some more...I've waited a long time to do this.

And just fyi if you are working on a 74 there are clusters available that you can simply mount your aftermarket gauges in...If it is a 68-70 you are working on you are still up a creek at this point.

[TexasStroker]

Necropost?  I think not!  I had the last post in this thread about 366 days ago.  In that post I mentioned there was something "in the works" for everyone...Well, here it is:



After waiting on the water jet guy for ever, I gave up on that route...oldcarnut's is still the best metal dash I've seen.

I shot out a few e-mails to different vendors and Classic Dash was interested.  I had a bezel ready to send and then they told me they needed the "other pieces" too.  I didn't have those and thanks to hd4406z over on lonestarmopars.com he had some he sacrificed for the betterment of us all...

I had a hard time not posting up about this, but didn't want to spill the beans, or have posted only to see the product fall to the wayside etc.  It took awhile, but Classic did a great job on it imo.

I've had this Carbon Fiber one just sitting around for awhile.  Classic had agreed to send me a black dash panel from the first run in exchange for an unboxing and install article/video.  I have not received it yet and I purchased the Carbon Fiber one in good faith as I wanted to have both side-by-side for comparison sake.  Oddly enough, the Carbon Fiber really grew on me and I think I will actually just install it.  If they send the black one out I may change my mind, but for a guy that wasn't fond of carbon fiber in a vintage Mopar this piece looks good enough to have altered my perception, lol.  I was free this weekend and honestly just want this in my car and got tired of waiting on the black panel to come...If they send it and I haven't installed this one yet, I'll take some pics and a quick video to showcase them side-by-side.  I kind of feel bad keeping it under wraps this long 

I know this isn't a piece for everyone, but for anyone wanting to put aftermarket gauges in their 68-70 Charger this is a killer option.  The picture really doesn't do this piece justice.

Again, many thanks to Classic for actually bringing this to market, Edward (hd4406z) for sacrificing the original pieces, and YeahMate and DKM69 for posting pics that were desirable enough to pursue this all the way through!  I guess the water jet guy should get credit too...if he would have just cut out my template I wouldn't have contacted Classic Dash, haha.

Carbon Fiber is tough to get a picture of, so if you prefer a video format you can watch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCA78ciUmgQ

I have a couple other things I want to get done first, and I am not sure when I'll have the free time to install this, so if you have a certain picture or measurement you need I can try and make that happen.

I'm very excited to get this installed and I hope it goes over as well as I told Classic I thought it would.

Again, YeahMate and DKM69 deserve a lot of credit for modding the factory stuff to such a high standard.  This is the next best thing and keeps people from having to invest in 2-3 factory bezels to get things just right.  Hopefully it helps some folks out!

[myk]

Incredible.  I can't thank you enough, or give you enough credit to you and your colleague's for bringing this aftermarket concept into reality.  I'll definitey give this piece consideration for my eventual dash modifications...

[TexasStroker]

Thanks...All I did is try to replicate what I wanted, have a water jet guy back out, and then found a company willing to give it a go, lol.

I try this stuff all the time, but it usually doesn't turn out as intended...case in point I still try multiple times a year to talk someone into making Charger grilles.  Hasn't come thru to date, but I always keep trying!

You will not be disappointed with this piece!  For those going a bit more modern, or just looking for a nice way to update the interior, this can't be beat in my opinion.  The price is right too.

[oldcarnut]

Thanks for the compliment and the work you put into what you got accomplished     I looked back at my post and can't believe its been 3 years I did that and its still waiting on the car to get done enough to put it to use       Time doesn't wait on nobodyand the older I get the less patience it has.  Looking forward to your installed pics.

[Nacho-RT74]

wow! talking about resurrection!!

just in case you don't know, now we have some nice options:

2nd gens:

http://www.classicdash.com/shopping/Mopar/B-Body/1968-70/B-Body/Drilled-Panels/

3rd gens:

http://www.classicdash.com/shopping/Mopar/B-Body/71-74/Roadrunner-/Satellite-/Coronet/Superbee/Drilled-Panels/

I guess no 1st gens because they are THE BEST LOOKING ONES LOL, with those electroluminiscent gauges

[Nacho-RT74]

woops... just noticed was recently made reference about it LOL