Semi-Custom Dash

Which auxillary gauge option do you like?

  • Go with the pod in picture 1

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Go with the in-dash option in picture 2

    Votes: 45 83.3%

  • Leave the dash stock like it was intended

    Votes: 8 14.8%

  • Who needs more gauges anyway?

    Votes: 1 1.9%
  • Total voters
    54
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65 Dartman

65 Dartman

1 of None 65 Dart Sedan Delivery
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I'm going to use a complete dash from a 66 Formula S (150MPH Speedo and Tach) in my 65 Dart wagon. I've been thinking about how I could add some auxillary gauges like a Voltmeter, Oil Temp and Vacuum Gauge without using one of those underdash triple gauge bezels - wouldn't be able to do that anyway since the AC duct covers a great deal of the lower dash. I saw a late model Land Cruiser that has some gauges mounted in a pod about where our radio speakers are located. Hmmm, I have an old hot rod triple gauge pod similar to the Land Cruiser somewhere in storage (which I eventually found). This thing is enclosed on all sides and can be mounted on top of the dash, under it, or on the roof hanging down a la hot rod style. So that's 1 option - any more? So with a spare 66 Barracuda dash, I got to playing around. I don't smoke and who needs a radio when you've got a 340 engine to listen to. So I removed the ash tray cover and welded it in place. Then I cut out the radio area and welded a piece of flat metal in its place. I found there's enough room for 4 gauges so I hole-sawed four 2 & 1/16th. My youngest son gave me a VDO clock that came out of one of his VWs and I picked up matching VDO volt, oil temp and vacuum gauges. What do you guys think of the 2 different options?

sale 002.jpg


sale 014.jpg
 
leblanc said:
As long as you get a mechanical temp gauge in there you should be fine, that and oil pressure those are the most important.
Click to expand...

There shouldn't be a problem using the stock water temp and oil pressure gauges, would there?
 
i like what you did t othe 66 dash,,,cant you d othat to your correct dash ?? you could get better then the factory gauges in your 66 dash by doiing what you did and adding gauges the way i did,,

fstfish66 digitial oct 2007 040.jpg
 
Your radio & ash tray delete setup looks best to me. I like what you did putting the volt meter under the ammeter. I couldn't tell which was the oil pressure gauge, but putting the oil temp under it would be sort of cool, too. But I wouldn't do it if it meant messing with the stock gauge bezel.
 
I had already pretty much decided that if I was to go with a custom dash, it would be #2. I'm sure that if it didn't look right, I'd have gotten feedback so stating I was screwing up. Out of 38 votes so far, 31 have said go with the gauges in the dash while 7 said don't mess up the stock dash.

ap6ute said:
I played around with my 64-65 gauge cluster and come up with this....
Click to expand...

I really like what you've done in the 2nd picture.

2 Darts said:
Your radio & ash tray delete setup looks best to me. I like what you did putting the volt meter under the ammeter. I couldn't tell which was the oil pressure gauge, but putting the oil temp under it would be sort of cool, too. But I wouldn't do it if it meant messing withe the stock gauge bezel
Click to expand...

I think the oil pressure is next to the ammeter or could be all the way over on the left (don't remember) so that idea wouldn't work. I believe I'm going to replace all the stock gauges similar to what fstfish66 has done with his dash. Not exactly sure which gauges I would use at this point.
 
i think this is what he is going to do,,,,this is my dash,, in my 66 barracuda i did this in 1996 when building this car,,next im going to redo all the plastic dash trim,, looks custom and simple to do

fstfish66 digitial oct 2007 040.jpg


fstfish66 digitial oct 2007 043.jpg
 
fstfish66 said:
i think this is what he is going to do,,,,this is my dash,, in my 66 barracuda i did this in 1996 when building this car,,next im going to redo all the plastic dash trim,, looks custom and simple to do
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Yes something along these lines; not sure if I want black faces or the white ones. Gotta think about that a bit.
 
the faces on my gauges are silver,,,the car is black with silver pin stipe and silver old school steering wheel,,,that why i chooes the silver faced,
 
fstfish66 said:
i like what you did t othe 66 dash,,,cant you d othat to your correct dash ?? you could get better then the factory gauges in your 66 dash by doiing what you did and adding gauges the way i did,,
Click to expand...

ap6ute said:
I played around with my 64-65 gauge cluster and come up with this....
The first pick is as per original
AP6gaugeCluster002.jpg

APFishscaledash009.jpg


Click to expand...


65 Dartman said:
I'm going to use a complete dash from a 66 Formula S (150MPH Speedo and Tach) in my 65 Dart wagon. I've been thinking about how........ VDO volt, oil temp and vacuum gauges. What do you guys think of the 2 different options?
Click to expand...

Dam you guys have come up with some great dashes, all custom yet very functional.....choice 2 is for me dartman.

All I know is I'm glad no one picked the pod...
 
Thanks for all the feedback on the dash. In addition to the auxillary gauges replacing the radio and ash tray, I've decided to go with a complete custom dash similar to fstfish66's dash - I really like what he's done to his . I now have on hand a set of VDO oil pressure, water temp, ammeter, fuel level, speedometer and tach to replace the original gauges and will be listing all the original stuff including the 150MPH speedometer and tach in a couple of days.
 
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