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idiot lights vs. factory gauges


rsorg

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I am considering replacing my idiot lights with factory gauges, also the wiring harness , My original harness is is great condition ,but I know it would need to be converted , can some give me a ballpark price of the new harness and gauges ,and the difficulty of this project, thanks

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If you buy the kit there is no reason to replace the harness. You just need to move the wires in the connector for the dash to the appropriate places for the gauge package. Pretty simple mod. The package comes with instructions on how to do it and a member here has even better illustrations he made up for the process. This is the vendor most of us bought the kit from.

http://m.ebay.com/itm/1970-CHEVELLE-SS-DASH-GAUGES-TACHOMETER-LS5-5500-REDLINE-GAUGE-CLUSTER-/272256105399?nav=SEARCH

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If you wanted to save a bit of money that Ebay seller (Mike) also sells this complete kit that will allow you to use your old housing and comes with the extra wiring needed to add to your existing harness and tells you where the wires go and even has the temp gauge sensor as well that goes in the block and of course the printed circut board. the first listing doesnt come with the sensor or extra wires but Mike sells them seperatly too.

Watch for the color of gauges too as 1970 has green lettering and this kit for 71-72 has white lettering .

 

Darren

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1971-71-72-CHEVELLE-SS-EL-CAMINO-MONTE-TACH-GAUGES-tachometer-temp-fuel-amp-/231920477374?hash=item35ff89a4be:g:Mw8AAOxyUrZSoHY~

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I have never seen a kit without a tach. The kits from sonnie24 on ebay work great. It is easy to convert your existing wire harness with the kit. No need to buy a new one. It you want a different tach,  just sell the one that come with the kit. With the kit you convert your idiot light cluster over to a gauge cluster. $354.95 is the cost to convert yours over.

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I have not seen the Idiot Light Kits listed with Mike (sonnie24) at all, As Dan mentioned you can buy the kit and as a matter of fact I will buy the tach from you if you are willing to ship to me via USPS ? I will email Mike and ask him what the Tach's are worth seperatly and buy it from you unless you have a $$ figure in mind and we can go from there if that helps or works ?

Darren

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A cuople of years ago I replaced the gauge lens and bulbs , and put in a new circut board, how much more would it be to change over to the gauge  package, thanks

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I believe the entire Instrument panel assembly has to come out in order to do this conversion

when replacing gauges in original assembly.  There are good references from members who have

made this removal with pictures.  Not sure they are still accessible through the search function

but well worth looking at in order to determine work content & procedures.

I had removed my Instrumentation Panel in order to replace clock with Quartz movement, new circuit board

and there is a lot to remember.

If you do this, take lots of pictures showing un-install as reference material (steps) in future.

 

Doug 

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Roger, it will basically cost you the $354.95 plus shipping at first. If you can do all the work yourself you will have to drop the dash in order to remove the gauge cluster in order to install everything and to add the extra wires to your existing harness after you have relocated the Pin configuration on the main Plug In Head to the gauge package. if you cant do all this type of stuff be prepared to pay someone for at least 5 hours of labour to do so.

Even though you replaced your printed circut board as you mentioned already that will NOT work for the gauge conversion with or or without the tach and weather you add your own choice of tach. the other gauges will need the new printed circut board in order for them to work.

Thats just an outline for you.

 

Darren

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Ditto

 

Roger, if you are at all queasy about this project, I suggest you first check out the photo journal of this exact conversion and also send me your email address so I can send you the detailed instructions that Darren and I developed.  This is a great opportunity to switch to LEDs (if you haven't already) and also repair or replace a non-working dash clock.  All of that is covered in the following links:  Full Gauge Dash Conversion   Repairing a Dash Clock

 

If you order the complete conversion kit from sonnie24 on eBay, be sure to specify either the '70 version (light green numerals and markings) or the '71-'72 version (white numerals and markings).

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Darren, my email address is colbeeone@aol.com where did you get your led lights and sockets, I went through your photo journal of changing parts , very good info,the wiring appears to be the worst of it.I had done my clock and circuit board and lense already ,but this is a little more involved ,it looks like a long fall weekend project ,thanks to all who have commented about this, Roger

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