old66tiger
02-16-2013, 06:19 AM
I finally made my decision to go with some Speedhut gauges in my 66 GTO.
I know this has been done before in some way or fashion but I thought that it would be nice to share. I was under a bit of a time crunch to get it done because the car will be heading to the Race Products Expo in Chicago at the end of the month. Speedhut ensured that the gauges would be here on time and they delivered as promised.
Let me start this by saying that my goal of this project was to adapt aftermarket gauges to a factory dash with NO modifications to the dash what-so-ever. I love the look of the recessed gauges, just wanted the function of modern gauges. I chose the Speedhut gauges because I could get them made up in any configuration I wanted, the font I wanted and they would fit the openings in the dash pretty well.
In order to speed up the fabrication part of this project, I had an old dash that I got out of a lemans years back that used for mockup purposes. The back side of 66 GTO dash is slanted and curved, making it tough to mount a standard aftermarket gauge to the back side of the dash. So, I needed a way to adapt this complex curve to fit the flat surface of the aftermarket gauges. I acquired a junk Lemans speedo and clock panel and I gutted out the gauges, saving the intermediate panel that would serve as the means to adapt a flat panel to the back side of the dash. The 4" Speedhut gauges were used because the ID of the Speedhut bezel is 3 1/2", which is the approximate ID of the factory intermediate clock bezel and the factory intermediate gas gauge bezel. The two factory inner gauges (speedo and tach) have a slightly larger opening of 3 11/16". However, because I chose the Speedhut low profile stealth bezels, I predicted that they would blend pretty well together.
I took my dremel and hogged out the existing mounting holes in the intermediate panels and welded some additional pieces to the clock panel to keep it from moving around. I also had to grind some material from the side of the bezel to clear the Speedhut bezels. After some modifications, I media blasted it, primed and used some SEM satin black to match the paint on the dash.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3603_zps1b38ede1-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3607_zps2abe6c47-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3608_zps9a6f48a3-1.jpg
I then acquired some 3/16" ABS plastic from Grainger and cut a piece to fit the needs of the gauges. Using some poster board, I transferred the mounting hole locations from the back side of the dash to the paper and then laid these marks out on the plastic. Because the gauge mounting panel is at an angle in comparison to the mounting bosses on the back side of the dash, I used my drill press to drill the holes at a 15 degree angle. This kept me from having to hog out the holes to accommodate the screws going in at an angle.
When I started this project, my plan was to make two gauge panels because I had two intermediate panels that I was working with for placing the gauges in the dash and it made sense to install the gauges independent of each other. Here is the first prototype with some cardboard used to layout the marks. After making the first prototype I noticed that the individual gauge panels seemed a little flimsy. Probably because the larger panel only used 4 mounting points. The single panel appears to be a little more stable because it is using all 8 mounting points to support the 4 gauges.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3604_zps21259216-1.jpg
With the mounting holes drilled and double checked for accuracy, I taped a piece of poster board on the front of the gauge panel and installed the panel in the dash. Using a small piece of wood, I taped a piece of pencil lead on to a small block of wood and carefully traced the openings of the intermediate panel on to the poster board. This eliminated any variations that could have occurred when I drilled the mounting holes.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3621_zps75bab282-1.jpg
After finding the centers of the marks, I drilled out the mounting holes with a 3 7/8" hole saw that I bought from Amazon.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3623_zps34a358a5-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3605_zps562489fb-1.jpg
Here is a picture of the gauges mounted in the gauge panel.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3609_zps7e2c9449-1.jpg
Some more trial fitting and massaging of the gauge holes were necessary to get the alignment of the gauges just right.
Picture of the back side of the dash with the panel installed.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3610_zps75e2272a-1.jpg
There is a plate behind the ignition switch and the lighter that is used to stiffen and secure the ignition switch and provide a ground for the lighter. Because the factory plate is too big, I had to fabricate one of my own.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3624_zps3a6fad44-1.jpg
Here you can see the spacers required to set the depth of the panel just right so the gauges would mate up with the factory intermediate panel.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3614_zpsf0fc0ec3-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3613_zps5e7c2989-1.jpg
Here is a picture of the dash with the gauges installed.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3620_zps6ece9538-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3619_zps7fad00c1-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3617_zps35c72487-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3616_zps35d5d222-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3615_zps9478fe5f-1.jpg
The Speedhut gauges are nice quality and the people there are top notch. I think that everything turned out real nice and I will keep on posting as I install them in the car.
I know this has been done before in some way or fashion but I thought that it would be nice to share. I was under a bit of a time crunch to get it done because the car will be heading to the Race Products Expo in Chicago at the end of the month. Speedhut ensured that the gauges would be here on time and they delivered as promised.
Let me start this by saying that my goal of this project was to adapt aftermarket gauges to a factory dash with NO modifications to the dash what-so-ever. I love the look of the recessed gauges, just wanted the function of modern gauges. I chose the Speedhut gauges because I could get them made up in any configuration I wanted, the font I wanted and they would fit the openings in the dash pretty well.
In order to speed up the fabrication part of this project, I had an old dash that I got out of a lemans years back that used for mockup purposes. The back side of 66 GTO dash is slanted and curved, making it tough to mount a standard aftermarket gauge to the back side of the dash. So, I needed a way to adapt this complex curve to fit the flat surface of the aftermarket gauges. I acquired a junk Lemans speedo and clock panel and I gutted out the gauges, saving the intermediate panel that would serve as the means to adapt a flat panel to the back side of the dash. The 4" Speedhut gauges were used because the ID of the Speedhut bezel is 3 1/2", which is the approximate ID of the factory intermediate clock bezel and the factory intermediate gas gauge bezel. The two factory inner gauges (speedo and tach) have a slightly larger opening of 3 11/16". However, because I chose the Speedhut low profile stealth bezels, I predicted that they would blend pretty well together.
I took my dremel and hogged out the existing mounting holes in the intermediate panels and welded some additional pieces to the clock panel to keep it from moving around. I also had to grind some material from the side of the bezel to clear the Speedhut bezels. After some modifications, I media blasted it, primed and used some SEM satin black to match the paint on the dash.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3603_zps1b38ede1-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3607_zps2abe6c47-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3608_zps9a6f48a3-1.jpg
I then acquired some 3/16" ABS plastic from Grainger and cut a piece to fit the needs of the gauges. Using some poster board, I transferred the mounting hole locations from the back side of the dash to the paper and then laid these marks out on the plastic. Because the gauge mounting panel is at an angle in comparison to the mounting bosses on the back side of the dash, I used my drill press to drill the holes at a 15 degree angle. This kept me from having to hog out the holes to accommodate the screws going in at an angle.
When I started this project, my plan was to make two gauge panels because I had two intermediate panels that I was working with for placing the gauges in the dash and it made sense to install the gauges independent of each other. Here is the first prototype with some cardboard used to layout the marks. After making the first prototype I noticed that the individual gauge panels seemed a little flimsy. Probably because the larger panel only used 4 mounting points. The single panel appears to be a little more stable because it is using all 8 mounting points to support the 4 gauges.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3604_zps21259216-1.jpg
With the mounting holes drilled and double checked for accuracy, I taped a piece of poster board on the front of the gauge panel and installed the panel in the dash. Using a small piece of wood, I taped a piece of pencil lead on to a small block of wood and carefully traced the openings of the intermediate panel on to the poster board. This eliminated any variations that could have occurred when I drilled the mounting holes.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3621_zps75bab282-1.jpg
After finding the centers of the marks, I drilled out the mounting holes with a 3 7/8" hole saw that I bought from Amazon.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3623_zps34a358a5-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3605_zps562489fb-1.jpg
Here is a picture of the gauges mounted in the gauge panel.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3609_zps7e2c9449-1.jpg
Some more trial fitting and massaging of the gauge holes were necessary to get the alignment of the gauges just right.
Picture of the back side of the dash with the panel installed.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3610_zps75e2272a-1.jpg
There is a plate behind the ignition switch and the lighter that is used to stiffen and secure the ignition switch and provide a ground for the lighter. Because the factory plate is too big, I had to fabricate one of my own.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3624_zps3a6fad44-1.jpg
Here you can see the spacers required to set the depth of the panel just right so the gauges would mate up with the factory intermediate panel.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3614_zpsf0fc0ec3-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3613_zps5e7c2989-1.jpg
Here is a picture of the dash with the gauges installed.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3620_zps6ece9538-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3619_zps7fad00c1-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3617_zps35c72487-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3616_zps35d5d222-1.jpg
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/02/IMG_3615_zps9478fe5f-1.jpg
The Speedhut gauges are nice quality and the people there are top notch. I think that everything turned out real nice and I will keep on posting as I install them in the car.