'66 upgraded to six gauge cluster

[daveSanborn]

I've been playing around with the new cluster shell and Autometer gauges on the workbench for the past few days and finally got around to installing the cluster last night.

I used the Phantom series gauges and am for the most part happy with how everything turned out.

I wish I'd have done one thing differently..... sprang for the electric speedo instead of the mechanical one.  I already had the cable there for the mech. speedo and figured it would be the easiest to install... and it was, but the needle bounces (just a little bit).  I suppose I can pull the cluster back out and try some lube on the cable end....

Upon first drive, I topped the fuel tank off and the fuel gauge reads right at 3/4.  I guess the only adjustment for this is to slightly bend the sending units arm?

I went with a Voltmeter instead of an Amp gauge.  Water Temp is manual and so is Oil Pressure.  The tach's tied into the feed off of the EEC and works great....now.  It was kicking my butt last night though....  the darn schematic for the tach wiring showed one power wire going to 12V switched and another wire going to the battery.  This didn't make much sense to me, but who am I to argue with a schematic?  After numerous attempts to get the tach to start working, I went back to square one and re-read the instructions and re-looked at the schematic.... for about an hour.  It was then that I noticed the wire going to the battery was NOT 12V, but instead the ground wire.  WTF did they have to put a picture of a battery on the schematic for?  A simple "To Ground" would have sufficed.  Once I grounded the tach (duh!), everything worked great.  Now that I'm using a tach, maybe I won't spin the motor so fast.....  I took her up to 5500 RPM in second gear this evening and realized I'd been revving her well past this point.  Probably 6500-7000 RPM.  No more of that for a while.

Here's some pictures of the finished project....

[blue65coupe]

Looks good, been thinking of the same setup in the 65

[Midlife]

Regarding your gas gauge: I presume the new gauges don't use a constant voltage regulator, but full battery power?  If so, your only option is to bend the fuel float arm, or see if the float itself has a pin-hole and is partially flooded.  Too bad...you'll have to drive the shit out of the car to empty the tank.

If you do use a CVR, those can be adjusted, usually by rotating a pin or bezel on the back (after removing the epoxy potting to keep you from doing so).  I prefer to set the gauge correctly when the tank is 1/4 full.  I figure knowing better when the tank needs to be refilled is more important than knowing it is completely full.

[daveSanborn]

Randy, yes.... constant 12V, no CVR.  Fortunately, the gas tank has a drain point on it.  One of these days I'll burn the gas down low and play around with the "new" sending units arm.

Since you're in the business, I now have a '66 gauge cluster added to my list of "extra" parts.  It's a new SD bezel with new lenses installed.  It's a 140 MPH speedo (does this make it a GT speedo?).  All of the instruments worked and the CVR is still attached to the back.  If you come across anyone upgrading a 64.5-65 cluster to a '66 cluster, let me know and I'll let it go real cheap.

[AzPete]

Looks real good. Doing the fuel gauge is no big deal except as stated, you gotta drive the fuel out of it. I used 4 gal. when I did mine, Actually drained that 4 gal. three times to get the thing to read 1/4 tank. Then drove it empty to see where it would stop at.

[napaguy]

Dave,
Is that just using the six gauge pod thingy that most mustang places sell for 40$$?

[daveSanborn]

Is that just using the six gauge pod thingy that most mustang places sell for 40$$?

Pat,

Yes.  When I received the "el cheapo" plastic gauge pod I wasn't too thrilled with the quality of the piece.  It's just a piece of molded plastic.  Once I got the gauges installed into it, it looked a little bit nicer.  Once installed in the car, it looks "okay".  It won't win any awards, but the fit was fairly good and everything lined up nicely enough.  Maybe one of these days I'll upgrade to the $400 piece, but not anytime soon.

[napaguy]

Yah I hear ya. I would much rather spend 40 dollars than 400 dollars. I cant believe there would be that much difference? Looks awesome Dave, I will definately be doing this gauge conversion myself. Thanks for the pics

[cmayna]

Red has Autometer's electric speedo with the digital odometer and I love it. 

[daveSanborn]

Craig,
I still can't get over the deal you got on that cluster... especially the bezel.

BTW, why is there a tennis ball floating above the dash pad?

.... and I just noticed that I flip-flopped my speedo and tach gauges when compared to yours.

[pnandy]

BTW, why is there a tennis ball floating above the dash p

your kidding right its too help you park in hte garage you pull up and when it hits your window you stop so you don't hit the wall or close the garage on the trunk works good if you like to back the car in

[daveSanborn]

your kidding right

Yes, I was joking... it just looks odd as the string is not visible in the photo.

[Fast68back]

OK, looking at both Craigs (daughters) and Daves cars, why do the 65/66 cars have three switches on the dash. Lights and wipers I get since they are not on the gauge cluster like the 67/68's, but whats the third one for? Choke?

[carefact0rzero]

OK, looking at both Craigs (daughters) and Daves cars, why do the 65/66 cars have three switches on the dash. Lights and wipers I get since they are not on the gauge cluster like the 67/68's, but whats the third one for? Choke?

cigarette lighter

[Fast68back]

Where is the ashtray?

[daveSanborn]

Directly below the radio.....

[Fast68back]

Weid, the 65/66 ashtray looks to be twice the size of the 67/68 and the 67/68 has the lighter inside the ashtray...... Thanks for all the input guys, now I can say I learned something today.  :dance

[AzPete]

Just to the right of the heater controls.

[Midlife]

You notice the ash tray is closed so that one can't see all of the roaches left in there... :doh

[daveSanborn]

the 65/66 ashtray looks to be twice the size of the 67/68 and the 67/68 has the lighter inside the ashtray......

I've never measured them, but I'd say it is a safe bet to say that the 65-66 tray is twice the size.  It's a pretty good sized ashtray compared to the 67-68.

[Fast68back]

I toyed with the idea of putting a push button starter switch in the ashtray where the lighter goes on the '68

[lethal289]

I wish I'd have done one thing differently..... sprang for the electric speedo instead of the mechanical one.  I already had the cable there for the mech. speedo and figured it would be the easiest to install... and it was, but the needle bounces (just a little bit).  I suppose I can pull the cluster back out and try some lube on the cable end....

Not to dig up an old thread, but I was doing some research on the same issue, and found this thread!  Did lubing up the end do anything to solve this problem?  Is there another fix?  Mine has about a 1/4" wiggle in each direction so i would like to find a solution if at all possible.  Im also using the phantom speedo.

[AzPete]

That wiggle is normally indicative of a tight bend in the housing, or maybe even a kink. It could also be a kink in the inner cable itself. If there is nothing like that, the try some dry lube. Remove the cable, apply lube, install in housing. Be sure the ends install proper.