73-79 dash conversion ?

[fitzwell]

anyone evere try this one? Have access to a 78 cluster/dash assy & just wondering how tough it would be to swap into a 68? Pro'lly many other things i should be worried about at this point....but, there i go thinking again

[71 LONG BED]

With a name like "fitzwell", you sure are thinking outside the box.
With some ingenuity, I think you could pull it off. Needless to say, take some pics if you try it.

[rjewkes]

lots of spot weld breaking and re welding in there.

[69bumptruck]

The support systems under dash are way different. It would take alot of welding and metal fabrication to make it look good. Would just be easier to get a new cluster for your year of truck.

I know this 'cuz I have an instrument cluster from a '77 in my garage. I considered the idea, but it looked way too hard to bother with.

[MadMaxetc]

For the amount of work, I would just make something custom.

[RTG_RACING]

Are you talking about the cluster or the complete dash?

[fitzwell]

complete dash....guess i'm just a glutton for punishment

[MadMaxetc]

complete dash....guess i'm just a glutton for punishment

That is nuts!! If you want I say go for it.

[RTG_RACING]

ANyone ever check this out? I put my 77 dash into my 68 cab lastnight. It wouldn't take much to do it. The bolts on the side line up perfect. The colum mount is fine to. The sheat metal across the front of the cab below the windshield needs trimmed a bit but I don't see where it would take more than a few hours to complete. I have heard some people talk about the under dash support. My question is what support. all of the factory supports lined up with the fire wall. At most a couple of holes need drilled. I will try and put it back in tonight with a couple of bolts and take some pictures.

[fitzwell]

ANyone ever check this out? I put my 77 dash into my 68 cab lastnight. It wouldn't take much to do it. The bolts on the side line up perfect. The colum mount is fine to. The sheat metal across the front of the cab below the windshield needs trimmed a bit but I don't see where it would take more than a few hours to complete. I have heard some people talk about the under dash support. My question is what support. all of the factory supports lined up with the fire wall. At most a couple of holes need drilled. I will try and put it back in tonight with a couple of bolts and take some pictures.

yeah, pics

how far across the front of the dash & how deep does it need to be trimmed? Not that it really makes a damn, with everything else i want to do...just a general question.

[tybob81]

I got a 67-72 round gauge cluster out of a 74 f700 because it had a 67-72 dash. It is not all that labor intensive everything is the same width and so on. It would be cool because it is different. I just prefer the 67-72 dash over the 73-79. I say do it and let everybody figure it out whats different with your bump side.

[FORDification]

Yes, the entire dash assembly is basically shaped the same, except that IIRC the '73-'79 dash is bolted in whereas the bumpside dash is welded in. (It's been a while since I last looked, and I don't recall.) You'd have to cut the bumpside dash assembly out. Drilling out the spotwelds on the side wouldn't be too hard, but the million or so spotwelds across the front of the dash will be a major PIA. You'll also have to be careful, since the bumpside dash lip is actually part of the windshield channel, so instead of drilling those spotwelds out, you'd probably have to cut it out, leaving a half-inch or so at the front, to make sure the winshield gasket will still seal. Here's a couple pictures of a bumpside dash assembly I removed a while back from a junk cab...just for the education of doing it. In the second picture, you can see how many spotwelds had to be drilled out...and they had to be drilled out from the outside, after removing the windshield.

http://www.fordification.com/images/myac03.jpg
http://www.fordification.com/images/myac04.jpg

[fitzwell]

Drilling out the spotwelds on the side wouldn't be too hard, but the million or so spotwelds across the front of the dash will be a major PIA. In the second picture, you can see how many spotwelds had to be drilled out...and they had to be drilled out from the outside, after removing the windshield.

http://www.fordification.com/images/myac03.jpg
http://www.fordification.com/images/myac04.jpg

the F600 insert is looking better & better all of a sudden. That is the one area of the truck i DON"T have to worry about...has new glass & gasket.

can you "modify" an f600 insert to accept Auto Meter Gauges?

Guys, thanks for all the input on this

[tybob81]

No the auto meter gauges are to large. Your best bet is to buy a billet gauge cluster like I did from Docs Kustoms or Haneline. You have to cut your factory cluster apart so get another on if you don't want to destroy your original.

[fitzwell]

No the auto meter gauges are to large. Your best bet is to buy a billet gauge cluster like I did from Docs Kustoms or Haneline. You have to cut your factory cluster apart so get another on if you don't want to destroy your original.

when i built the dash insert in my 46, i cut up about $ 500. worth of brand new autometer gauges.........


i like a challange