School Bus Gauges?

[basemodel67]

Has anyone tried to use the gauges from a bus in a 3 hole gauge panel? Would they work? Any pics of bus gauges? Maybe I didn't get enough sleep last night. I'm new, so go easy on me if this is the worst idea ever.

[Longhorn Man]

most of us have neve seen a 67 - 72 chevy/gmc bus. I know they had several chassis to do this on... do you have a photo of what you are talking about?

[basemodel67]

No pictures to share, sorry. The ones I have seen have a raised bezel and look to be about the same size as the speedo on regular 67-72 trucks. There was one in a wrcking yard here, but the yard shut down before I could get the speedo and matching quad gauge. Any help by anyone would be great!

[Longhorn Man]

that sounds similar to the ones put in P/30 trucks later on, like 80's and very early 90's
Blue printing, brake light in the center hole?

[basemodel67]

maybe this will help- they were in Thomas busses in the early 70's. The gauges are black with white lettering and red/orange pointers. These are the busses that look like C-50s. Someone has to have one of these in thier yard or be living out of one. Now it's driving me crazy!

[basemodel67]

Help a new guy out here! I'm just trying to do something a little different from the norm. Anyone?

[LockDoc]

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I started doing this but haven't finished it. I don't remember if I have any pictures on the computer or not. If not I will see if I can remember to take a couple in the morning. They look pretty good.

LockDoc

[basemodel67]

LockDoc- that would please me greatly!

[LockDoc]

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OK, I don't have as much done on this as I remembered but now that I have it dug out I think I will go ahead and finish it. Now I have to remember where I put the speedo.....

This is an old junker panel I had. I didn't want to practice on a good one. I had to enlarge the hole some but the unit fit pretty good.

LockDoc

[ChevLoRay]

So, it must have had a tach. I'm gonna guess that most of them were gasoline engines back then. Diesel school buses didn't become common until in the mid-late 80's.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by ChevLoRay

So, it must have had a tach. I'm gonna guess that most of them were gasoline engines back then. Diesel school buses didn't become common until in the mid-late 80's.

You know, I really don't remember. The bus is still over at the salvage yard so I will have to go over and check.

LockDoc

[basemodel67]

LockDoc, that's exactly what I want to do. Since my truck has about zero options, I kinda thought the 7 hole gauge panel would look out of place. Now, I just need to find a bus. Were these mounted straight thru the metal dash on the bus?

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by basemodel67

LockDoc, that's exactly what I want to do. Since my truck has about zero options, I kinda thought the 7 hole gauge panel would look out of place. Now, I just need to find a bus. Were these mounted straight thru the metal dash on the bus?

I don't remember that either. I will run over there this afternoon, it's only two miles away...

LockDoc

[LockDoc]

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The instruments were mounted directly in the dash but were pretty easy to get out. It did have a tach but someone had already removed it before I got the speedo and quad gauges. I looks like the tach would fit in the pickup tach location without too much trouble. All of the details came back to me once I was looking at the dash again. I found the speedo so I will take pictures of it tomorrow.

LockDoc

[basemodel67]

Yeah, finding one of these setups that hasn't been looted is pretty hard. The other style of gauge that came in these busses has a plastic bezel and red pointers. I found a pic, but I don't know how to post it.

[rambler]

I have never seen that guage set up before,,, looks pretty good. I would believe that the center section is for idiot lights and turn signals and probably not a tach?

[basemodel67]

So, say I find the gauges; does anyone know what it cost to get gauges restored with new stuff? I don't want to have to spend $1000 to get them working. Thats more than I paid for the truck!

[LockDoc]

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Here is a picture of the speedo... I don't mind that it only goes to 85 but some guys want a 160mph speedo even if their truck will only do 85...

LockDoc

[Critter]

Nice idea. I would love to see the outcome!

[basemodel67]

Bringing back an old thread! OK, this is a crappy pic, but it shows the style gauges I'm looking for:

[ETsC10]

Great time to revive the thread...there seems to be a lot more interest in the bigger trucks/busses than there used to be.

Special-K started a big-truck thread you might want to check out HERE. where you might find like-minded folks hanging out.

If nothing else, it's eye candy indeed!

[Steve Hafner]

Here's a blurry picture of the 1986 or 1987 GMC school bus I used to drive - it looks like it might have the same "type' gauges. It DID have the cluster of all four gauges on the right side of the speedometer.

[Steve Hafner]

This picture is from another GMC bus I drove which was a year newer then the previous post. ( still around 1987 ) It also had the four gauges together on the right side of the steering column. I REMEMBER it well !!!

[ChevLoRay]

Series 10-60, Conventional Cabs, all had the same instrumentation. We know what those guage panels look like. If you forgot, get behind the wheel of your pickup truck.

Flat-face cowls and school bus chassis had the 2-guage panel that has the speedometer on the left side and the 4-guage cluster on the right. Tachs were not shown on my pics. The center hole, if it is a 50-series, would have an over-speed indicator.

As for engines, in '69, the school buses had a 292, or a 350. No diesels. Chassis' were either the 40 or 50 series.

[67chevy1series]

cool idea if i ever find a set of guages i am gonna do this! i like the 3 hole cluster it looks clean