One_fast67
Member
Here is my twist on modifying a '67 gauge cluster for Autometer gauges. I modified my repo gauge cluster with a Dremel to fit the gauges as others have done. Here is where I broke with tradition. Instead of buying a plastic piece to hold the gauges and/or cutting up the original metal backing piece, I decided to make my own out of 18 ga. steel. It's good to know someone in a metal fab shop. Total cost for the metal pieces shown: $10. They laser cut out the main piece and also made up the spacer pieces I needed. The 3 smaller pieces are .25" wide and the the 2 wider ones are 1" wide. In the end, I think I was off on my measurements by a little but it still should work. After forming the parts to approximate the size of my gauges, I welded them to the backing plate. After all the welding, I started trimming the backing plate to fit on the back of the gauge cluster. Once I got it where I wanted it, I had to make the top part of the backing plate match the contours of the gauge cluster. (This is the part is commonly cut off of an original backing piece) After scrounging up scrap pieces of metal, I cut, formed, and welded them to the top of my new gauge support. After putting my grinder to work, I had it the way I wanted it. I then had to put the holes in the gauge support for the bulbs and the wiper switch. After loading the gauges and screwing down the backing plate to the gauge cluster, I have what is shown in the last picture. All that is left is to get my wiring figured out and I need to make two little brackets to weld under the speedo and tach to mount the gauge cluster in the dash as the original is. I would put the pictures in my write up but I am lazy... Enjoy!
