New autometer guages.

[Dstryr]

Alright I'm researching buying some new autometer guages for my car.
The tachometer and fuel guage will be electric and the rest will be mechanical.

So far I have all the guages and a painless wiring harness but I was wondering if I needed to purchase other things? I'm not really sure how mechanical guages work?

So yeah what else do I need to buy besides the guages and wiring harness.

 

[old zeder]

You forgot to mention what year your car is, it will only be an issue when you use your stock dash bezel or go with an after market style, and the size of gauges. they are supplied with hardware & brackets, oil presure tube & fittings, and water temp probe. I went with the Autometer gauges no issues other than the hard wire conversion that takes time. You may need to install some LED lights for the Hi Beam and brake light & directional
GOOD LUCK

 

[Dstryr]

Well the car is a 71 and I bought a covan dash panel so I'm sure it will all fit. The car has a 350 with a saginaw 4-speed so I need to buy a converter for my 4-speed?

 

[old zeder]

No it was my mistake, " I read it as a electrical speedo " with a mechanical the cable should hookup the same on your 4 speed mine is a 71 also, Covan make a very nice dash bezal
I should have bought the Covan panel, instead I paid big bucks on Evil bay for the one I have now

 

[Dstryr]

.Well okay here is my new problem. After pricing everything out the guages, harness and panel is going to run me about 600 bucks. Im thinking about waiting on the guages but a lot of people have told me that I should replace the guages before starting up the brand new motor for the car.

The stock guages aren't even hooked up ..just lying in the front seat and I do not know if they work or not so...should I save up and wait or will I be fine breaking in my motor with the old guages? Is it common for the old ones to break?

 

[Phil G]

I'm doing something similar to my '71.

I wonder if painless has an adapter harness to go from the stock dash to aftermarket?

I can hack the wiring and make it all work but I hate to butcher the stock wiring. The five previous owners did their share of butchering the car.

Not that it matters because mine is a former plainjane basketcase.

Here's what I did with a leftover dash panel:

Yeah, I know the tach reads 3000rpm. No power to it, the needle floats when I move the panel around...

 

[Dstryr]

yeah im wondering about that adapter too...idk how im going to make it work from stock to aftermarket lol :/ . '

 

[3SLO5]

you can tap into most wires you need like turn signal lights and high beam all your going to need after that is lights hooked to the dimmer , 12v constant,12v ignition, and fuel sender, all can be found without a schematic just a test lite and put the turn signals on and see which blinks and so on.

 

[old zeder]

I just put electrical tap and a large piece on heat shrink over the main plug then I put a connector on each wire down line about 2 inches and hard wired to each gauge and lights that way there is less chance at start up to not have correct readings, everything should work when you hit the on switch less the speedo, using the stock plug and printed circuit has too many variables when they don't read correctly or stop working while driving down the road later, Autometer gauges cost but they are well worth it, I don't remember anyone who has bought them say they made a mistake,and not many out there for re-sale, at least you shoud have a good oil presure & temp gauge at startup
Good Luck