I ve been thinking i eventually want to have a few gauges cuz i scares me not knowing what my engine is doing( oil, and temp mainly, but alt would be fine since im gonna do it all) and since i have a 73, was wondering if i could take the gauge cluster off a 73mach one, modify my center dash thing with a big panel of brushed seel or somthing, and pop em in. i think this will work, with a little planning yes?
and where do gauges like temp and oil get connected for readings?

 

You can add the guages, you'll just have to pull your center stack and replace it with a center stack from a Mach 1 and then hard wire the gauges.
But if all you're interested in is more gauges it would be simpler and easier to get a 3 gauge setup and mount on it below the glove box. Also any aftermarket gauge is going to be more accurate than the factory gauges. That's what I've done in my Mach. I've still got the center gauges but they aren't hooked up.

 

wel, what i was thinking, and this is kinda down the road a ways when i work the interior a little, is to pull the whole center stack, and replace it with a flat, stainless and brushed steel set up, more modern, kinda like a vertiacal version of the stuff some people do on the shelbys cneter console

 

Yes it can be done but you have to hard wire them since the coupe and fastback use a different wiring harness under the dash.But dakota digital makes gauges for the 71-73 and even the 3 for the center of the dash if you want digital gauges.Or get the center dash part and find gauges that fit the holes and do it like that.

 

I personally don't care for the look of the Dakota digital gauges, plus they are a bit pricey. Flyingfool you idea using a custom piece for the stack and then getting a set of aftermarket gauges would be the cheaper way to and would look sharp as well.

 

If you go with the aftermarket mechanical gauges do yourself a favor and the spend the little extra for braided lines. The plastic tubing is an accident waiting to happen. Also a funny story for you. I was custom making a wire harness for a cj-5 at work and just finished getting it to move properly on the tilt frontend. My helper being a young guy into sound systems I put to task on wiring up the radio ( all he needed to do was hook the radio up to my harness). Well I start this thing upto check how everything is functioning about five seconds into this test oil starts pouring out of the radio. I shut her down and start look for the problem and it didnt take long. He broke the plastic oil line and since he didnt know what it was he stuffed it up behind the dash instead of asking. I was a little po'd but I couldnt help but laugh about it. Sorry this was a little off topic but I thought you might find it amussing...............

 

Whatever way you do it id love to see some pictures when your done with it.

 

hhaa, jaw that is a good one. never new there wasa plastic oil line back there....ill keep that in mind.
and yeah dont worry, ill post pics of everything i do like that. ill proably start off with sketches and stuff, scanned and well see from there! its just somthing i havnt see on a 70s yet hehehee

 

too bad i sold my 71-73 mach one gauges on ebay a while back had the wiring and everything complete dash harness and engine compartment

 

The plastic line is on the aftermarket autometer gauges and the equivalent. Stock will be electric gauges. Those plastic lines get very brittle over time.