Another $24 project that will take the 'Bird off the road for months - fixed!

70Sbird · March 12, 2009, 09:50:04 PM

Well the weather is finally starting to break here in the midwest and I got out into the garage last week to see what I felt like doing to get the Superbird out of hibernation.
I looked at my dash and thought to myself "Gee self, those small gauges sure look crappy with the white lettering all browning with age, I remember PettyBird used those decals to reface his gauges and they turned out pretty good looking" besides I'm still trying to get my fuel gauge working as designed, maybe I should pull them out for decals and have the gas gauge checked out. I went on-line and found the decal set for about $24.00 and was ready to go.
Anyone that has been down this road before before please stop laughing at me now!
Since the tach quit on me halfway to Talladega in 2004, I might as well fix that too.... and my speedo has 99,750 miles on it , it looks faded too, and probably needs a service.....
Before the day was out I had my cluster out and stripped to the bare housing, where I found a burned ammeter repaired with a piece of a manila folder and a host of other substandard repairs. It was about then that I realized $24 really meant about $500

I then tried to fix my "bent" cluster attaching points an promptly broke off the lower right hand mounting ear (I did fab up a pretty cool little bracket for it though- see second photo)
now for the point of this rant,
I wanted RT Engineering (or someone else reputable) to repair my tach and check out my gauges. I e-mailed them over a week ago and have left phone messages, but have not gotten any response! Are they still around, and does anyone have any other recommendations of someone that could work some magic on my tired looking gauges?
Thanks in advance for the advice!
Scott

hotrod98 · March 12, 2009, 10:14:17 PM

Greg Garner with RTE is pretty busy at times. I have known him for several years and I'll vouch for his honesty and integrity.
Keep on trying to contact him. He does great work.

Dave Kanofsky · March 12, 2009, 11:11:52 PM

Scott Erickson in the north suburbs of Chicago does GREAT work at very reasonable prices. He did the gauges in my Daytona. His process is amazing, he even has a complete dash set up as a test stand in his shop.

His number is 630-372-7648, his Email is gsdd@ameritech.net.

If you talk to him please tell him I sent you!

Dave Kanofsky · March 13, 2009, 09:05:29 AM

Also take this opportunity to put LED's in for the dash lights/turn signals, etc.

http://www.superbrightleds.com/instrument.html has everything you need, they work great - in mine I especially like the turn signal indicator that you can actually see light up really bright!

hemi68charger · March 13, 2009, 09:12:43 AM

Quote from: Dave Kanofsky on March 13, 2009, 09:05:29 AM
Also take this opportunity to put LED's in for the dash lights/turn signals, etc.

http://www.superbrightleds.com/instrument.html has everything you need, they work great - in mine I especially like the turn signal indicator that you can actually see light up really bright!

Dave..
Which bulb socket did you buy; B8 or BAX? This sounds like a good idea for my 2nd gen's.................... Sorry to hijack there 70Sbird

Cheers,
Troy

moparstuart · March 13, 2009, 09:15:23 AM

Quote from: Dave Kanofsky on March 13, 2009, 09:05:29 AM
Also take this opportunity to put LED's in for the dash lights/turn signals, etc.

http://www.superbrightleds.com/instrument.html has everything you need, they work great - in mine I especially like the turn signal indicator that you can actually see light up really bright!

dave do you know how many and what bulbs I would need to do a whole cluster

?

pettybird · March 13, 2009, 10:06:37 AM

Scott--

just send them my way. I'm pretty sure I even have another housing.

hemi68charger · March 13, 2009, 10:15:50 AM

Scott..
I would think about the amp-gauge-2-volt-gauge conversion...... I did it on Dana (my C500). Redline Gauge Works took care of me on this and the face was restored with the silkscreen of the amp gauge, not voltage. I wanted to the face to look original and regardless, the needle still moves in the proper direction. Voltage and amperage are proportional........

Troy

charger490 · March 13, 2009, 10:21:23 AM

i also have a houseing if you need it plus some other parts for the dash don
instant@frontiernet.net

pettybird · March 13, 2009, 10:23:19 AM

Quote from: Dave Kanofsky on March 13, 2009, 09:05:29 AM
Also take this opportunity to put LED's in for the dash lights/turn signals, etc.

http://www.superbrightleds.com/instrument.html has everything you need, they work great - in mine I especially like the turn signal indicator that you can actually see light up really bright!

the LED's look killer in the gauge cluster--i put super bright white ones in and the gauges are bright blue like I'm in an airplane...
don't just get the ones that point straight up

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/5-LED-Super-Bright-2pc-Bulb-Set-BA9s-53-57-1895-T4W_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ72Q3a1205Q7c66Q3a2Q7c65Q3a12Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a1Q7c293Q3a1Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem260354057407QQitemZ260354057407QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/10x-194-168-W5W-5-LED-BLUE-Refractor-Wedge-Bulbs-Lights_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trkparmsZ72Q3a1205Q7c66Q3a2Q7c65Q3a12Q7c39Q3a1Q7c240Q3a1318Q7c301Q3a1Q7c293Q3a1Q7c294Q3a50QQ_trksidZp3286Q2ec0Q2em14QQhashZitem200318892344QQitemZ200318892344QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Dave Kanofsky · March 13, 2009, 01:13:01 PM

I used p/n WLED-4 LED (white) for the wedge based bulbs and BA9s-W4 (white) for the bayonet based.
I don't remember the quantity for each but it's more than you expect - there's the brake system light, the turn signals, the high beam indicator, and all of the dash lights.

Just like pettybird said - it lights up kinda blue and is super cool.

pettybird · March 14, 2009, 10:40:58 AM

Quote from: pettybird on March 13, 2009, 10:06:37 AM
Scott--

just send them my way. I'm pretty sure I even have another housing.

I'm serious. I still owe you for the stay in Milwaukee. Besides--it would force me to go out to the garage and pull the cluster out of the Petty car. I could do them both on the same day.

moparstuart · March 14, 2009, 10:49:54 AM

Quote from: pettybird on March 14, 2009, 10:40:58 AM
Quote from: pettybird on March 13, 2009, 10:06:37 AM
Scott--

just send them my way. I'm pretty sure I even have another housing.

I'm serious. I still owe you for the stay in Milwaukee. Besides--it would force me to go out to the garage and pull the cluster out of the Petty car. I could do them both on the same day.

your the man doug

pettybird · March 14, 2009, 06:30:35 PM

FYI a rallye cluster takes 3 194 bulbs and 7 57's with a clock or tach, and six with the block off plate.

moparstuart · March 15, 2009, 07:17:27 AM

thanks i'lll be placing my order

i ordered minetoday got two sets to do two clusters , thanks dave and doug for the info

moparstuart · April 05, 2009, 09:44:12 PM

thanks guys for the help dave and doug

I love the LED's
3 and 7 are correct numbers of bulbs for 70 but my 69 cluster has one more you need 8 of the twistin style bulbs

Dave Kanofsky · April 05, 2009, 10:23:32 PM

Cool! Thanks for the update on the number of bulbs.

pettybird · April 06, 2009, 11:32:12 AM

where does the eighth bulb go? the housings are identical for 69-70...

turn signals (2)
high beam indicator
brake warning light
clock/tach
speedometer (2)

moparstuart · April 06, 2009, 11:42:28 AM

Quote from: pettybird on April 06, 2009, 11:32:12 AM
where does the eighth bulb go? the housings are identical for 69-70...

turn signals (2)
high beam indicator
brake warning light
clock/tach
speedometer (2)

my 69 cluster is at home , ill get a shot of the extra hole . it's in the middle top next to another hole.

moparstuart · April 06, 2009, 11:48:10 AM

found a picture doug , it was in my daytona clone thread

the two holes right about the speedo cable plug, My 70 cluster only has one if those holes

the LED's with my white faces should really brighten up and POP

pettybird · April 06, 2009, 03:37:29 PM

i've never seen that hole punched out. anyone know what it's for?

it goes in a "tunnel" like the high beam indicator...

pettybird · April 06, 2009, 03:37:55 PM

And HEY SCOTT THE DECALS ARE IN

send me the gauges!

moparstuart · April 06, 2009, 03:41:07 PM

Quote from: pettybird on April 06, 2009, 03:37:29 PM
i've never seen that hole punched out. anyone know what it's for?

it goes in a "tunnel" like the high beam indicator...

it's the exact same size as the other hole and has scratches on the housing like the harness has been plugged in ?

got this cluster out of a 69 charger years ago and had it rebuilt recently to go i the 69 tona clone , so i can just swap them out .

pettybird · April 06, 2009, 04:12:33 PM

i believe you, but I've not had one punched out before...

i've gone through better than a dozen clusters here and have five housings at home. I've always wondered why the casting is what it is.

the $64,000 question is whether or not you have another bulb socket in your harness

moparstuart · April 06, 2009, 04:26:10 PM

Quote from: pettybird on April 06, 2009, 04:12:33 PM
i believe you, but I've not had one punched out before...

i've gone through better than a dozen clusters here and have five housings at home. I've always wondered why the casting is what it is.

the $64,000 question is whether or not you have another bulb socket in your harness

or if someone had the wrong socket slid in there because there was a hole ?
I bought it at an auction and never saw it in the car .

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Another $24 project that will take the 'Bird off the road for months - fixed!

70Sbird

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Dave Kanofsky

Dave Kanofsky

hemi68charger

moparstuart

pettybird

hemi68charger

charger490

pettybird

Dave Kanofsky

pettybird

moparstuart

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moparstuart

Dave Kanofsky

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