320 Custom Dash/ Gauge Cluster

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

So in the process of building a truck for a customer, one of the things he wanted was a new gauge cluster. We went back and forth on the style of gauges, but eventually decided to use Smiths gauges to replicate the old, vintage style.

 

Here are some pics, though not many, and very repititous, of the project.

 

I started by bending up a custom blank panel.

 

Then, having the gauges to measure, I mocked up the locations of the holes.

 

The switches were out of a 210 (I think) so we decided to re-use them. But we added a couple more switches for the foglights and interior lights and a bezel for the ignition switch.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is a shot of the speed sensor which was a custom unit, built to mount on the frame, not the trans. I have used them before where they mount on the trans and they break, so a custom cable was made to connect the speed sensor to the trans.

 

And here is a pic of the "wrinkle coat" panel. I did not get one of the final install, sorry.

 

Cheers!!!

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

On a side note, the gauges are not an exact match. The customer chose them so I installed them. Smiths does make a complete range of gauges, and most of them have a vintage appeal. You can get electronic speedo or standard cable driven, but the electronic unit is nice because it is programmable for different tire sizes.

 

Here is a link.

http://www.gaugeguys.com/Smiths/classic.htm

 

Their website is kind of hard to navigate, but look around, it's all there, including the speed sensor.

[burrito213]

dude. this is awsome. i have always wanted to fab up some autometer or dolphin guages to my truck but the datsun has a particular size. thought about sheet metal plate and then cut for the gauges but i dont have fabrication skills or the equipment to do that kind of stuff.

 

great work. is that ol'320's truck?

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

dude. this is awsome. i have always wanted to fab up some autometer or dolphin guages to my truck but the datsun has a particular size. thought about sheet metal plate and then cut for the gauges but i dont have fabrication skills or the equipment to do that kind of stuff.

 

great work. is that ol'320's truck?

Thanks.

 

Yep that is ol'320. I sold it to him and then did the work.

 

The only special tool you need to make this panel is a metal brake. And a welder of course. If you took your glove box door to a fab shop along with a template they could bend you a blank and you could fit it and cut the holes out yourself.

 

I particularily like the LED's we used for the indicator lights. The only drawback there is that the charge light would never go out completely because LED's need zero voltage to shut off completely. The charge light is actually powered up very slightly even when it should be "off". We didn't figure this out until after we installed it. I did come up with a solution though, we could use a relay to isolate the light from it's source.