John Mcgraw
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2003
- Messages
- 816
- Location
- Austin Tx
- Corvette
- 1960 Roman red, 1959 resto-rod, 1965 resto-rod
I finally put the finishing touches on my instrument cluster for the 65 project.
I spent many hours trying to use the original cluster, but no matter what I did, it looked like the gauges were just stuffed in by a shade-tree mechanic.
I took a piece of 3/8" aluminum plate, welded a bottom flange on, milled out the gauge, column and switch holes, and finished the whole thing in a nice satin black finish. The Autometer gauges look real good and the glare in the picture really does not do them justice. I used a set of 67 switches and knobs to get the look I wanted, and the bezels around the switches and lighter are from a 61-62 Corvette. The bottom flange is also 3/8" thick, so there is plenty of meat to put threads in it to mount the hood release and vent cable handles. The column is a nice Flaming River tilt column that is mirror finished stainless, and should look real nice against the instrument panel. I thought about sending the panel out to the engraving shop to have the lettering replicated over the switches, but I figured I had invested enough money and time in the panel! The neat little oval shaped display at the top of the cluster has the turn signal indicators, high beam indicator, check engine light from the PCM, and a gear position indicator incoprorated in it. It is from Dakota Digital, and is a neat little display.
By going to a new panel instead of the original, I was able to step up to 2 5/8 gauges for the small gauges instead of the standard 2 1/16" ones. I have a friend in the graphics business, that is going to reface the clock so it looks like the Autometer gauges, and I am putting a quartz movement in it.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-...V-P0001675.jpg
Regards, John McGraw
I spent many hours trying to use the original cluster, but no matter what I did, it looked like the gauges were just stuffed in by a shade-tree mechanic.
I took a piece of 3/8" aluminum plate, welded a bottom flange on, milled out the gauge, column and switch holes, and finished the whole thing in a nice satin black finish. The Autometer gauges look real good and the glare in the picture really does not do them justice. I used a set of 67 switches and knobs to get the look I wanted, and the bezels around the switches and lighter are from a 61-62 Corvette. The bottom flange is also 3/8" thick, so there is plenty of meat to put threads in it to mount the hood release and vent cable handles. The column is a nice Flaming River tilt column that is mirror finished stainless, and should look real nice against the instrument panel. I thought about sending the panel out to the engraving shop to have the lettering replicated over the switches, but I figured I had invested enough money and time in the panel! The neat little oval shaped display at the top of the cluster has the turn signal indicators, high beam indicator, check engine light from the PCM, and a gear position indicator incoprorated in it. It is from Dakota Digital, and is a neat little display.
By going to a new panel instead of the original, I was able to step up to 2 5/8 gauges for the small gauges instead of the standard 2 1/16" ones. I have a friend in the graphics business, that is going to reface the clock so it looks like the Autometer gauges, and I am putting a quartz movement in it.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2003-...V-P0001675.jpg
Regards, John McGraw
:cool
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