Cluster question.

[fox81]

I have a quick question concerning the instrument clusters. I've read on here along with other places that a Mustang cluster will work with some slight modification. But my main question is concerning the column shifter/selector. If I decide to put a Mustang cluster in my Zephyr is there anyway I can swap the gear selector into the Mustang cluster? Out of all the pictures I've seen all the Mustang have the shifter on the floor. I plan on keeping it on the column, hence why I'm asking.

[Ltngdrvr]

The shift indicator screws onto the center of the cluster. My guess, having never seen a bare mustang cluster, would be that it probably will work.

[TWR2003]

The shift indicator screws onto the center of the cluster. My guess, having never seen a bare mustang cluster, would be that it probably will work.

The 79-93 Fox Mustang was never offered with any kind of column shifter where the 78-83 F/Zs were offered with both column shifter automatics, floor shifter automatics and floor shifter manual transmissions.

I have both an F/Z cluster (78) and several Fox Mustang clusters (79, 81, 85) and I can tell you that there is really no way that the PRNDL indicator from an F/Z cluster could be integrated into Mustang cluster. The basic external shape of the F/Z and Mustang clusters are the same - allowing installation of the 'gauge' type Mustang cluster in an F/Z (with appropriate wiring). But internally the housings are much different. The F/Z cluster has a dedicated space for the PRNDL mechanism which is completely absent in the Mustang cluster. I know that F/Zs that did not have a column shifter had a plastic cover over the space that the PRNDL mechanism would have occupied and had a small plastic 'trim' cover over the hole in the outer instrument panel trim cover that you would view the PRNDL indictor thru. The Mustang outrer trim cover does not have this hole at all.

Sorry its not the answer you were looking for.

Good luck

T

ps
on reflection I know that the gauge type cluster was available for F/Z as a factory option - but they are relatively rare (I do recall someone here at FEP with a F/Z - Futura? - that had a factory gauge cluster). Having never actually seen an original F/Z gauge cluster Ive always assumed they were essentially Mustang clusters (and would have no provision for the PRNDL indicator). But this would also require that all F/Zs that got the gauge cluster be floor shifted (manual or automatic). Im wondering if anyone could verify this.

[TWR2003]

OK,

All courtesy Stuart's Ford Fairmont Futura and Mercury Zephyr Z7 website:

Here is a good drawing of the standard F/Z instrument cluster layout. The 'Transmission Selector Indicator' (ie PRNDL) is shown as key number 22:

http://fzliterature.150m.com/80MZFacts11.html

And on the lower right hand side of this page it states that the '51 Sports Instrumentation Group' (ie gauge cluster) is only available with floor shifter:

http://fzliterature.150m.com/80MZFacts14.html

This is all for a 1980 Zephyr but its probably applicable to all F/Z years.

T

[Jim Allen]

But xome floor shifter cars came without a sports cluster, mine did

[Jim Allen]

some

[TWR2003]

But xome floor shifter cars came without a sports cluster, mine did

Actually, most F/Zs came with the standard (non-gauge) cluster regardless of shifter location (my 78 Fairmont had a 3-speed manual trans with floor shifter but, like most F/Zs, had the standard cluster). All the Ford facts sheet was saying was that if you wanted the sports cluster you had to take the floor shifter. That ties into what I was speculating - that the 'sport' cluster on the F/Z was essentially the cluster used on the Mustang. Since no Mustang was available with anything other than a floor shifter the gauge cluster was never designed to accept the PRNDL indicator.

T