'65 aftermarket gauges installed...

[Varilux]

Swapped to the five gauge cluster today using aftermarket gauges (Auto Meter) and a mounting kit (Boese Engineering).

I've attached some pics (which illustrate I am not an electrician ). I'm describing how I hooked them up- please feel free to point out anything that should have been done differently.

Overall, there were advantages and disadvantages to using aftermarket gauges (as we'll see).

1. Replace the temp and oil senders (supplied with the Auto Meter gauges). I believe the original temp sender could be used (but might as well use the new one). The oil sender came with the necessary adapter.

2. After getting the gauges mounted to the Scott Drake bezel (included in the kit), I created three bundles of wires:

• one tying all the (+) wires from the 5 instrument lights together
• one tying all the (-) wires from the 5 instrument lights together (turned out this bundle should also include ground wires to the four gauges together, but we'll get to that
• one tying all the (+) wires for the four gauges together

2. Remove the original instrument cluster:

• unhook all the wires from the cluster
• tie the four instrument light (+) feeds in the dash together
• label the three sender wires (the alternator feed will not be reused) for fuel, temp, and oil (isolate the + wire for each gauge/light and tape it to the side of the sender wire)
• label the left & right turn signal wires (right is white/blue, left is green/white)

3. On the new cluster bezel, use a Dremel to cut out the curved part on the back under the speedometer. This is the main advantage of using aftermarket gauges. With the stock round speedo, you would have to cut an area out of the metal dash below the speedo. The aftermarket speedo is smaller in diameter, so you can just cut the bezel (shown in pic).

4. Connect the new cluster:

• connect the tied together (+) light wires from the cluster to the tied together (+) light wires under the dash
• connect the tied together (+) gauge wires from the cluster to the wire that feeds +12v from the ignition to the voltage regulator. You won't be using the voltage regulator anymore (the box connected to the back of the original cluster, which drops the voltage down to +5v.
• connect the (+) wire from the turn indicators on the new cluster to the wires under the dash
• connect the sender wires to the gauges

A couple of things I learned along the way...

• The modern gauges are wired differently than the originals. The original gauges use a +5v feed and are grounded through the sender unit (which varies resistance). Modern gauges require a +12v feed AND a ground in addition to the feed from the sender. Originally, I hooked a +12v to one side and the feed from the sender to the other... fortunately I tested the first gauge I connected (and it immediately pegged).
• The downside to the modern gauges is the "press on" connections from the stock wiring harness do not fit on the studs to the new gauges, so you have to strip the wire and attach to the stud (and the studs are close enough together to require some care to avoid shorting).
• The dash tabs (which provide the connection points on the bottom of the bezel) need to be bent forward to install the GT bezel (because the GT bezel puts the screw at an angle different than the bar speedo bezel).
• If I would have taken more time (something that would require patience ), I would have fed everything into a harness (which would make it MUCH easier to remove in the future). But, once I start a project...
• The 1964-65 Mustang Wiring Manual (page attached) is invaluable!
• I left the lighting white (the gauges come with red and green covers), but they still aren't as bright as the Scott Drake Rally Pac- I suspect I would need to run leds to get them really bright.

The Auto Meter gauges look pretty good with the Rally Pac gauges, and my concerns about using the high-profile Rally Pac with the 5 gauges were unfounded (they look fine together, and I was able to mount the Rally Pac right back in the same spot it was with the bar speedo).

Overall, it took about 6 hours (probably 3 hours for someone who knew what they were doing).

So, if you are tired of having only one turn signal indicator, good luck with the swap!

[Smitten]

Well done, looks good!

[ScottsGT]

I'm looking at the same project in the near future. I'm looking into the Speedhut gauges with some personal touches added. Also thinking of jumping up to a 4" speedometer. Currently installing the AAW harness.

[mph65k]

Looks great. I've also been thinking about something like this.

[66FSTBCK]

I did the same swap when I had the stock wiring and it took some time too. I really like those gauge...good choice! With the AAW harness ScottsGT is installing, it makes things a lot easier.

[Varilux]

Thanks- I really like the look (the Dakota Digital VHX gauges installed in the Mustang Monthly article a couple months ago look amazing- and would probably have been easier to install- but I think these look "close to stock").

After completing the "restoration" process, I've been adding options I would have ordered in '65. So far, I've been sticking with what was actually possible. However, I don't believe it was possible to order a 5 gauge cluster with a 6cyl in '65.

So now I think I'm going to go in a direction I hear Chip Foose talk about a lot on Overhaulin.' Namely, "Make it look like something Ford could have created as a concept car."

The concept would be a "GT6" or a "GT Sprint" (don't know which name I like better ). I already have the foglights, quarter panel trim delete, 8" rear, 4spd (5spd, actually), console, and now gauges, so to complete the GT package that came on the 289, I'd add:

• Classic Inline dual-out headers and exhaust (through the rear valence of course)
• Disc brakes in front with 8cyl steering components
• Styled Steel wheels (not a part of the GT package, but I like 'em)
• Perhaps even the GT steering box

At that point, I might add the Classic Inline aluminum heads and start thinking about turbocharging.

Of course, by then I'll be WAY upside-down on something that "is still just a 6cyl coupe." But on the flip side, at that point, I could throw a 289 in there and sell it as a "GT clone."

Or, I could just sell her at this point and pursue another direction (build a Cobra kit car). Decisions, decisions...