Custom Rallye Gauge Instrument Bezel

patrick · Post by **patrick** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 3:39 pm

I want to install the Auto Meter NV gauges into my Road Runner's rallye dash because they are white in the daytime (I have a white interior) and light green at night (my body color is a light green). Plus, they are back-lit, not flood-lit, plus a ton of other benefits.

Anyway, because these new gauges are smaller than the stock ones but I want to retain the shape of the rally instrument bezel, I was thinking I could just have a fiberglass mold made of it, and then do my own cut-outs in the correct size for the new gauges (and rather than have them recessed so much, I could just mount them in the location of the stock ones).

Anyone have any experience in laying down fiberglass? I realize it will be weaker so I'd have to add material or reinforce where necessary. Also, I already aerosol rubber coated my Pistol Grip shifter which hasn't given me any problems yet, so I was thinking I could do the same to the fiberglass to tie it into the interior (or perhaps I could get some sort of wood decal overlay from one of those aftermarket companies like DCX or whatever).

Thoughts or suggestions (or hateful insults) are appreciated.

CtownRunner · Post by **CtownRunner** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 7:26 pm

Good luck with that project.
Just a thought; since the gauges are smaller diameter the stock, could you make a ring to fit the gap between the two?
May not be a clean a presentation but it might be doable.

And a lot easier.

mopar71 · Post by **mopar71** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:10 pm

Are you going to replace the speedo to? I see they have a 160 but works with a pulse/mile sender.

fourforty6pac · Post by **fourforty6pac** » Sun Sep 16, 2007 11:58 pm

You could make your own bezel, to fit whatever gauges you are going to use. Start by using the original bezel. cut out the area around gauge area and fiber.glass new gauge openings to fit the new gauges. It is really not that hard but it does take time and some experience.
Another way would be to make a mold out of Styrofoam and transfer it to plaster of paris. Then glass over that mold to get the dash bezel you need. That way by making a mold you could possibly sell these if someone else has the same idea.
A few years ago I made a radio delete insert for a guy with a 71 RR it was hard to tell that it was not an original unless you looked at it from behind. The grain is the tricky part. If your not going to have it grained it would be a piece of cake. With a little practice you should be able to make a nice bezel. I'm sure you could get plenty of ideas from the web. Get a book on how to work with fiberglass. Good luck.

patrick · Post by **patrick** » Tue Sep 18, 2007 2:13 am

I've seen radio-delete '71-'74 dash bezels, albeit they are very rare. Yeah, I've always thought what to do with this slot because I don't necessarily care to haul around an a.m. radio, even for nostalgia.

rockymountaindashes.com per ad in Mopar Muscle looked promising, but of course they focus on '68-'70 B-bodies like half the world does, and even that application isn't ready yet. Anyway, they make custom aluminum dashes for specific applications, but to fit smaller aftermarket gauges. Great idea! Too bad they don't offer a solution (yet).

Anyway, I appreciate all the tips. After careful consideration, I might just do a "restore" on my stock gauges and add a factory in-dash tach (for now). I've seen three types of gauge options for my car: one with a clock, one with a tach (in these two cases, the rest of the gauges are the same), and the other with a fuel/oil pressure gauge in one, and temp and alt on their own gauge. Anyway, I forgot I procured so many parts in the past, so I actually have the gauges to make a tach solution work (which is more important than anything else to me) and I have a mint rallye dash, so it looks like I'll just buy the factory in-dash tach and replace all the bulbs, polish the lenses, and possibly have the dials rescreened or recalibrated and live with it for a while. I keep going back and forth though.

Are the factory tachs really that bad? I just want a rough guideline since I've never owned a 4-speed before and it's hard for me to tell what my car is doing with the stock mufflers (I know that sounds crazy, but seriously, I always wonder if I'm shifting too soon or redlining it).

6o4o · Post by **6o4o** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 3:54 am

rockymountaindashes.com used to make a prototype for 71-74!! My friend saw it 1 year ago... I called them half year ago and they told me that they didn't continue to do it anymore?!

I emailed them 2 weeks ago to ask again if they are going to do it, no answer! I also need to do a custom dash with 6 gauges or so plus tach & speedometer for my 72 Satellite and I have NO clue how do to something like that out of aluminium... it's not as easy like on an e-body or 68-70 b-body because it's all so bend on our dashes...

fourforty6pac · Post by **fourforty6pac** » Sun Oct 28, 2007 10:35 pm

Someone is making them. I had it bookmarked but I lost allot when my puter died. They are 8000 rpm not 7000. I've seen early dealer advertising showing 8 grand tachs in 71's,