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  1. #1
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    qikgts's Avatar
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    Jan 2010
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    Default Dakota Digital Gauge Cluster

    Earlier this week I had a chance to install a new Dakota Digital cluster in my '85.

    I'll add some pics later of the install but right now I wanted to share a few shots of the view from behind the wheel. I'm pretty excited about it!

    The model I went with is the VHX Black Alloy with white LCD panels. I think it's a classic look, one that had I decided to go with run of the mill aftermarket gauges, would have been similar, but I think this is executed much better.

    The senders that came with it for speed, oil pressure and water temp looked and felt very high quality down to the Weatherpak connectors and shielded harnesses. They also included a billet plug for the speedo cable hole in the trans which I'll put in at some point later as I wound up using their (not included) magnetic pickup and 8 magnets on the driveshaft which gives about 16K pulses per mile. Plenty of resolution for me.

    There are also a ton of timing options (0-60. 1/4 mile, % fuel left, etc.) and other data that be displayed on the LCD's and icons on the gauge faces like high beam and brake, turn signals (through the factory bezel like I hooked up or on the gauge faces themselves), warning buzzers, trip odo's; all kinds of other cool stuff I don't know how to use yet. lol

    I'm happy so far. Everything works and seems accurate though my fuel sender in the tank seems a bit erratic so that will get replaced later down the line.

    I think I'm going to remove the red filters from the HVAC panel and set the radio lighting to match as it's variable. I also believe the clock has a red filter in front of the display so maybe that can light up white too. We'll see... I'm also going to try and figure out if I can make the idiot lights work again by making some sort of bulb holders as removing the OE cluster gets rid of the original mounting scheme for them.

    BTW, the "thing" you see in the left side of the images (with -.- on it in the last one), is a display for a collision avoidance system that uses a forward looking camera which does forward collision warning, lane departure warning and a few other features too. I used to work for that company and have had a system in this car (and one in my Lincoln) since then. Which by the way, has helped me to avoid one accident for sure when I got all confused at a goofy intersection (in an area I wasn't familar with... Ahem...) and lost focus of what traffic was doing in front of me. That thing went off, I almost pooped, and then I steered around the cars that had stopped in front of me. No doubt it kept me out of the body shop that day. Anyway...

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    Last edited by qikgts; 05-12-2016 at 10:11 PM.
    '85 GT

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