The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot '60-'66 Trucks 60-63 gauges

Wondering if anyone has attempted to retrofit aftermarket gauges into a 60-63 factory dash cluster. Ive been searching around the site and found a pic of "greg63"s dash that looks like an aftermarket water temp gauge in the factory spot, along with a sun tach and vacuum gauge mounted in. http://www.stovebolt.com/gallery/images/mcclenny_greg_1963e.jpg
What I am invisioning is buying a sunpro fz88r repop sun tach and sunpro short sweep retro electric water, oil, and volt gauges, popping the lenses off, painting the needles flourescent orange and mounting them up somehow. So looking for some input if this is something that has done before.

There are a couple of companies that offer some billet inserts for both the Chevy and GMC dashes. They offer 5 or 6 holes so you can determine which guages you need.
Here's a seller on eBay for example.

Alex,

I'll be using a set of Dolphin. I decided to run a 5 peice set, as I'm not to keen on idiot lights. I've also been lucky to find the GMC 60-66 OEM factory clock and tach. I had a new billet piece made like many others to hold all 7 bezels. IN reality all I did was duplicated the factory set up only using gauges vs. idiot light. You can see pictures below.

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/565578926qPORDC

There any way to modify these to fit the gmc rectangle dash? or know any after market options for us who don't have fabrication skills?

modelman-your dash looks great. I am wanting to retain the original chevy speedometer and not go with the aftermarket insert to house the gauges. Does anyone know if there is a company that makes non sealed gauges like the factory originals?

No One that I'v ever found does that, BUT Dolphin now makes dolphin free gauges (no mammal on front) also they make something similar to the OEM. ALSO you can restore your from but the use of a new set of decals.

The link I provided had GMC inserts as well.

I emailed Greg who had the dash that i posted the link to in my first post. I got the retro sunpro gauges from summit yesterday and they do fit into the factory gauge cluster with slight modification to the back of the cluster. I popped the chrome ring off and removed the gauge bezel and lens. had to drill the mounting holes on the cluster out a little but then the gauge fit nicely. only down side is the needle is a slight bit shorter than the factory gauges. So it is possible if anyone else wanted to try this modification. i will post some pictures when i get it finished up. should look real nice and factory when done. for the tach i ended up getting the factory tach conversion kit from classicparts.com with the stove bolt discount it wasn't much more money than the retro sun tach. If anyone on stovebolt doesn't know about their 10% discount just type in "stovebolt" in the promo code spot.

There is an outfit on Ebay from Florida that has all the gauge clusters and inserts you would ever need, in any color and style you can imagine for a really great price. I believe they are called oldnewparts.com I've ordered the 6 gauge setup for my 64'. Ran me under $300.