Thoughts on custom gauge panel

Author Topic: Thoughts on custom gauge panel  (Read 29792 times)

Offline Confederate Cuda

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Re: Thoughts on custom gauge panel
« Reply #45 on: May 11, 2010 - 09:33:58 AM »
The front seats are from a BMW 645 vert. the rears are custom built split buckets.




Offline BB73Challenger

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Re: Thoughts on custom gauge panel
« Reply #46 on: May 12, 2010 - 08:13:42 PM »
I'm thinking of a custom panel for mine. Will have to test my metal working skills, but I, too, like two big gauges and a few small ones. I like my two in the center, like the one that's not made anymore. Will have to experiment.


That's what I did - I love 'em  :thumbsup:

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Offline Kevin71

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Re: Thoughts on custom gauge panel
« Reply #47 on: June 09, 2010 - 11:53:57 AM »
How did you do it Jeff.  Did you take the plastic part completely out and mount it to what?  It does look great

Offline vilzrod

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Re: Thoughts on custom gauge panel
« Reply #48 on: July 19, 2013 - 01:05:00 AM »
I have been thinking a lot lately about putting a custom gauge panel in my Challenger instead of the stock rallye gauges. I found this one at the West Coast Nationals (pre 1957 car show). I would use the new Mopar Pro-Line gauges from Autometer and would paint the bezel something other than silver.





That has to be the ugliest poorest gauge set ever... who would put that thing in a cuda?

Offline ChallengerHK

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Re: Thoughts on custom gauge panel
« Reply #49 on: July 19, 2013 - 02:01:37 AM »
I've been thinking about instrument clusters myself recently. The problem I see with all of the aftermarket panels, at least the ones that I've encountered, is that they're all flat. They're functional, to one degree or another, in that you get the gauges you want, more or less where you want them, but they're just lacking in style. the original clusters have depth, and that's part of their character. Of course, I'm sure that making a replacement panel with depth would take a lot more effort and cost a lost more.


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Offline cudagirl4406pk

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Re: Thoughts on custom gauge panel
« Reply #50 on: July 19, 2013 - 06:50:46 AM »
How did you do it Jeff.  Did you take the plastic part completely out and mount it to what?  It does look great


Wow that looks exaclty like mine that my husband built for me.

michele
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Offline HP2

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Re: Thoughts on custom gauge panel
« Reply #51 on: July 19, 2013 - 09:38:08 AM »
I've been thinking about instrument clusters myself recently. The problem I see with all of the aftermarket panels, at least the ones that I've encountered, is that they're all flat. They're functional, to one degree or another, in that you get the gauges you want, more or less where you want them, but they're just lacking in style. the original clusters have depth, and that's part of their character. Of course, I'm sure that making a replacement panel with depth would take a lot more effort and cost a lost more.

That because most dash makers started with street rods and Tri-5s which are flat, flat, flat. It also is easier to take a plate of aluminum and  mill some hole sin it, or take a sheet and put a few bends in to replicate lines.

A possible solution to this that I've never seen would be a vacuum formed plastic piece. You could sculpt whatever appearance you wanted to create the mold to look like, lay the abs over it, heat, vacuum down, and there you go, custom dash. Compared to machining. the process is actually much easy and cheaper to run once you have a design done. However, the tooling to perform the work is not cheap. Once completed however, you could pull clusters for around $200, give or take  based on complexity.

For something completely different, you can always substitute a 71-74 B body cluster. Leave as woodgrain, sand and paint, whatever.

Offline ff6849

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Re: Thoughts on custom gauge panel
« Reply #52 on: July 20, 2013 - 02:39:09 AM »
I did the rocky mountain dash too; I like the sunken look of the gauges. I don’t think they are making them any more though. 
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Offline ChallengerHK

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Re: Thoughts on custom gauge panel
« Reply #53 on: July 20, 2013 - 02:46:38 AM »
A possible solution to this that I've never seen would be a vacuum formed plastic piece. You could sculpt whatever appearance you wanted to create the mold to look like, lay the abs over it, heat, vacuum down, and there you go, custom dash. Compared to machining. the process is actually much easy and cheaper to run once you have a design done. However, the tooling to perform the work is not cheap. Once completed however, you could pull clusters for around $200, give or take  based on complexity.

I've thought about this. The element that this doesn't account for, I think, is that the structure of the cluster comes from the metal piece in the back. I'm guessing that if all I did was make a dash bezel that I liked, and then hung the gauges from the bezel, they'd bounce all over the place. Any thoughts on what would be the best way to create that underlying structure? I'm guessing that handing a design to someone who could create it billet would be the most economical.


"She'll make point five past light speed. She may not look like much, but she's got it where it counts, and I've made a lot of special modifications myself."

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Offline johns cuda shop

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Re: Thoughts on custom gauge panel
« Reply #54 on: July 20, 2013 - 07:29:55 AM »
I like the look of sunken down gauges myself,Although not finished I plan on having it covered ,t,his is what I did.
« Last Edit: July 20, 2013 - 07:32:24 AM by johns cuda shop »
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Offline moparmaniac59

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Re: Thoughts on custom gauge panel
« Reply #55 on: July 20, 2013 - 07:24:00 PM »
That looks awesome. Nice work!!  :woo:



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Offline Tantster

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Re: Thoughts on custom gauge panel
« Reply #56 on: December 09, 2014 - 10:15:23 PM »
conv340 Cluster is very nicely done. What size gauges did you use? Any pictures of the completed project?