Lets see everybody's gauge clusters

[capev86]

on my 72 suburban, i reused the factory bezel, and gauges and added a used tach and circuitry from a 67/68 cluster along with an add on vacuum kit. figured i'd worry more about the function than the looks, keep some original details and save a few bucks by keeping my weathered bezel and gauges. the gas and speedo needles got a coat of brush on fluorescent orange r/c car paint. a piece of paper with a slit cut in it is all you need to protect the gauge face from drips.

i still need to reinstall the cluster and was busy this afternoon figuring out a sending unit for the vacuum gauge as the kit doesn't come with one. the fitting on the end of the vac gauge appears to be a 1/8" npt (not the same as the oil pressure gauge). i got a female/female coupling and a 1/8" npt to 1/4" nipple so i can just run a piece of vacuum line to it (i got a multi size "racing" kit from pep boys for 30 bucks). i may have to switch to a 90 degree coupling as it looks like the clutch lever that crosses over the steering column is behind where the vac gauge sits. and No, i am not switching to an auto like everyone else on the board. i'm keeping my 3 on the tree (but sticking a 406sbc in front of it eventually...hence the want for all the gauges). i have no a/c and a stick trans and i'm still putting a 4 row radiator in the truck for towing and keep my big engine "in the cool" when towing.

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[ray_mcavoy]

Originally Posted by capev86

on my 72 suburban, i reused the factory bezel, and gauges and added a used tach and circuitry from a 67/68 cluster along with an add on vacuum kit. figured i'd worry more about the function than the looks, keep some original details and save a few bucks by keeping my weathered bezel and gauges. the gas and speedo needles got a coat of brush on fluorescent orange r/c car paint. a piece of paper with a slit cut in it is all you need to protect the gauge face from drips.

i still need to reinstall the cluster and was busy this afternoon figuring out a sending unit for the vacuum gauge as the kit doesn't come with one. the fitting on the end of the vac gauge appears to be a 1/8" npt (not the same as the oil pressure gauge). i got a female/female coupling and a 1/8" npt to 1/4" nipple so i can just run a piece of vacuum line to it (i got a multi size "racing" kit from pep boys for 30 bucks). i may have to switch to a 90 degree coupling as it looks like the clutch lever that crosses over the steering column is behind where the vac gauge sits. and No, i am not switching to an auto like everyone else on the board. i'm keeping my 3 on the tree (but sticking a 406sbc in front of it eventually...hence the want for all the gauges). i have no a/c and a stick trans and i'm still putting a 4 row radiator in the truck for towing and keep my big engine "in the cool" when towing.

Nice job there capev86 !!

I put a similar setup in my 72 Custom/10 ... got the cluster out of an old farm truck and just swapped it into the stock pickup bezel:



My bezel doesn't look as nice ... I just painted over the worn chrome with silver paint.

I got the factory vacuum gauge plumbing from the donor farm truck too. It consists of a straight adapter that goes from the pipe thread to a compression type fitting if I remember correctly. From there, its a length of steel tubing (like brake line) that runs out through a grommet in the firewall. Then a short piece of rubber hose to the engine. The piece of steel tubing is bent so it clears the clutch lever/linkage under the dash.

[capev86]

hey all.....ended up putting a 90 degree (brass-tite brand) fitting directly off the gauge and then putting the other 2 pieces shown above into that with the nipple angled toward the passenger side. there was room in front of the clutch arm but i wanted to make absolutely sure to have plenty of clearance and that way i can zip tie the vac hose to the the hard oil pressure gauge line and route it around all the moving stuff behind the dash. at least there is enough room to get at things in there 'cause i still need to hook up the factory tach harness and route it through the firewall as well as mount the '84 gm trailer brake controller to the underside of the dash right below the vac/oil gauges so i will have a hard brake line and wires for that as well.....but all is going good so far. just need to get a couple more pics up....