mikeringland Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 I have decided to give the dash and instrument panel of my 72 a renovation. The dash pad is cracked from 40 years of the Arizona sun, the original AM radio has got to go and i'd like to get rid of the idiot lights in the instrument cluster. I have a few questions I need help with: 1. I have the dash pulled apart, what are the steps to remove the radio? 2. The 70 Monte I had previously had the burlwood woodgrain instrument panel. This 72 has just a black plastic instrument panel. I purchased the woodgrain insert which is metal off of Ebay. Does the woodgrain just clip over the plastic panel? I have attached a photo showing the black instrument panel. 3. I want to get rid of the idiot lights and put in actual gauges. OPGI sells a conversion kit that allows you simply swap the 3 idiot lights for a voltmeter, water temp and oil pressure gauges. Unfortunately the item is back ordered and they no clue when it will be restocked. Seems like it's going to be a long time. Does anyone know of any other kits out there I can get to swap those idiot lights to factory looking gauges? The large three circle gauges in the center are fuel, speedometer and a broken clock which I am changing to a tachometer. Thank you in advance for any help or advice, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeringland Posted May 14, 2016 Author Share Posted May 14, 2016 The photo only attaches upside down for some strange reason, even though it's saved on my computer right side up..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stangeba Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 After 44 years, the dash in your car may have come from another vehicle like a Chevelle, they did not have the wood. My 71 has the wood dash insert. I have a picture from behind, showing the holes and clips that hold it in place. The radio has one nut on each shaft (Vol / Tuning) that require a deep socket to reach. I don't remember the size 1/2" I think. The rear of my AM/FM radio had a small L bracket with a nut on the radio and I believe a bolt through the underside of the dash steel frame to the L bracket. Funny, many remove the wood, I like it. I bought a second 71 Monte with factory gauges and swapped them out for my idiot light dash, then sold the parts car. That was like 25 years ago! Bruce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Brichta Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 Hey Mike, I have a 71-72 factory gauge setup (small block engine redline) that is still installed in a dash that I was saving as an extra in case I ever needed to convert a car (like you are suggesting). It also has all of the dash wiring harness still connected and in tact but the harness wires are cut just below the Fuse Block. I even found some instructions on how to do the wiring conversion. It also has things like the headlight switch, AC controls, etc. with it. I'm not sure that I will ever use it so if you are considering going that route let me know and I can post some pics. Thanks!!Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCfan Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 Mike, I think Bruce answered your radio removal question and there as a recent thread that should answer your woodgrain dash insert question. Regarding converting your idiot light dash to full gauges and LEDs is covered in the following photo journal on Photo Bucket: Full Gauge Dash Conversion This might also be a good opportunity to repair or replace you dash clock if it is not working: Repairing a Dash Clock I suggest you check out the conversion offered by sonnie24 on eBay and forget about OPGI. I have more complete instructions on how to install that kit - if you want I can email them to you - let me know your email address. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leghome Posted May 14, 2016 Share Posted May 14, 2016 OPGI = over priced goods indeed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murphy Posted May 15, 2016 Share Posted May 15, 2016 AS Dennis stated, check out Sonnie on ebay as I purchased the same kit minus the tach. I had already swapped the clock with a Shiftworks tach. I currently have sent the gauges I received from Sonnie to The Tachman (Gary) as he is converting the AMP gauge to Volts and the new small fuel gauge to Oil Pressure. I should have them back in a week or so......Then the fun begins.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jared Richey Posted May 16, 2016 Share Posted May 16, 2016 The tach man does good work he is a local guy only about an hour away from me here in south Carolina. I also like Sonny 94 as well to get the new gauges from very good price Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeringland Posted May 20, 2016 Author Share Posted May 20, 2016 Dennis, I started the thread earlier this week about converting my idiot lights to complete working gauges. I ended up purchasing a completely new full gauge pod from sonnie24 on Ebay. Do you have directions for converting the wiring harness to make all of the gauges function properly? Can you email any directions you have to mikeringland@gmail.com. Thanks, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCfan Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 Mike, I will email you the instructions I have, but they are specifically for installing the sonnie24 conversion kit on an original idiot light cluster. As such, they use the existing wiring harness and add a couple of wires to the junction block behind the fuse panel. I wonder if your new full gauge cluster doesn't also come with the necessary additional wires and instructions to utilize your factory idiot light harness? If so, you can probably ignore all the steps in my instructions for modifying the cluster by adding gauges and just focus on the wiring part. If his full gauge cluster is meant to be a replacement for a vehicle that already has a full gauge harness, my instructions might not be of any help. I rather suspect it is the former situation. Take a look at the instructions I send you and compare them to any he sends you with the new cluster. If he is selling his full gauge cluster as an upgrade for vehicles with idiot lights, he should include all the parts and instructions to make it happen. I wrote my instructions because his were simply too sketchy to follow without a lot of trial and error and head-scratching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monte70car Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 If it helps I have the 12 wire plug sheet which has the idiot lights layout and the gauge layout for the wires. Let me know if that will be something you need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeringland Posted May 21, 2016 Author Share Posted May 21, 2016 The wiring connector I have in my car only utilizes 9 of the 12 ports in the connector. As a result, I have to add three wires (tach, 2 for amp meter). Is there somewhere I can find those copper male wire connectors that plug into the plastic 12 port connector? I tried Autozone and OPGI with no luck. They look like a pretty based connector, they must be available somewhere. The kit I purchased came with a new gauge pod. gauges, circuit board, bulbs and bulb sockets. It did not come with any wiring or water temperature sending unit. Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Boyte Posted May 21, 2016 Share Posted May 21, 2016 Napa has what you need Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeringland Posted May 22, 2016 Author Share Posted May 22, 2016 I was able to find a kit of those male pin connectors for the plastic connector that links to the printed circuit board through Classic Industries. Here's two more questions: 1. My 72 has one of those "TCS" water temperature sending units with a two wire connector, will this sending unit work with the water temp gauge or no? It was an idiot light prior to the conversion. If I do have to change the sending unit, do they make a two wire connector type or do I only use one of the wires? 2. In MCfan's dash conversion directions he has the horn relay location on a '70 next to the radiator on the driver's side of the car. I believe in my '72 it is on the firewall to the right of the wiper pump motor. Am I right? It's a sliver square with two bolts to the firewall and one threaded stud with a few wires connected with eye ring crimps. Thanks for the help, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leghome Posted May 22, 2016 Share Posted May 22, 2016 Yes Mike that is the horn relay for the 72 and replacements are very hard to find or at least they were two years ago Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCfan Posted May 23, 2016 Share Posted May 23, 2016 Mike, The full gauge conversion kit I purchased from sonnie24 contained a new temperature sensor and a new connector for the end of the green wire. I covered the replacement of the temperature sensor in my instructions. If that new sensor did not come with your full dash cluster, you can probably get one from sonnie24 or at least find out which one you need to get. I seriously doubt that the one you now have will work with that new water temperature gauge since I believe it is a limit sensor and you need a full range analog sensor for the new gauge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jared Richey Posted May 26, 2016 Share Posted May 26, 2016 Yes you will need a sending unit for a gauge not an idiot light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeringland Posted May 28, 2016 Author Share Posted May 28, 2016 So the coolant temperature sensor I purchased for my 72 only has one terminal, but the factory idiot light temp sensor has two wires with a connector. Both wires look to be green. Which wire do I use, should I just do trial by error and see which one gets the temp gauge working correctly? Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCfan Posted May 29, 2016 Share Posted May 29, 2016 Mike, your '72 is apparently wired differently than my '70 which only had one dark green wire connected to the original idiot light temperature sending unit. The only thing I had to do was replace the original sending unit with the one from the conversion kit, replace the connector on the end of the dark green wire with the connector provided in the kit and hook it up - that works perfectly. I'm not a master electrician, but your suggestion sounds quick and easy - see which of the two wires makes the gauge work correctly. I'm guessing your original two-terminal sending unit was simply a thermal limit switch that connected current across the two green wires to power the idiot light. Installation of the conversion kit changed the dark green wire to an analog signal input by moving its connector from position 9 to position 10 in the wiring harness plug (refer to the detailed instructions I sent you earlier). You should be able to trace one of the dark green wires directly to that harness plug either visually or by a continuity tester and, obviously, that is the one you need to connect to the sending unit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeringland Posted May 30, 2016 Author Share Posted May 30, 2016 There was a green and a green with a white stripe. I tried the green on the new sending unit and it worked perfectly. I simply capped off the green/white. Thanks for the help, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jared Richey Posted May 30, 2016 Share Posted May 30, 2016 Yeah solid green Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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