Custom Dash For My Fairmont Squire

Hey Normie,I loves it.....

 

Great job. Looks very sporty. Professional work there Norm. Now all you need is horsepower to go with it. Did you mention turbo?

 

Thanks, SS. Nice to see you around again!

If I do get a Turbo, I'll spring for a real Boost gauge.

I'm correcting some old wiring ghosts. One door switch (courtesy) had a corroded bayonette contact. Dome light and cargo light switches, and found that I misconnected the rear window DEICER with a 1978 wire that wasn't right for another circuit in the 1979. SOOOOOO.... I had to pull the dash out AGAIN. Got done the wiring tests, but had to stop at sundown - 9:20 PM. Rain for the next 3 days. Yuk!

I do like the layout, except the Vacuum gauge distance, but it's still quite visible.

Oh! And the Ford radio! What a treat! I'm waiting for the stock amplifier switch, but it is far, far better than any of the 3 aftermarkets I had.

6 speakers! Concert grade!

 

Good stuff Norm, is'nt fine tuning a B****?

After thinking about it, I like the Turbo thought...not as much as a Cleveland but I like it. Wood grain, white walls, hub caps, and a Turbo....what a sleeper!

PS, I'm trying to stop in when I can....Home PC crashed and I'm having to ask my kid permision to use hers...how times have changed

 

It's like taking a re-qualifying course in Electrical circuits. I think I like this better, because I get the training on my own stuff. After that Ammeter Shunt mystery, I can finally recognize a Parallel vs. Series circuit in the Haynes and Ford EVTM in a flash. PITA though.

Years ago, I read that burning rubber from a dead stop, took off 40 miles worth of tire-tread. But chirping in 3rd gear was only 3 miles worth! By then the ricers are so far back, you don't care.

My dad used to love chirping the tires in his 1958 Imperial at 90 MPH! Love those big Hemis.

Good luck with the Home PC. That's pure witchcraft, getting them up again.

 

I knew the Mustang Instrument lights were a red hue, but like most 'first times' it does dazzle. Tried to get a pic, but the flash took over.

Anyway, the Vacuum gauge works fine now. 19-20 inches and no jumping.

Radio is awesome! Not a boom box, just mellow. One happy camper, here!

 

Hi boys.
I didn't read the entire thread so if I repeat any info I appologize.
Anyway heres some cool stuff , check it out if you didn't already.
http://www.thehoffmangroup.com/aurora/?gclid=CMuS1qSh8psCFeFM5Qod0Rtp-g

 

Thanks, didn't know about them.

I'm all gauged up now, but looks like a neet option.

 

Hmmm... I sometimes think I search too much, and then I learn otherwise. If the dog hadn't stopped at the tree, he would've caught the rabbit.

Would you look at this awesome Fox-dash specific gauge pod layout?!



They come from here, up to 5 gauges or blank for your own square clock:
http://www.florida50.com/1979-1986-gauge-holders.htm

Very classy indeed.

 

More on the Shunt mystery. Mustang ammeters, probably up to at least 1996, are NOT like the aftermarket gauges, which have a built-in shunt (old-style ammeters used to get the full amperage load or battery draw, newer gauges just take a proportional sampling.) That means that grandpa's 1956 New Yorker 6 volt ammeter would fly over to the righthand side when he cranked her up, and sometimes burn out, if the heater and headlights were on as well. The newer gauges just take a sample-load of the actual draw, by using a resistor wire (smaller guage) running in parallel, not in series like the old ones did. When I did this last summer, I was stuck on shunt - the word, instead of shunt - the wire.

Anyway, I did do it right, but just a bit off. So I'll fix it when I get some warmer weather.

This article does an excellent job of explaining it, and at the bottom of the article, you can download a PDF with the same explanation:
http://www.jamestowndistributors.co...ocId=126&title=Sizing+a+Shunt+to+a+DC+Ammeter

http://bluesea.com/files/resources/technical_briefs/Tech_brief_sizing_a_shunt.pdf

If you click on the PDF, it lands you on a marine website with all kinds of wiring resources as well or you can click here and dig down in their 'Resources' section:
http://bluesea.com/

The bottom line is that the shunt should be able to handle the maximum load (say 200 amps) and the gauge's own factory capacity. Mine is a bit too big, so with lights and heater, wipers and de-icer ( about 110 amp load, it maxes out, when it should be about 60% of the gauge, meaning that I don't have enough resistance (wire is too long and too big) 18" of number 8 AWG. I have to calculate the right length or... I could buy one from that marine site.

I also added other electrical info in this thread with lots of links:
http://www.stationwagonforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4726

 

Another excellent die-hard guy who built his own voltmeter/ammeter gauge setup, converted his mechanical tach to electronic, and lots more.
http://www.nonlintec.com/sprite/

 

pretty nice,

 

THE Ammeter Quest ENDS At Last!

Finally! Fat Tedy took some great pics for me of his Mustang's hook up for this Mustang dash swap, for me. Here I am, 8 months later with a February 2009 article that Google couldn't find (Bing came out later), with clear schematics and details, better than Ford's manuals explain!:banghead3:

Thanks Tedy. You got me on the right track.
http://www.mustangandfords.com/techarticles/75259_instrument_electricity/index.html

 

BTW, that same article has links to other Gauge articles for classic Fords, like these:

Restoring:
http://www.mustangandfords.com/howto/16378_restore_instrument_panel/index.html

Upgrading them:
http://www.mustangandfords.com/techarticles/mufp_0708_classic_instruments_gauges/index.html

And an unrelated one on Vinyl Door Panel restoration:
http://www.mustangandfords.com/howto/25938_vinyl_door_panels/index.html

 

The Quest was futile, almost.

Here's a Cougar Gauge guy who takes the stock ammeters and makes them into Voltmeters, which really are more useful than dash-quality ammeters. For testing, you'd use a proper meter anyway. On the road, you just need to know that its charging properly, over 12.5 volts.
http://rccinnovations.com/