Gauge Cluster

[lowrollin70gmc]

Some had asked how I made my gauge cluster for my GMC. She was pretty simple, mainly as I wanted to spend as little as possible and still achieve a classy look.

1. Remove stock gauges and crap. Only the plastic bezel remains

2. Grind down all protruding edges, around gauges and outer edges.

3. Mark and drill holes for headlight and wiper knobs.

4. Mark and drill holes for LEDs (turn & high) (Radioshack lights)

5. Clamp wax paper and cardboard on front of panel. Flip over.

6. Fill stock gauge holes with fiberglass resin and mat (multiple layers for strength.

7. Flip back over and cover front with resin and cloth, wrapping all the way around the cluster to the back side, smooth out as best as you can.

8. Sand. Itch. Sand. Itch. Sand. Itch.

9. Slight amt of bondo and poly to smooth the panel out (I intended to paint the panel.)

10. Mark and drill gauge holes, mine are TPI Tech (cheapest). Align to liking.

11. Cover with quilting batting (thin padding, to give a little plushness, but not too much.)

12a. Cover with vinyl, pulling tight and applying heat as you go. I used contact cement around the edges of the vinyl and on the back of the cluster.

12b. Repeat 12a with correct color vinyl.

13. Cut holes and shove gauges in. Install switches and lights. Also, I drilled holes in the factory plasic gauge supports on the back side to zip tie wires to.

14. Install and enjoy.

There are a few notes though. First, the switches are no longer grounded automatically, they will need lengths of wire to ground them (found out the hard way) Also, the original tin where the switches mount got in the way of my gauges, and had to cut them off of.

Enough of me talking, I'm putting my pictures up and would like to see what others have done, as I'm always going to have another project that needs gauges, and most don't think about them until it's too late.