Could somebody look at the pictures and tell me if they have done this to their instrument cluster.What does a guy have to do to make this install? I found this on e-bay in a Pinto for sale and would like to try to do this to my instrument cluster in my car.
I used Autometer Ultralite gauges on mine. They are the 5 inch faced ones.They fit right in.Had to cut the back of the cluster so i could re-use the turn signal and high beam lights.You can use the factory wiring on the gauges,just tie into them.They look fantastic sitting in the dash.
I really do like the way they look in the dash,do you use the in-dash mounted ones?
Hear is a pic of my dash with the Ultra lites.
I will try again later.
do you know if you can use a shift lite with this setup?
I was wondering if anybody could help me through this project? I have the 5 inch gauges and they don't seem to fit unless I'm doing something wrong.
i would like to do that also, if someone could explain what they did. I'll be using the 4 in 1 type
Jeff,could you measure your instrument panel?I was just wondering if there was a difference between years on the gauge size?
i happen to have a spare bezel sitting right next to me! My car is in storage for the winter. It measures out a about 4 inches.
And there lies my problem,a 5 inch gauge in a 4 inch hole
Well here is what I am in the middle of. If you plan to go this far you will have to take the dash out, makes life a lot easier.
The eight holes are 2 & 5/8", the two small centers are 2 & 1/16" The two large are for speedo & tach, 5". Autometer Sport comps.
The hole on the lower left is for F-150 lights & wiper switch combo. The plugs attach to Pinto hardware and the panel has illuminated symbols at night, plus a variable dimmer. And of course the large rectangle, (on bottom below heater panel switch assy), is for killer stereo.
Al
in Ct.
I DID THIS INSTALLTION ON MY PRO STREET SEDAN DELIVERY.
THE GAUGES FIT TIGHT FROM THE FRONT. I USED L BRACKETS AND A HOSE CLAMP TO HOLD FROM REAR WITH NO CLEARANCE PROBLEMS. YOU WILL NEED THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FROM A C/WAGON FOR THIS. HAVE PICTURES TRIED TO POST WITH NO LUCK, ANY SUGGESTIONS
email them to me, i'll post them for you. 78pinto@sympatico.ca thanks
these are from blink77 thanks!
trouble posting.....i'll try later
Hey Al, I will be there in a hour or so to look at that!!!!!!!!! That's kooool!!!
What year pinto?
Bill
i like the way it has a ledge on the top of the dash its very nice touch..
The dash will be installed into a 72 Runabout which has been extensively modified. Sorry for the factory original folks here, you would want that I be deep fried in 90 weight if you saw what I've done with it.
Any way, I took a die grinder and a cutting wheel to slice from the speaker grill down on the top, and everything but the glove box and cigarette lighter on the front. It has all been replaced with 16 gauge sheet metal. The top piece was all wrinkled from welding heat so I put a piece of 1/4" plate that I got from the scrap bin behind our shear at work. A guy took a little off the end of a sheet to square it to the table and the resulting piece had just the right amount of a radius to do the job.
I plan to use wood to cover the steel edge and sheet armorflex, (same black stuff used for roll bar padding), to cover the top of the dash. The Runabout is now in the hands of two friends who are doing the bodywork, it will be Coca Cola Fleet Red when done. Haven't decided if the dash will be the same. The interior will be the original brown.
I had access to a CNC laser sheet metal cutter to do the gauge holes with. The machine does a beautiful job.
The F-150 light switch I found by accident working on a truck transplant project. It took awhile to make that work but I think that I'll like it better that the plane Jane stock unit. The light and wiper switch fit the Pinto units just fine.
The warm weather is not all that far away, will be gittin' real busy here real soon, as I'm sure all of the good folks of this forum will be also. Am looking forward to cruse nights and shows again.
Al
in Ct. ;)
That is the most awesome look in a pinto dash that I have ever seen. I LOVE IT! I would love to do something like that with mine. Please let me know how this turns out. The more pics the better.
Thanx for all of the nice comments folks.
I'll be sure to post some pics upon completion.
Getting back to the original question, if you don't want to go through what I have, try cutting the plastic bezel with a dremel tool with a cutting wheel and maybe a mini carbide or drum sander to smooth out the rough edges.
It has been noted that the diameter of the factory hole is 4", and that the gauge is 5".
Actually mine measures, from the rear of the plastic, 4 & 1/8" high and 3 & 7/8" wide, (my old one from my 72 Runabout), so you have a vertical oval. In the front the dimensions are 6" high by a gizzie less than 5" wide. where the tapreed part meets the textured flat surface on the panel.
So,,,,, what I would suggest is finding something that is 5"'s in diameter and using it as a guide to cut the plastic. You will have to center it pretty good so as not to interfere with the mounting screws on top, and the turn signal lights on the bottom.
If you look straight down at the panel, I would start a 1/4" below the top mounting screw holes for a base line and go from there. However if the body of the gauge is 5", the front bezel may be more, and things could get real tight in a hurry width wise. You'll have to check with your diameter guide to make sure. Once fit the stainless clamp sounds as good as any idea to secure the instrument.
As far as a shift light goes, you'll have to wait and see how much room you may have left. I've seen smaller ones by Auto Meter. I will be placing mine on top of the dash.
If you would like, I'll send you my old plastic to practice on. My Auto Meter Sport Comps are 5 & 1/2"s wide, (and that's the body), so they would probably never have worked with this application.
Al
Any of the Pintos I have seen with the five-inch speedo and tach have used the sport gauge package cluster with the speedo and tach as was used in the Cruising Wagons, Rallye models, etc. The smaller 3 3/8" aftermarket speedos and tachs may actually be a better choice for the standard clusters.
heres @ pic of BLINK77 gauges :tgif: