Jackfit

Its only Dust.........

Viet Nam Vett

I your case I'd live with and be happy with what I have. You have a nice car and the gauges look very nice. If your happy with it ...stay with it.

In my case the speedo was acting up and the Amp gauge was burnt out and the Temp gauge had a problem being intermittent. Tried chsing it down but it is in the gauge.

The stock speedo when new is only 5-7% accurate at speed anyway. And after you get it back form repair that's where it will be again. They were designed to be replaced not repaired.

Any way...my car is not stock with all I have. so I went with the DD Dash

Viet Nam Vett

Once you get past pulling the dash out....it isn't that bad. The best place to mount the Brain is in the glove box. If you have a stock glove box you'll have plenty of room In my case I have after market A/C and was left with a 3" deep Plastic box due to the A/C system behind it.

You get up to date OEM electric oil sender and Water temp sender and electric pulse generator that screws right onto your tranny in place of the stock speedo cable.

You simply run those wires to the brain on the clearly marked face.
Then Take the left and right Turn sig bulb wires ...Hi beam Bulb wire ...E brake wire and one dash lamp bulb wire and connect them to the brain where marked. You can cut out all the sockets and Tie wrap the extras to the harness as they are not needed.

Remember..all info arrives at the dash by on plug in Cat 5 Cable. That's it.

I made a winter project out of it doing a few hours a day. But it will take Time and your car will be down while you wire it up. All gauges are programmable. You have to tell the dash what fuel sender your using .Speed setting is done on the highway by GPS or by having some one follow you at speed or simply use the mile marker.

Plus there is a Built in Rev Limiter and a Warn setting for your Battery Voltage that shows up where the Odometer is. Their is a Display in the Tach face across form the speedo display at the bottom also for stuff you want to appear their. Their are a bunch of extra stuff the dash can do ..look thru the manual

Their is a lot to explain...here's the link for the PDF Install manual.

Look on the right hand side for the down load or just open to read...

http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.c...rod/prd858.htm

There are many gauge faces available. Plus .the most important thing is phone tech support. It is excellent.

Here's a few install pic's of my rat wagon.

DUB

UHHHH-----YEP!

Unless serious steps are employed BEFORE the work starts...and most people are so into getting started...they rarely do any prep to stop dust from being factor.

I knwo I have to 'pull back on the reigns' when I get one in and STOP and begin to do my masking...especially when the interior is spotless.

And then I also use my vacuum to suck up the dust when I am doing some serious grinding. It helps out...and something being done there is better than nothing at all.

DUB

ghostrider20

I worked in a body shop in high school doing menial tasks, and one of those tasks was prepping interiors before body work. Thin plastic sheet and easy release tape. I also pulled the HVAC intake grill and covered that. The shop also used household air purifiers that they would put in the car. But mostly it was plastic and tape. Took half a day to get a car prepped.

The shop mostly did newer car repairs, insurance jobs, and returning the car to pre accident condition without dust problems and weird smells was part of the job, as I was told!

Gary's '66

DUB,

Ok, so what's done is done. On Friday (with the help of a my buddy who helped on the previous R & R) I'm/we're pulling out and cleaning up the cluster. Also, per your advice, I'll be removing the glove box as an extra precaution.

What other advise do you have to offer?

My thoughts are that after removing the cluster, glove box and side panels I would first turn on the heater blower motor with a shop vac at the gap between the heater box and defroster then put it up top and hit defrost, then use compressed air (low setting) in certain areas and some of those air cans for computers in others, like my radio and speakers and gauge housings as well. Then wipe down and vacuum the entire interior prior to reinstallation of the cleaned up cluster and other parts.

Anything else that I haven't thought of? Thanks

Gary

DUB

Gary,

Are you sure you want me to answer this???

I know you know that I do this for a living and THUS I have to take 'things' to a high level where I do not get phone calls and upset customers who paid a lot of money for work ONLY to get a sub standard presentation when they pick it up. I do not need to get a phone call from a customer of mine who drives their Corvette with really nice work clothes and when they turned the air on... fine fiberglass particles get blown onto the fabric when they hit a bump in the road and agitate the car. THAT just can not happen...

SO...this is your car and you can either live with it...or not.

Back in the past...I would HAVE TO take out the heater box and ducting and wash them....regardless if I am washing out 30+ years of previous crap....I have to present the car CLEAN so I do not have to hear about it. You WOULD BE amazed in what settles in the bottom of the heater box that you can not get out with air that will be always coming out of the air ducts to some degree.

I have had to do this more times than I care to remember UNTIL I begin prepping the cars the way I do so I can cut down on having to worry about fiberglass fibers being blown into the cabin.

Now is the time to really get in under the dash and do all you can get it clean...and that will will be well worth it. The kick panel fresh air vents can be pulled out and vacuumed and washed out with water also....so you do not have dusts blowing in through these areas.

You are well aware on how fine the dusts can be when you were sanding the car...image this dust falling down on your nice pair of black pants and getting them dirty and if you try to brush it off...it just goes deeper into the fiber....and then you have to stand in front of a convention hall full of people as your make a presentation....THAT is what I have to take into account.

DUB

Gary's '66

DUB,

Thanks for extensive the info. No worries as far as the fancy pants go. Dressing up for me, is wearing a new pair of Levi's!

Well, I'm going to do my best short of heater box removal 'cause then I'll wind up rebuilding THAT and I'll never get done but, I will be as thorough as I can, within reason.

It sounds as though anyone having work done by you can expect an EXTREMELY top notch job! You have my well deserved respect.

Gary

DUB

Thanks Gary.

As you know you are in control of what you do to your car...I just comment in a manner that people can see how repairs are done through a different perspective. I have learned to do things so the possibility of "WOULDA-COULDA-SHOULDA' does not come into play.

DUB

rtruman

Get it out of the shop and take your time its not a big deal
I removed the two bolts on steering column gave a little more room
taped a towel on top of column unscrew speedo first then the oil
connection make sure you watch for dripping on carpet .
Put it on bench take your time it will go back in as new and you can touch up the black part .

Gary's '66

It's out, cleaned up and will be reinstalled tomorrow, AFTER much interior cleaning.

Thanks to all who chimed in to help.

Gary

DUB

Now I know you have to be feeling a bit better now.

DUB

Jackfit

Ok DUB, I will need some lovin soon..,

rtruman

Gary I am the same way about the corvette .I have done things twice
on this car more that once .
Perfect paint job first week someone left my hood up burned marks , stainless on and off ,detail engine compartment 3 time before and after final buffing.
Did the seats twice first time sat in seats just refreshed from upholster
sat in with screwdriver punched hole in driver side.
Ordered redlines had to take them off couldn't Balance them had to get Diamond backs
Did exhaust twice first time they had coupling under drivers door.
Took radio out 3 times,
The list goes on and on don't want to think about this screw-ups I have made Also if this make you feel better dash cluster twice .

DUB

???? You 'lost' me with this reply. "Lovin"....in regards to what?

I see a photo of what I assume is your car....but you still lost me.

DUB

rtruman

Waiting on Gary take your time and make sure you get it right the hardest bulb was the one on very top of cluster seems it had the shortest wire .

Jackfit

In a week or so, I will be taking out the cluster etc etc and I may ....you know ...

So I will moan now .....

Jack

DUB

AHHHHH....Understood!

Honestly....do not get worried about this. It is not as hard as it seems to be described. So much of it has to do with your prep work and getting a padded or protective support structure to aid in supporting it when it is coming out.

Yes...if the person doing this work can not slide under the dash or easily move around...then that can make more difficult.

All I am trying to communicate is to NOT get yourself into a place where you feel that this is going to be impossible and it fights you.

DUB

rtruman

That drivers seat comes out in 5 minutes

Jackfit

4 minutes 54 seconds if I take my asprin 30 minutes before......🏋🏻⛷🚴🚵🏿🏊🍻🍺🍾

I have taken the car apart a few times.....but the cluster always has a special place in my heart......as it is in others...

Jack