Electronic Gauges for LS Swap?

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Nov 24, 2013 | 02:05 PM

Goin70

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From: Illinois

Electronic Gauges for LS Swap?

What options are out there for changing over to electronic gauges in conjunction with an LS engine swap? Digital is one way to go (e.g. Dakota Digital VHX kit), of course, but I don't want to lose the stock look. I'd like to have stock looking faces with new electronic guts, if possible. However, what I keep seeing available for electronic gauges sets are the white faced gauge kits instead of the standard black faces (e.g. VettAid.com and AutoMeter.com).

Do you know a company that offers electronic gauge kits with stock looking faces? What have others out there done? Also, what are the costs for a complete gauge kit from the sets you've used?

Nov 24, 2013 | 02:10 PM

Corey_68

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From: Republic of Texas

prices vary, but factor in $500-$1,000 for gauges

Nov 24, 2013 | 02:52 PM

CWerner

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From: The Woodlands Texas

Dakota also has a black faced speedo & tach that will work, but no matching center gauges. They might be as close as you can get, without going complete custom built.

Nov 24, 2013 | 04:22 PM

Goin70

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From: Illinois

Chris, do you mean the gauges Dakota Digital describes as "carbon fiber style" face, or are they solid black like the stock gauges? On Custom Image Corvette's site, all I see are the "Silver Alloy Style Face" and the "Carbon Fiber Style Face".

Last edited by Goin70; Nov 24, 2013 at 04:30 PM.

Nov 24, 2013 | 04:35 PM

Garys 68

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I used a mechanical speedo with my LS Richmond 6 speed, but it has a mechanical output. You can get tailstocks for a T56 and various auto trans adapted for a mechanical speedo. Cable X makes a box to run a mechanical speedo off electric signal too.
My tach is converted to electric, pic below. I used an Isspro tach off my shelf that happened to have the same sweep as my original tach. Even the two screw holes that holds the face on matched. Others have adapted a later year electric corvette tach.
All my other gauges are original with their original senders.

Nov 24, 2013 | 05:36 PM

72LS1Vette

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From: North Easton Mass

If you buy aftermarket gauges make sure they have the turn signal and high beam lights built in. Many of them don't.

I use a Cable-X box for the speedo and 75 tach internals for the tach. You have to make sure the tach output from the PCM is changed to 3 in order for the tach to work correctly.

Rick B.

Nov 28, 2013 | 08:45 AM

CWerner

Drifting

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From: The Woodlands Texas

I'm pretty sure it's a carbon fiber face. He has 3 different ones for sale. It's the 2nd set on the website.

Nov 28, 2013 | 01:37 PM

myoriginal77

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From: Panama City Beach, Florida

I have a stalled project at the moment - BUT -
My plan is to use an iPad for the the center gauges - bluetooth from the diagnostic port. There is an APP for this, I don't have the info with me (traveling) but you can customize it to what you'd like, it will display anything available on the port.
I also thought about doing the same for the speedo & tach but have not figured that part out yet - like I said stalled at the moment.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Frank