n the last installment on our ’76 F-100 project we did a Vintage Air air conditioning/heater installation. Our truck didn’t come with factory air and that just doesn’t cut it for a hauler in SoCal where the summers can be a bit toasty. The kit was very complete, the installation was quite straightforward, and the air blows nice and cold. Check out the Oct. ’21 issue of CTP for the full story.

Looking at the dash as we were starting to pull it apart for the A/C vents and controls, it struck us how this was the perfect time to upgrade that gauge panel. This being a base model truck, it didn’t have a full gauge setup, just warning lights for oil pressure and the alternator. Apparently the water temp gauge didn’t work and the previous owner didn’t trust the oil warning light as there were mismatched gauges hanging under the dash for temperature and pressure. The chrome trim on the bezel was worn and the lens had turned yellow, not to mention the cracked dashpad had a cheap plastic cover over it that was also cracked. Time for some changes.

Thinking of options for the gauges I considered everything from a factory gauge–style instrument panel to making an aluminum panel for aftermarket gauges. I then remembered a story I did for Hot Bike magazine 15 years ago on installing a Dakota Digital gauge pod with the vacuum fluorescent display and thought I’d see what they had to offer. I didn’t really want the vacuum fluorescent–style gauges as it didn’t fit the style of truck I was building so I was pleased to see that they also offer replacement instrument panels in their RTX, HDX, and VHX product lines. All of these resemble a factory-type gauge with a much more modern look and offer many optional features. Check out their website for the wide array of styles that are available for many classic trucks. We chose the VHX system with a Silver Face with White Needles and white backlighting. They offer many different faces and colors to suit your desire. The panel features a speedometer, tachometer, oil pressure, water temperature, fuel level, and voltage gauges. Additionally, there are two LCD readouts that can be programmed for different information, including odometer, trip meter, high-speed recall (perfect for checking up on your teenager when he borrows your classic), rpm recall, 0-to-60 times, quarter-miles times, hour meter, as well as warnings like high temperature and low voltage. On top of that there are inputs for a check engine light, brake warning (can be either failure switch or e-brake on), 4×4 engaged, “Wait” (for diesel glow plugs), gear indicator for automatics, and even cruise control.

The kit comes complete with the gauges installed in the sealed mounting panel, all the senders with a variety of adaptors to suit most engines, wiring harnesses for the senders, a CAT 5 cable to connect the gauges to the control unit, and a computer control unit that integrates the senders to the gauges and contains the sensors for the acceleration display functions. Installation is straightforward with the control box mounting separately and is simple to wire up to the senders and power. We were able to use the factory wiring for power (both constant and key on, the fuel sender, lighting, and grounds). The only wire we had to add was one from the coil for the tachometer. The CAT 5 cable makes it easy to remove the gauge panel if you need to do any work under the dash. The gauge panel mounts to the original factory holes in the dash, no drilling necessary.

With the new A/C vents and controls in the dash and the beautiful gauge package the remainder of the dash really looked sad. LMC Truck is one of the leaders in replacement and aftermarket parts for classic trucks, so a quick perusal of the catalog showed a staggering amount of replacement parts for the interior for these Dent Side trucks. We could have gone total restoration on the gauge panel while upgrading to the factory all-gauge version and replaced that yellowed lens with a nice new one. Since we had already decided to go with the Dakota Digital (which LMC carries as well), we ordered up a new black and chrome instrument bezel (they also offer the woodgrain version), headlight and wiper switch knobs, and a new dashpad that is a direct factory replacement. The bezel is exactly like the factory one would have looked when new and we even got new screws to replace the sightly rusty originals. The dashpad came with studs molded in just like the one from Ford and installed through the stock holes.

With the Vintage Air heat and A/C, Dakota Digital gauges, and the LMC replacement trim parts, our truck looks better than ever would have been thought of back in 1976, while upgrading the functionality and comfort of the truck. Not bad for a weekend’s worth of work.