well within the month ill be installing my t56 and rather than buying a converter that will send the electrical to mechanical im getting new gauges. my question is what do i do about the turn signals and high beam and brake?.. i really like where they are at and im woordering if theres a way to keep them there

 

You would have to have the company you buy the gauges from custom install led's for these functions. They will not be the same...but they will be there.

Welcome to the wonderful world of conversions. They are NOT as easy as some may think.

DUB

 

Dakota Digital has their VHX packages which will bolt-in and they have all the indicators you are asking about. Maybe not exactly where they are now, but they are in the faces of the new guages. They also have some other cool features like low oil pressure warning and high coolant temp warning and 0-60 timer and 1/4 mile timer.

Unfortunately, the Corvette setups are the more expensive ones.

 

sadly i dont have over 1000 dollars to spend on gauges.. i will later as i have seen the dakota gauges which is beautiful.

 

which are

 

I hear you. They sell all kinds of other applications for $900 or less but the Vette ones sure have the Vette tax added.

When I was looking for my Impala I found that any of the Autometer gauges I'd want to use were around $1k or more for the set of 6. Only the older and simpler gauge designs were cheaper. So, the DD setup I used was @ $800 was an easy choice.

Can you fit a 5" speedo and tach? There is a universal 6-gauge set for $900 but it's 5" speedo and tach and I don't believe that will fit. I paid $50 less then the DD site listed by going through Summit.

On another note, I did find this site with these rather cool indicator panels. It could be an option for your indicators.

http://www.newvintageusa.com/panels.html

 

if it helps im only updating speedo and tach

 

You can also fabricate something to hold the turn signals/brake light/high beam. What I did is a temp fix right now but it works well. I took some metal, bent it into a box, drilled holes in it, painted it black, and bolted it by the odometer trip ****.

 

I hope you find a solution that makes you happy....because I feel your pain.

I encounter this from time to time when conversions are being done...especially when it has to do with installing computers and all the "fun-stuff" needed to make the conversion/upgrade operate because it did not have it installed originally. And when my customers get a price quote that is a lot higher than just the cost of the upgrade component itself...I let them know that it just is not a "plug-in and play" scenario. There are many other items that are often needed to make the upgrade work. Especially when you are going from mechanical to electrical.

OFF TOPIC...Funny story... but true...and has NOTHING to do with anyone on the forum.

I had an couple of individuals who came by my shop some time ago with a set of NEW 17" run-flat tires and wanted them mounted so the tires could be used on this individuals 1980 Corvette. The tires were in the back of a pick-up. And these individuals said they would wait for them to be mounted and balanced.

I asked them where the 17" wheels were...because the Corvette still had the factory 15" aluminum wheels on the car....and there were no wheels in the back of the pick-up.

One of the individuals replied..."I do not have 17" wheels and...I do not need any...just mount and balance my tires like I asked. I bought these tires because I wanted the best...and these are the correct tires for a Corvette...I checked and know they are correct".

I replied..."Yes they are...BUT...not for your year model. They can be used on your car...but other parts are required to make them work. Mainly wheels... and possibly spacer adapters so the tires will fit correctly in the wheel wells due the wheel back-spacing"

Then after some back and forth discussion...and actually needing to get a tape measure so this individual could see WHY the tires could not me mounted on their rims they had on the Corvette at the time....because This individual was convinced that they bought the correct tires for the 1980 Corvette. This individual just stood there for some time staring at the NEW tire beside the Corvette....and what this individual was staring at for so long...I will never know. I let this individual know that if they got all what was needed....I would be more than glad to get these parts installed correctly...because I was not going to sell this individual anything because the attitude I was getting...was clearly a warning sign... to let them be on their own on this one.....then I excused myself and went back to work.

Point if all this:
Sometimes the small details that are missed or overlooked can make a big difference in the costs of any upgrade.

DUB

 

lol i bet the look in their faces was priceless.. i do plan to go with dakota analog/digital once i have enough but having been laid off do to owner retiring and school starting soon im a bit short in money. those gauges are beautiful tho

 

Is your gauge cluster the same as my 80'?

When I installed my 3 3/8" Autometer digital speedometer/ tachometer combo with the filler panel I made, I left the rest of the cluster untouched including the circuit board, so the turn signal, high beam, and brake indicators still function as original in the center of the cluster. I also left the original tach which still functions and can be swapped out for a matching Autometer gauge, or whatever else I decide to put there.

 

YEP...I literally.... NEVER will forget it.

DUB

 

Just mocked it up in my 71. Looks very sweet.

 

autometer make some nice G.P.S speedometers no electric signal no cable just a little antenna. a little over $300.00. i think i may go that way if Willcox can't fix mine.