Current Classifieds

Looking for a 1980 windshield
Date: 07/30/2020 04:51 pm
1979 hatch needed
Date: 05/13/2018 08:52 pm
'78 Pinto Windshield Trim
Date: 05/09/2017 10:46 am
Need Mustang II Manual Transmission Mount
Date: 04/21/2017 02:03 pm
2.0 Mickey Thompson SUPER RARE cam cover and belt guard
Date: 08/27/2018 11:11 am
1972-1980 Pinto/Bobcat Wagon Drivers Side Tail Light OEM

Date: 04/20/2017 10:10 am
pinto parts for sale
Date: 07/25/2018 04:51 pm
hubcaps

Date: 10/31/2018 12:04 pm
1980 Pinto Parts

Date: 08/05/2020 04:20 pm
1974 Pinto Right Rear Interior Trim Panel

Date: 02/18/2017 04:44 pm
'80 Pinto Wagon
Date: 02/01/2018 05:20 pm
1977 Pinto Cruizin Wagon

Date: 04/11/2024 03:56 pm

« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Crumbling gauge cluster hsg.  (Read 2476 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline Vicrydr

  • Pinto Member
  • **
  • Posts: 35
  • FeedBack: +0/-0
  • Gender: Male
  • '77 Pinto Cruising Wagon

    • Total Badges: 3
    Badges: (View All)
    Fifth year Anniversary Topic Starter Windows User
Crumbling gauge cluster hsg.
« on: July 21, 2016, 07:09:37 PM »
Now I went and did it. Tried to take out the tach and speedo hsg.gauge cluster to check on some wiring and dash lites that don't work. That plastic housing is as fragile as an eggshell and the top portion of it just fell apart. From what I have read on this issue, there isn't any replacements for these housings. So now I am trying to superglue this thing back together. With pieces of gauge cluster housing from the 86 Ranger I'm boning out I am making some headway. Have to go buy more glue and when I have it where I want it, coat it with something bullet proof to help keep it together. If someone out there has a good one, or an idea of what might fit in place. From what I've gathered my 77 Pinto Wagon has the Rally gauges with the tach and speedo behind steering wheel and 3 gauges in center of dash above console.
Thanks.
Logged

Offline Wittsend

  • Pinto Sr. Master
  • ******
  • Posts: 2521
  • FeedBack: +241/-0

    • Total Badges: 8
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Mobile User Topic Starter Poll Voter 1000 Posts Linux User Windows User Fifth year Anniversary
Re: Crumbling gauge cluster hsg.
« Reply #1 on: July 22, 2016, 10:01:52 AM »
I tried to get my son to 3D print the cluster housing for me. At first he said, "Sure." But when it came time to actually do it he backed out.  Perhaps he can be enticed.  How much would the Pinto crowd be willing to pay for such an item???

Update:  He said that his printer doesn't have enough movement to cover the range. And, the design would take quite some time if it did. He also said there is some concern about interior temperatures not being kind to what is essentially low melt plastic. Oh well. Maybe someone can make a mold and they can be made out of thin fiberglass (model plane stuff) and resin???
Logged

Offline dga57

  • Chief Moderator / Admin
  • Administrator
  • Pinto PooBAH
  • ***
  • Posts: 7104
  • FeedBack: +208/-0
  • Gender: Male

    • Total Badges: 8
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Topic Starter Signature Poll Voter Mobile User Windows User 1000 Posts Fifth year Anniversary
Re: Crumbling gauge cluster hsg.
« Reply #2 on: July 22, 2016, 05:25:08 PM »
I don't know, but you'd think with all the technology available today there would be a cost efficient way to reproduce those; Heaven only knows they're an "in demand" item!


Dwayne :)
Logged
Pinto Car Club of America - Serving the Ford Pinto enthusiast since 1999.

Offline 65ShelbyClone

  • Pinto Master
  • *****
  • Posts: 790
  • FeedBack: +139/-0
  • Soylent Green

    • Total Badges: 8
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Fifth year Anniversary Topic Starter Signature Poll Voter Mobile User Linux User Windows User
Re: Crumbling gauge cluster hsg.
« Reply #3 on: July 22, 2016, 08:35:17 PM »
Quote from: Wittsend on July 22, 2016, 10:01:52 AM
I tried to get my son to 3D print the cluster housing for me. At first he said, "Sure." But when it came time to actually do it he backed out.  Perhaps he can be enticed.  How much would the Pinto crowd be willing to pay for such an item???

Update:  He said that his printer doesn't have enough movement to cover the range. And, the design would take quite some time if it did. He also said there is some concern about interior temperatures not being kind to what is essentially low melt plastic. Oh well. Maybe someone can make a mold and they can be made out of thin fiberglass (model plane stuff) and resin???

3d printing has come a long way in a short time, but the low-cost options just aren't good enough for production use yet and even the high-cost options are still flawed at this point. Part of the inherent problem was mentioned; using thermoplastics in elevated temperatures presents a variety of potential issues. It's also not going to produce a plug-n-play part; there are going to be funky printing textures that need to be hand finished. 3D printing was initially intended for rapid prototyping.

I have the capability to make parts like Pinto clusters out of billet aluminum, but no one would pay enough for me to even cover production costs.  :(

Dome light lenses are another in-demand plastic part that just can't really be made any other way than Ford did.
Logged
'72 Runabout - 2.3T, T5, MegaSquirt-II, 8", 5-lugs, big brakes.
'68 Mustang - Built roller 302, Toploader, 9", etc.

Offline Reeves1

  • Pinto Master
  • *****
  • Posts: 2159
  • FeedBack: +104/-0
  • Gender: Male
  • BAWS302

    • Total Badges: 6
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Topic Starter Signature Fifth year Anniversary Windows User 1000 Posts
Re: Crumbling gauge cluster hsg.
« Reply #4 on: July 23, 2016, 07:09:01 AM »
Logged

Offline Vicrydr

  • Pinto Member
  • **
  • Posts: 35
  • FeedBack: +0/-0
  • Gender: Male
  • '77 Pinto Cruising Wagon

    • Total Badges: 3
    Badges: (View All)
    Fifth year Anniversary Topic Starter Windows User
Re: Crumbling gauge cluster hsg.
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2016, 08:36:03 AM »
So far I've spent more than a few days re-engineering the housing with good glues and the plastic cut out pieces from the Ranger cluster. Pretty intricate work. Also using kitty hair bondo on it. I'll post a picture when done.
Logged

Offline dga57

  • Chief Moderator / Admin
  • Administrator
  • Pinto PooBAH
  • ***
  • Posts: 7104
  • FeedBack: +208/-0
  • Gender: Male

    • Total Badges: 8
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Topic Starter Signature Poll Voter Mobile User Windows User 1000 Posts Fifth year Anniversary
Re: Crumbling gauge cluster hsg.
« Reply #6 on: July 24, 2016, 02:11:16 PM »
Quote from: Vicrydr on July 24, 2016, 08:36:03 AM
So far I've spent more than a few days re-engineering the housing with good glues and the plastic cut out pieces from the Ranger cluster. Pretty intricate work. Also using kitty hair bondo on it. I'll post a picture when done.

Hope it works for you!

Dwayne :)
Logged
Pinto Car Club of America - Serving the Ford Pinto enthusiast since 1999.

Offline Wittsend

  • Pinto Sr. Master
  • ******
  • Posts: 2521
  • FeedBack: +241/-0

    • Total Badges: 8
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Mobile User Topic Starter Poll Voter 1000 Posts Linux User Windows User Fifth year Anniversary
Re: Crumbling gauge cluster hsg.
« Reply #7 on: July 24, 2016, 02:43:07 PM »
Quote from: Vicrydr on July 24, 2016, 08:36:03 AM
So far I've spent more than a few days re-engineering the housing with good glues and the plastic cut out pieces from the Ranger cluster. Pretty intricate work. Also using kitty hair bondo on it. I'll post a picture when done.

I like your make it work regardless attitude.  For some (remarkable) reason my housing held up pretty well.  I modified it to take the Turbo Coupe tach/boost Gage when I did the 2.3T swap ("What? You cut up a pristine cluster housing? That's a crime against Pintodom!"  >:( ). I tried to make the green "Ride Control" light work for something else (that I can't remember now) but I fried it in the process. Oh well... .
Logged

Offline Vicrydr

  • Pinto Member
  • **
  • Posts: 35
  • FeedBack: +0/-0
  • Gender: Male
  • '77 Pinto Cruising Wagon

    • Total Badges: 3
    Badges: (View All)
    Fifth year Anniversary Topic Starter Windows User
Re: Crumbling gauge cluster hsg.
« Reply #8 on: July 25, 2016, 04:36:30 PM »
Here's what this Frankenstein piece looks like now. I added the blue backlight bulb covers from the Ranger. A little more work on it and should be good to go. I had to replace 6 of the twist in dash light holes. Cutting and fitting and getting the right angle to match the printed circuit was a real test of my patience. After painting it up it shouldn't look to bad. Everything fits back on it OK.
Logged

Offline dga57

  • Chief Moderator / Admin
  • Administrator
  • Pinto PooBAH
  • ***
  • Posts: 7104
  • FeedBack: +208/-0
  • Gender: Male

    • Total Badges: 8
    Badges: (View All)
    Tenth year Anniversary Topic Starter Signature Poll Voter Mobile User Windows User 1000 Posts Fifth year Anniversary
Re: Crumbling gauge cluster hsg.
« Reply #9 on: July 25, 2016, 09:45:05 PM »
Good job!!!


Dwayne :)
Logged
Pinto Car Club of America - Serving the Ford Pinto enthusiast since 1999.

Offline 74 PintoWagon

  • Pinto Sr. Master
  • ******
  • Posts: 3105
  • FeedBack: +540/-0
  • Gender: Male
  • Another Pinto Driver

    • Total Badges: 5
    Badges: (View All)
    Topic Starter Signature Poll Voter Windows User 1000 Posts
Re: Crumbling gauge cluster hsg.
« Reply #10 on: July 26, 2016, 07:35:28 AM »
Logged
Art
65 Falcon 2DR 200 IL6 with C4.
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »