New rallye dash replacement gauges/tachs (some insider news from the supplier)
Below is a shot of the dash I assembled using PG Classics 316-69KIT dash bezel, lenses, and a mix of original parts. My '68 Formula S FB had the standard rally dash with no tach and a 120 MPH speedometer. Over the decades I have owned this car (since '69), I modified only a few things. In about '72, I added a Stewart Warner Stage III tach inside the dash as I didn't like the tach hanging on the steering column. I flipped the blank cup around and mounted the SW tach to the inside of the cup. It then fit perfectly against the bezel and looked amazingly stock.
Over the years, I picked up several rally dashes from '67 and '68+ cars just in case I needed parts. One dash had a stock tach which I used when I restored the Cuda dash. I also used a 150 MPH speedo replacing the stock 120. The final assembled dash is shown below. To be honest, I don't remember what year the tach was from. If someone can positively identify the year, that would be great.
The PG Classics bezel looks great from the front, but it is a royal PITA to mount correctly. The channel that receives the upper support plate that the mounting screws push against does not fit into the upper lip of the bezel. I had to take a Dremel cutoff wheel (about 1/8" width) and grind on the brand new $700 pieces to get the plate to fit properly into the slot. Worrying all the time that I might cut too deep and damage this brand new piece. My restoration shop, Cars Remember When in Littleton, CO, said that this is absolutely typical of restoration parts today. Sad that they can't get the details correct.
But I guess that as long as it turns out OK, we can't complain.
Below is a shot of the dash I assembled using PG Classics 316-69KIT dash bezel, lenses, and a mix of original parts. My '68 Formula S FB had the standard rally dash with no tach and a 120 MPH speedometer. Over the decades I have owned this car (since '69), I modified only a few things. In about '72, I added a Stewart Warner Stage III tach inside the dash as I didn't like the tach hanging on the steering column. I flipped the blank cup around and mounted the SW tach to the inside of the cup. It then fit perfectly against the bezel and looked amazingly stock.
Over the years, I picked up several rally dashes from '67 and '68+ cars just in case I needed parts. One dash had a stock tach which I used when I restored the Cuda dash. I also used a 150 MPH speedo replacing the stock 120. The final assembled dash is shown below. To be honest, I don't remember what year the tach was from. If someone can positively identify the year, that would be great.
The PG Classics bezel looks great from the front, but it is a royal PITA to mount correctly. The channel that receives the upper support plate that the mounting screws push against does not fit into the upper lip of the bezel. I had to take a Dremel cutoff wheel (about 1/8" width) and grind on the brand new $700 pieces to get the plate to fit properly into the slot. Worrying all the time that I might cut too deep and damage this brand new piece. My restoration shop, Cars Remember When in Littleton, CO, said that this is absolutely typical of restoration parts today. Sad that they can't get the details correct.
But I guess that as long as it turns out OK, we can't complain.
