When it comes to dash and gauge arrangements in B-Body muscle cars, Mopar did it right. The gauges are in plain view, and the switches are easily accessible. The factory dash arrangement has sparked many a conversation in regards to having a Rally dash as opposed to the standard unit. While the standard unit was definitely functional, the Rally dash is what muscle car guys remember. The woodgrain bezel pieces that covered the dash face from door to door really stood out in a car, but after 20 or 30 years, they started to look a little faded. Let's face it, they were never designed to last this long.
While the wood appliqué is restorable, the problem with a B-Body Rally dash comes into play around the radio bezel. Over the years, the radio opening has usually been enlarged, or simply hacked to make room for an aftermarket system. The problem this creates is that when you want to restore your dash. An uncut radio bezel can get quite expensive. While companies like YearOne sell replacement dash pieces that are ready to install, sometimes you just want to do something a little custom when working on your car.
Such was the case of the dash that was going into our Project 'Bee. Like we said, the factory Rally dash looks great, but we thought that replacing all of the woodgrain with a brushed aluminum would really set off our interior. Since this is not a restoration project, a few liberties like this can be taken. By upgrading to aftermarket gauges, we can design and display them however we decide in our interior. We could also use gauges not normally found in a factory gauge cluster--not that we plan to, but we could.
So what we needed to do was get the parts we would need to actually do this. The first part of the puzzle that we needed was the aluminum to actually make the dash face. That was easy, as our local metal shop had some scrap pieces we were able to buy for $40. Next would be the gauges and switches. There are a myriad of choices available when it comes to aftermarket gauges, but Auto Meter is quite possibly the most well-known company for gauges, and they have a selection that is second to none. Once we decided on our style of gauges, we ordered up what we needed, and a week or so later we received our chosen gauges. We chose to use Auto Meter's Phantom II series gauges. The backlit white-faced gauges are great looking and easy to read at night. We chose to stick with the basics and ordered a speedometer, tachometer, fuel level, oil pressure, and volt gauge. You can get as gauge-heavy as you would like, but this is all we feel that we need. Besides, this is a car, not an airplane cockpit.
Check out moparmusclemagazine.com for extra, unseen images of this great project car.
The Stuff Used
| Part | Part Number | Cost |
| Electronic speedometer | 7589 | $285.70 |
| Tachometer | 7598 | $214.99 |
| Fuel level (with proper Ohm variance for our fuel cell) | 7814 | $66.93 |
| Oil Pressure | 7827 | $94.39 |
| Volt meter | 7891 | $75.24 |
| Water temperature | 7837 | $85.99 |
| Scrap aluminum | | $40.00 |
Rendering by: www.carsbyc...
Rendering by: www.carsbychris.com
1 Before you even think about...
1 Before you even think about cutting your material for the dash face, you have to make a template of the area you will be customizing. We used a simple construction paper to make ours.
2 Once you have your pattern...
2 Once you have your pattern for your aluminum pieces, cutting the aluminum to fit in your dash frame is next. Install all of the accessory pieces (plastic parts) for the dash to ensure everything fits. The way you cut your material depends on the material used. Since we’re using aluminum, we chose a band saw, but a jig saw will work just as well.
3 Our Auto Meter gauges came...
3 Our Auto Meter gauges came with templates that we were able to use for marking the gauge locations. Since this is a custom setup, you can set the gauges however you like. When we placed ours, we made sure we didn't have to modify the dash frame; so theoretically, we can re-install the factory cluster if so desired.
4 Once you have the layout...
4 Once you have the layout of your gauges finalized, mark the dash face using the templates from the gauges.
5 Again, the method used...
5 Again, the method used for cutting the holes depends on the materials used for your dash. If you have access to a hole saw that can drill a large enough hole, great. If not, then a jig saw could be used. We were able to use drill press and a hole saw, and if you have access to one, or a friend with one, it makes the job a lot easier.
6 Make sure that when cutting...
6 Make sure that when cutting your dash face, your holes are the proper size for the gauges. We recommend that you cut the opening a little smaller than required, and trim it to fit. If you make it too big to begin with, you're making another trip to the metal shop to spend another 40 bucks.
7 When it comes to the face...
7 When it comes to the face of the dash, you can make it look however you want. You can paint it, polish it (although not recommended as reflections could cause an unsafe driving condition), or do like we did, and give it a brushed finish. To get the brushed finish, we simply took a Scotch-Brite pad and scoured the surface. Here you can see the difference between the finished and unfinished panels.
8 Once we had the gauge holes...
8 Once we had the gauge holes drilled, we needed to figure out how we could attach the dash face to the frame, and having visible aluminum rivets seemed like a great idea to us. You can use anything from button head screws to Dzus fasteners. Remember, this is custom so the sky is the limit.
9 One thing to keep in mind--especially...
9 One thing to keep in mind--especially if you're permanently mounting your gauge face to the frame--is that before you fasten the gauge face, make sure everything fits. If the plastic trim and gauges don't fit, you just wasted your time.
10 A complete article on...
10 A complete article on wiring could be done with regards to the dash and connecting it to the car, but to make it simple, follow the gauge manufacturer’s diagrams when wiring the gauges.
11 Although we don't foresee...
11 Although we don't foresee having to remove the complete dash anytime after it's installed, we did make a completely separate dash harness that simply plugs in to the rest of the car's wiring by using these weatherpak connectors from DIYAutotune. By segregating the dash harness, it's simply a plug-in system.
12 With the dash plastic...
12 With the dash plastic all restored, and the assembly done, let's throw it in the car.
13a Once the power is connected,...
13a Once the power is connected, the nighttime visibility of the gauges becomes clearly visible. The bold, outline numbers on the white face become solid at night with behind-the-face LED lighting.
13b When choosing your gauges,...
13b When choosing your gauges, visibility is a key aspect. Let's face it, if you can't read the gauges, what good are they?