Instrument Panel and Aftermarket gauges.

[SemperFi]

I have a 1973 F100 w/390.
My instrument panel has two gauges (fuel & water temp), with warning lights (oil & amp).
What I would like to see happen, have the original instrument panel functional, with aftermarket gauges (water, oil, volt).

The dash was pretty much gutted, and the previous owner replaced everything aftermarket gauges in a homemade dash. It still has the original wiring, and appears to be ok. So, I am currently replacing everything with original parts (Instrument cluster, bezel, etc..).
Mechanical gauges were used for the temp and oil gauge, and the F100 instrument panel is electrical and not mechanical.

So, is it possible to have the original instrument panel functional, with aftermarket gauges (water, oil, volt) ?

thank you for your help,

[pedro69ford]

yes it is possible,you just have to run the sender wires from the stock harness to the respective gauges.but you need to have the matching sending units for the gauge you are using.and the volt gauge will just need a new power and ground because it was a light.should work fine,just have to chase the wires down to each gauge to make sure it completes each circuit as intended.ground them all, use your stock lighting wires for each gauge may require some splicing for each gauge light, power them all up and vuala..types alot better then done...

[dave1972]

Leave you stack dash gauges and idiot lights alone or get them working if they don't already. If you want separate functional guages I recommend mechanical guages for as many of the functions you want to monitor (usually oil pressure, engine temp and voltage). You can buy a three guages bezel to mount under dash and then buy high-quality Stewart Warner or vdo guages to go in it. Your oil sender will be a capillary line from an oil gallery port or teed into at electric sender plumbed directly to back of guages. Your engine temp will be a a copper thermostat sender that is hard lined into the back of the guage and threaded into water jacket. Your voltage sender I believe will go to keyed power. Very reliable system and it requires only minor changes to your rig if you want to go back to stock.