Halfbreed - GMC Z71 + IH Extd Cab

[tecky11]

it looks great, but i do have one more question for ya, were do you get a windshild for that truck?

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by tecky11

it looks great, but i do have one more question for ya, were do you get a windshild for that truck?

Try doing a search of the forums on either binderplanet.com or justih.org. I seem to recall that there might still be a supplier or two that still stock these windshields. There are also people on those forums that are buying or selling used windshields.

[tecky11]

hmm awsome, i need one for my 72, it has a huge crack down the middle of it

[jb1016]

A lot of custom trucks don't even run wipers; yours are re-engineered for maximum effectiveness. Just another reason to love this build!

[sparkydog]

Getting ready to start my gauge modifications. Santa brought me two of the three Autometer gauges I need. I want a 0-6k tach so I need to buy a marine tach.

To prep for the mod I took out the GM factory gauge cluster and tried to pin out all the wires. I did OK but still have several circuits that are not as EZ to figure out because they all go through the little circuit board instead of direct to the device.

Here are some shots of what a factory cluster looks like if you crack it open. The face of the cluster is held onto the back via the 4-gang posts that are on the back of each of the gauges. So gentle prying is all it takes and boing out it pops.

[sparkydog]

As usual I will break my task into smaller tasks. I will start by migrating the idiot lights for the SES, ABS, Seatbelt, Daytime Run Lights, Batt and Ebrake up into this opening in my overhead console. This will involve surgery to the GM gauge cluster to get the graphics and the light housings off. I also need to pull wire up the back wall of my cab and create connector assys at both ends for these new circuits.

High beam and turn signals will stay on the dash and I will use the IH style bezels for these. The IH dash had a white idiot light for ebrake on and I am going to convert that to blue high beam somehow.

[sparkydog]

I could use some help with the Gear Indicator stuff. Does anyone know if the PRND321 lights in the gauge cluster are driven off separate wires for each gear or does the little circuit board have logic that does this off of a signal from a single wire?

And is the gear position signal sent to these lights from the tranny or from the shift lever on the steering column? Many thanks for your help!

[hgs_notes]

You don't ever seem to take the easy way through a project do you? Good luck getting this all figured out.

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by sparkydog

I could use some help with the Gear Indicator stuff. Does anyone know if the PRND321 lights in the gauge cluster are driven off separate wires for each gear or does the little circuit board have logic that does this off of a signal from a single wire?

And is the gear position signal sent to these lights from the tranny or from the shift lever on the steering column? Many thanks for your help!

Thanks to Google and a little extra patience on my part I think I found the correct schematic and learned what all the circuits into the cluster are. The gear indicator LED's are 5 separate signals coming from the transmission.

[Palf70Step]

Glad you found it. I was still having my eyeballs roll around at the whole mess.

[sparkydog]

Tear down of the GM overhead panel that will be "re-purposed" into my idiot light panel.

[sparkydog]

Pulling wire. I managed to get my fish wire trapped for 1 day inside the corner of the IH cab. But I got lucky and it wiggled free just as I was about to go for the cutoff wheel and open up some sheet metal.

[sparkydog]

The electrical "war room".

[sparkydog]

The GM instument cluster has "donated" some of it's graphics and now the light chambers are exposed. Notice that virtually none of them are in a row or the same shape or on the same spacing......



.... which led me to the wrecking yard where 3 Hondas and 4 Jettas (what are the odds that there would be 4 Jettas in the yard at one time) gave up their light panel technology for me.

The choice of these makes was pretty much down to a) what had wires to their bulbs instead of flex circuits, b) what had already had somebody rip open the dash so I didn't have to?

The second pic shows the bulb sockets as they were being "rendered" (think butcher shop) on the way to the size I needed for my panel.

[sparkydog]

I eventually used the Honda stuff over the Jetta and a little while later after some cutting, flap wheel, JB Weld, more flap etc I had my very own DIY idiot light display back panel housing sub-assy thingy.

[1985-GMC]

Man I love your work, you are very creative!

[cAlvis165]

This is looking good!

[EZ SPEED]

Originally Posted by 1985-GMC

Man I love your work, you are very creative!

I agree...VERY creative !!!

[Palf70Step]

Very neat!

[67ChevyRedneck]

Oh no... I've gone cross eyed...
Posted via Mobile Device

[FrankieD]

I think I have to move to a warmer climate so I don't have to take 4 0r 5 month's off

[sparkydog]

As the warning light relo project swung into high gear the war room got pretty messy.

Next is a shot of the newly wired console ready for it's first trip back up into the roof of the cab.

Then a shot with the key on and 5 out of 6 of the lights doing their thing.

Finally a shot after a few seconds of running - now all the lights but the left one are off. The left one is (I mean will be) the green DRL light which stays on.

So far so good. And so far it's OK that my crude looking light housing is working. But the final task is to come up with a clean, factory looking front cover. Wish me luck!

[sparkydog]

I'll be driving the first couple of days with the fire extinguisher riding shotgun. Nothing like an electrical fire to ruin a perfectly good project truck.

[ERASER5]

"And remember, only YOU can prevent project fires!" -- Smoky the Bear

[NONHOG]

Originally Posted by ERASER5

"And remember, only YOU can prevent project fires!" -- Smoky the Bear

And a battery quick disconnect!