Any Gauge Cluster Kits for '68 Dart

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MuuMuu101

MuuMuu101

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Just curious, but I'm having a shop install a T56 in my Dart soon. Right now I'm a little worried as my Dart's gauges aren't functioning properly. I don't have a speedometer cable (it broke) and my fuel and temp gauges pop in and out randomly (potential grounding issue, I think). I know there was a company, Peak's Dash?, that made an aluminum dash that allowed for round gauges but last I heard, they went out of business. The Dart dash is quite unique since there's no provision for a tachometer and the speedometer is lateral instead of a round gauge. Another issue is that the speedo gearing may not be set up properly for the T56 (running 26" tires with 3.55 gears).

What are your thoughts? Try to adapt the T56 to a mechanical speedo? Or try to think of something custom? I'd rather not break the bank (investing thousands into this).
 
Frankly, if I ever get moneyed enough to pull that off, I think I'd just install a different style dash frame. You CAN (I did) get the frame out with the windshield still in. You get up in there and grind off the screw heads.

Then, reverse (new) speed nuts so you can put short screws in from the bottom. I actually re--installed mine after having it powder coated, after the windshield was back in.
 
Whether you throw new parts at it or not, you still have to give any gauge a good consistent ground and signal. Sounds like your gauges are fine, it what's feeding them is the issue.

Get in there and fix the grounds, connections, and cable. Less than $20 in parts.
 
autoxcuda said:
Whether you throw new parts at it or not, you still have to give any gauge a good consistent ground and signal. Sounds like your gauges are fine, it what's feeding them is the issue.

Get in there and fix the grounds, connections, and cable. Less than $20 in parts.
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Sorry to bring this back up as I totally forgot about this thread. I figured it's a grounding issue for a couple of my gauges as they just pop in and out. The speedometer and a tach are my problem. There's obviously no tach in the car and I'm going to need a new set of speedometer gears to accommodate the new transmission and rear gearing.
 
I decided early on after my last projects and piles of speedo drive gears (with none accurate, and prices coming down) that GPS is the way, no more tire size/rear gear conversion charts and rollout measurements. no more hunting for an elusive speedo pinion gear count, only to find its not accurate through the whole range. before I bought a peak dash and speedhut gauges ,I was going to, and started mods on a junkyard barracuda/rally cluster to fit a dual 3-5/8" speedo/tach and a 3-5/8" 4 gauge unit. they do make electric to mech adapters though
 
68cuda408 said:
I decided early on after my last projects and piles of speedo drive gears (with none accurate, and prices coming down) that GPS is the way, no more tire size/rear gear conversion charts and rollout measurements. no more hunting for an elusive speedo pinion gear count, only to find its not accurate through the whole range. before I bought a peak dash and speedhut gauges ,I was going to, and started mods on a junkyard barracuda/rally cluster to fit a dual 3-5/8" speedo/tach and a 3-5/8" 4 gauge unit. they do make electric to mech adapters though
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I agree with you about the GPS speedo, but again, my problem with that, and whole start of the thread, was that the Dart dash has no accommodations for round gauges. So something custom would have to be made to get a GPS speedo in there.
 
MuuMuu101

I'm not sure if you have resolved the issue yet, but I have previously done some research on this matter since I have the exact same problem.

For the Tachometer, I would recommend just a simple steering column mount Tachometer from Summit racing which gets connected to the negative end on your ignition coil. http://www.summitracing.com/int/parts/sun-cp7901/overview/


The cheapest option for the speedometer is to go with the Electronic Cable Drive from Dakota Digital to make your stock speedometer work with the speed sensor on the T56 transmission. It also allows you to accurately calibrate your speedometer to display speeds correctly no mater what tire size or final drive gear ratio is installed.

Check it out: http://www.dakotadigital.com/index....t_id=886/category_id=287/mode=prod/prd886.htm



[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzyLtP1gblE"]Dakota Digital's ECD-100 Electronic Speedometer Cable Drive Unit - YouTube[/ame]











Or if you are prepared to throw some money at the issue, go for something like this. It should be easy enough to make a custom insert for your dash to fit this instrument cluster:

http://www.dakotadigital.com/index....ct_id=846/category_id=69/mode=prod/prd846.htm








I would love to custom mount one of those universal instrument clusters from Dakota Digital into my project Dart.


Hope that helps a bit.
 
I had a dash insert made by a company just down in Escondido here in Cali, they can build you as many gauges as ypu want. They made mine for my 67 I'm working on. Oh and I think it's automated that makes an adaptor for mechanical to electronic, just plug it into the mechanical and connect the wires to the t56
 
Matts440 said:
I had a dash insert made by a company just down in Escondido here in Cali, they can build you as many gauges as ypu want. They made mine for my 67 I'm working on. Oh and I think it's automated that makes an adaptor for mechanical to electronic, just plug it into the mechanical and connect the wires to the t56
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What is the company's name?
 
It's CRB Aluminum Fabrication
Www.crbalumifab.com
760-471-1704

Located at
Enterprise street #107
San Marcos, CA 92078

Ask for Curt, great guy, and crew are awesome, they just need dimensions for the gauges you want to use and they can make it. Here's mine
 

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Mine looks a lot like what's shown (see picture) so they are out there. I use a Classic Instruments gage set with their Skydive GPS in my coupe and it's great. I never have to worry about it being "off", my only complaint is that it looses the signal briefly (1-2 seconds) when going under underpasses.

And, no I don't know why the picture is posted upside down:banghead:
Retroron
 

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Yea I had this company make mine off a picture of one of peak dashes, just needed the same amount of pods for the motor that going into my 67
 
Those are very neat dashes you guys have. Are they painted, powder coated or bare aluminum?

Matts440, do you think that CRB aluminum fabrication could make a dash insert like yours, but that would house that oval shape instrument cluster from Dakota Digital that I posted earlier, istead of the round ones? I really like that instrument cluster.
 
Mopar_muscle yes they can they would just need the dimensions of the over all set up and they can make it, mine is just painted, but should have gone powder coat.
 
No problem, if you call them and they don't remember doing it just let me know and I'll call them as well to remind them, i ask them to hold onto the design and I'll send them more customers, but they do get backed up every once in a while, but great people high quality work, and they said they will be doing roll cages and chasis frames soon.
 
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