Custom gauge plate?

[LWillmann]

Does anyone make a bolt-in plate for the G-body that allows for custom gauges?

I'd like to remove the factory swing arm and idiot light setup from the dash in my Cutlass when the new engine goes in and go with a full aftermarket gauge package. I thought that if someone already had a gauge plate out there that was made to bolt into the dash, it would make things easier on me.

Ideally it would bolt in place of the factory cluster, and I could drill for my own gauge layout (or it would have a layout ready for my to put my own gauges in maybe?). I would like to retain the hi-beam indicator and turn signal indicators as well.

Is such an animal available?

If not, I'll pull my stocker and get to work measuring and fabbing my own I suppose.

 

[dyrt]

what year cutlass do you have? I have seen plates for malibus and there are several places that make them for regals but i am not sure about the cutlass. I made my own for my 86 regal limited which took a while but it was well worth it and i now have tach, speedo, volt, h20, oil press, and fuel as well as turning signals and the required idiot lights in a nicely laid out package. if you have the time, i would suggest you give it a shot so you can make exactly what you want.

 

[LWillmann]

It's an '88, with the long sweeping arm and idiot lights down the sides. Has the odometer and fuel gauge in the lower corners below the speedometer.

 

[59RAT]

what year cutlass do you have? I have seen plates for malibus and there are several places that make them for regals but i am not sure about the cutlass. I made my own for my 86 regal limited which took a while but it was well worth it and i now have tach, speedo, volt, h20, oil press, and fuel as well as turning signals and the required idiot lights in a nicely laid out package. if you have the time, i would suggest you give it a shot so you can make exactly what you want.

If I might ask, how makes the gauge plates for the Malibu? Rod

 

[383S10]

Has anyone here tried dash inserts by evopowermods.com/shop/cart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=66

I was gonna order the gn version with 2 large & 5 small cutouts..........they look pretty good and they also have a blank piece to make your own insert.

 

[LWillmann]

I have pulled the factory cluster out, and apart.

I have the back 'bucket' ready to lay on a piece of cardboard so I can trace the pattern out. Have to do it this way because the bucket has some little nipples that poke out of the front to help it align with the 'bubble'. With cardboard, I can press the bucket into the cardboard and the nipples won't break.

Once I get the pattern traced out, I'll trim it out.

Then get some aluminum, trace the cardboard pattern onto the aluminum and proceed to cut it out.

Then I work on gauge placement. Once I have gauge placement, I can drill and cut it for the gauges. Then I can anodize it, install the gauges, and should be able to install it.

 

[LWillmann]

Well, it's been like forever and a day, huh?

I've had so much going on that I haven't had much time to work on the car here recently (like in the last month or so) but over time I have worked on it as I've been able to, getting as much done on the engine swap and restoration as possible. This has been a HUGE project for me.

This post is about the gauges though, so I thought I'd share the end result of my labor.

I have used a .063" sheet of aluminum, 6 gauges, LEDs to indicated the transmission gear and LEDs for turn signals and high beam. This panel has been sanded to give it a brushed look, and then clear coated to protect the finish, and it mounts in the factory 88 Cutlass gauge pod location (one minor mod to the car required to accomodate the placement of one gauge.

Believe it or not, and you can't tell from these pictures, this gauge layout fully fills the visible 'box' from side to side in the dash. Vertically however, the bottoms of the fuel and oil pressure gauges, and the tops of the water temp and voltage gauges are 'cut off' from view when I sit at driving position. However you can see most if not all of the text without any problems, you can certainly see everything you need to see to stay on top of what's going on. My wife, who is 6" shorter than I am, can see the gauges just fine.

Ok, now for the pics, if you look closely you can see the cool effect that shows up because of the clearcoat on the 'brushed' (sanded) aluminum:
This is the panel mockup in cardboard with gauges mounted and dash trim in place showing roughly how it looks.