Black 69 Dart
Well-Known Member
Will a gauge cluster from a 71-76 cluster fit in a 69 Dart dash?
Trevor
Trevor
Gauge Clusters
- Thread starter Black 69 Dart
- Start date
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3404speed
Ancient Decrepit Member
don't think so
scampy72
Well-Known Member
if you cut enough things yes, ive seen this kind of thing done but you have to be willing to b your own dash cut a lot of stuff off of the dash you have otherwise... no, no it wont. it is easier to just fab your own dash if you can or have someone else do it for you. OR ypu could find the right year dash and sell the one you got. 3 answers right there man im doing good tonight!!! good luck
74desertduster
Well-Known Member
Nope...dart has the longer skinny cluster in 69...
Funny, I'm going the other way (late to early).
Simple enough to change out the dash itself once you strip it, although why someone would want the later model dash with it's uglier instrument cluster isn't something I can understand (unless you've got a rally/tach cluster that fits the later housing squirreled away).
Don't forget the screws at the top under the windshield gasket that make it difficult to impossible to remove without taking the windshield out. Taking the windshield out does make for a good excuse to repair any rot in the metal under the gasket and remove all the water trapping, additional rot causing, sealing goos from owners chasing the almost aways present leaks. It doesn't fix any leaks from the plenum box seams or walls, or at the wiper transmissions, buts that's a tale for another thread.
There's no place provided for an ignition switch on the later dash either, so if you have an earlier A body without one and don't plan on cobbling one in, you'll need a column with the switch. The later wiring harness you'll most likely need for the later cluster uses a column switch anyway.
As an aside, if you find a big car tilt column and just have to put it in your A body, make sure you leave the transition (adaptor) harness attached to the column when you take it. All the tilt/ tilt scope columns (at least up through the early/mid 70s) were sourced from GM, and used a short little harness about 6 to 8 inches long to transition to the Mopar wiring. Just about guaranteed you'll be tearing your hair out trying to find or make one, because every one you find is seamingly going to be for a different style ignition switch than the one on YOUR column. That's in addition to adapting the shaft itself, along with the floor plate, AND under dash mast jacket mounting plate (ask me how I know).
Enterestingly the spot for an ignition switch in the earlier dash makes the perfect place for a power port (cigarette lighter socket) when using a later column with one.
Simple enough to change out the dash itself once you strip it, although why someone would want the later model dash with it's uglier instrument cluster isn't something I can understand (unless you've got a rally/tach cluster that fits the later housing squirreled away).
Don't forget the screws at the top under the windshield gasket that make it difficult to impossible to remove without taking the windshield out. Taking the windshield out does make for a good excuse to repair any rot in the metal under the gasket and remove all the water trapping, additional rot causing, sealing goos from owners chasing the almost aways present leaks. It doesn't fix any leaks from the plenum box seams or walls, or at the wiper transmissions, buts that's a tale for another thread.
There's no place provided for an ignition switch on the later dash either, so if you have an earlier A body without one and don't plan on cobbling one in, you'll need a column with the switch. The later wiring harness you'll most likely need for the later cluster uses a column switch anyway.
As an aside, if you find a big car tilt column and just have to put it in your A body, make sure you leave the transition (adaptor) harness attached to the column when you take it. All the tilt/ tilt scope columns (at least up through the early/mid 70s) were sourced from GM, and used a short little harness about 6 to 8 inches long to transition to the Mopar wiring. Just about guaranteed you'll be tearing your hair out trying to find or make one, because every one you find is seamingly going to be for a different style ignition switch than the one on YOUR column. That's in addition to adapting the shaft itself, along with the floor plate, AND under dash mast jacket mounting plate (ask me how I know).
Enterestingly the spot for an ignition switch in the earlier dash makes the perfect place for a power port (cigarette lighter socket) when using a later column with one.
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