Custom gauge options

[sigtauenus]

My fastback is a factory tach car with the 120 trip speedo and 8k tach. I also have an original clock in the cluster.

The trip odometer has something amiss with the gears and the tach needs repaired as well, and I have been planning on sending the entire cluster to the Tachman for testing/repair as necessary on all gauges, including converting the clock to quartz.

Looking at some of the custom clusters with autometer gauges, I like the look. I also like the white face look with original gauges.

What I like about the factory set-up is that it is one of the few rare factory options my car came with originally, so there is a bit of attachment to that. Although the oil and voltmeter is an idiot light, at least I have some indication there. I also like the clock.

I'm thinking about making a cluster with Autometer gauges that uses the trip speedo, tach, fuel temp and clock, and then putting oil and voltmeter in a separate housing at a location I've yet to determine.

Further complicating this is that my car also has a factory console, which I also like, which means the gauge location under the dash in the center of the car is not an option.

It looks like if I do this myself, I'm looking at roughly $600 for the autometer gauges or roughly that same amount to get my original gauges repaired (likely less though).

These are the gauges I'm looking at:

Gauge, Phantom, Fuel Level, Empty/Full, 73 Ohms/8-12 Ohms, 2 5/8 in., Analog, Electrical, Each Part Number: ATM-5815
Gauge, Phantom, Oil Pressure, 0-100 psi, 2 5/8 in., Analog, Electrical, Each Part Number: ATM-5827
Gauge, Phantom, Water Temperature, 100-250 Degrees F, 2 5/8 in., Analog, Electrical, Each Part Number: ATM-5837
Gauge, Phantom, Clock, 2 5/8 in., Analog, Electrical, Each Part Number: ATM-5885
Gauge, Phantom, Voltmeter, 8-18 V, 2 5/8 in., Analog, Electrical, Each Part Number: ATM-5891
Speedometer, Phantom Series, 0-160 mph, 5 in., Analog, Mechanical, Each Part Number: ATM-5895
Tachometer, Phantom, 0-10,000 rpm, 5 in., Analog, Electrical, In-Dash, Each Part Number: ATM-5898

What other options am I missing?

 

[daveSanborn]

Where are you pricing your Autometer gauges?

I have the same gauges (minus the clock and my speedo/tach are smaller due to the '66 bezel) and all six gauges out the door were $380.

Here's what I did..... I found the absolute cheapest eBay powerseller, printed out his "buy it now" listings for each gauge and brought the printouts down to my local Autozone. Autozone price matched the powerseller.... to include adjusting the price down ever further to wipe out any sales tax that I wouldn't have to pay from an on-line sale. The gauges were shipped 2 day air to my local Autozone on Autozone's dime, not mine. If I ever have a problem with one of the gauges, which I did, Autozone swaps it out for me (I thought I had a malfunctioning water temp gauge, but it turned out to be something else).

Local business's will do their best to compete with on-line sales and it only takes a minute to give them a chance to do so. Give it a shot.

 

[Fast68back]

I bought mine from eGauges.com they were a little cheaper than both Summit and Jegs...

 

[sigtauenus]

Where are you pricing your Autometer gauges?

I have the same gauges (minus the clock and my speedo/tach are smaller due to the '66 bezel) and all six gauges out the door were $380.

Here's what I did..... I found the absolute cheapest eBay powerseller, printed out his "buy it now" listings for each gauge and brought the printouts down to my local Autozone. Autozone price matched the powerseller.... to include adjusting the price down ever further to wipe out any sales tax that I wouldn't have to pay from an on-line sale. The gauges were shipped 2 day air to my local Autozone on Autozone's dime, not mine. If I ever have a problem with one of the gauges, which I did, Autozone swaps it out for me (I thought I had a malfunctioning water temp gauge, but it turned out to be something else).

Local business's will do their best to compete with on-line sales and it only takes a minute to give them a chance to do so. Give it a shot.

I was pricing them at Summit, and thanks, that's a great idea. The guys at my local Autozone know me because I shop there so much for regular maintenance items.

 

[sigtauenus]

Also, do those part numbers look right for utilizing as much of the stock set-up as possible with senders and speed cable, etc?

 

[66gt350]

Have you thought about going to an electric speedo, instead of mechanical. I originally bought a mechanical Autometer Ultra-Lite. To me the mechanical speedo felt cheap.

 

[tarafied1]

while this is a more modern option than below the dash (which you can't really do with a console) the A pillar gauge pod could hold the amp and oil pressure gauges...

 

[chucky]

Also consider the VDO Cockpit series gauges

 

[stangg]

What other options am I missing?

I don't know if it would work, but maybe a rally pack housing from a 65/6 would work to hold the two guages? I too like the electric speedometer... very easy to recalibrate with gear / tire changes.

 

[johnpro]

Fortunately for you, with the '68, you have 5 gauges in the bezel (including the clock), so you can use the 2 gauge pod on the A-pillar. I tried putting the 2 remaining gauges in my '69 below the dash (I just use the radio's clock), and just couldn't fit them right and really see them.

The electrical speedo is far more accurate, but almost twice as expensive, as the gauge is double the cost, and you have to buy a hall-effect sender. Then, depending on you transmission and sender, you may have to modify your transmission. Mine was a royal PIA to install in my Tremec TKO-600. Finally got it working great, and it quit working last Tuesday on the way home from it's first car show with the new gauges. Haven't had a chance to see what happened, yet, but the electric speedo is definitely the most complicated, as far as wiring goes, in my entire cluster.