JME Gauge cluster- anyone with woodgrain/black face?

[70vert 17]

Hey all,

I've been debating for years, since I'm trying to keep a stock-appearing interior, aftermarket dash clusters, strap-on-steering-column-tachs, and complaining to myself about the price of OEM tach dash clusters and waiting for the right product to come around. I've finally compromised and am pretty certain that a JME woodgrain-with-black-face-cluster is in my future. I've got a few questions:

Some background: I have a TKO600, so an electric speedo should be a snap. I originally had a Deluxe interior with the light walnut or light teak woodgrain. I'm at the final stages of an engine rebuild, so have to choose an electric oil pressure sender, and I've never had a tach, so it would be very, very nice to finally have one. :biggrin:

 

http://www.jmeenterprises.com/69dash.shtml

 

1. Does anybody have pics of this installed, with the woodgrain and black face gauges a la OEM deluxe interior? Did it come with green LED illumination or did you have to upgrade?

 

2. If anyone has done the green LED upgrade on ANY black-face Autometer gauge or the JME in particular, how did it look? Stock-like, too bright, just fine? (any JME owner with black-face gauges, or maybe any Autometer user too)

 

3. If anyone ordered from Mustang Depot, are they still taking a long time to ship? (any JME dash owner)

 

4. How easy is it to install with an electric speedo and electric sensor on the trans? (any JME dash owner)

 

The engine will probably go into the car with no tach and no oil pressure sensor right now just to get it on the road, but I'm pretty sure this is in my future, just checking a few things.

Now what we REALLY need is totally digital transflective LED-backlit screens where everything is computer-controlled and the display isn't a dial at all but a customizable computer program for various gauge "looks". But that's my dream.

 

Thanks in advance!

70vert

[Pakrat 1,044]

I don't have info for you on JME but there is another factory option to keep your interior looking stock without having to use a strap on tach or finding an OEM tach cluster. You could always go with the original style hood mounted tach. Just some food for thought if you haven't already considered it already over the years of debate.

 

I just don't think it gets much cooler than keeping your eye on the road and watching the engine rev at the same time.

 

[70vert 17]

yeah, I've thought about that, and no offense to the guys who have done a great job with their hood-mounted tach installs (I've seen a few good-looking ones) but it's just not for me on this build.

 

There are things I don't like about the JME - the sharp transition and lack of a bevel between the woodgrain and the recess for the gauges, and the lack of a true OEM appearance on the Autometer gauges - they're OK, but you don't get that classic feel so much. Maybe with the green glow you get a bit of it.:001_unsure: That's why I was hoping for a green-glow photo, but maybe I'll be the guy to put that up later here. :biggrin:

 

I also kind of like that I'm not tied to a fragile printed circuit board anymore, and I'm joining the ranks of some of the hot rod guys where there's a lot of known plug-and-play solutions. But I'm giving up some of that OEM look, but I think it's as close to OEM as I'm going to get without fabbing up my own fiberglass solution with better transitions and bezels, which I'm really not ready to do at this stage . . .

 

compromises, compromises . . .

[70vert 17]

actually, Pak, what I should have said is "It looks absolutely perfect on a '69 convertible, but something about it just doesn't mesh with a '70. :biggrin::thumbup:

[Pakrat 1,044]

Ha Ha, hey I know they aren't for everyone, most optionns aren't, that what makes the hobby so fun, it would suck to go to a show and see a row of identical cars, I just didn't know if you had considered it or not so I thought I would throw it up there. I have the same feeling as you about an OEM looking interior and have had to compromise too, the gauge pod just wasn't one of them for me since you look at it the most from the driver persepective.

[stangme428 33]

70vert...wow.. thanks for triggering that thought.... i went with the yearone bezel and installed my own auto meter gauges..

 

BUT .. looking at the back of the yearone bezel it would be cool if you could mount a LCD panel or two individual oled displays that covers both main gauges and design your own graphics to be displayed within... hmmm.. time for research...:tongue_smilie: maybe an arduino to monitor vitals and interface with a video controller to display....:biggrin:

[rchappelear 28]

i like the looks of the JME woodgrain instrument bezel, but hate the price tag!!!! Also with that there was a smoother transition between surface and gauge area... maybe some chrome like the original bezels

[70vert 17]

@stangme428 - I know, right?? If we can have games like Need for Speed, etc., that have great graphics for their gauges why can't those same gauges be used for real automotive applications? You would just have to turn a real input from a tach, electric speedo sender, oil pressure sender, fuel sender, etc., into a virtual software input that one of these programs understand. You could have:

 

1. Custom graphics backgrounds for whatever sort of gauges you wanted, and you could even change these on the fly. OEM, hot rod gauges, modern digital instrumentation, whatever you want. Just like changing your desktop background on a computer.

 

2. I had thought of custom round LCD screens, but you might have a great point there. It might be far, far easier to give a computer a 4x3 ratio monitor and put a round gauge smack in the middle or wherever you want it. Otherwise, you might have to do entirely new round displays. I strongly believe this is in the future of hot rodding and restomodding, but how many years out is it?

 

3. That 4x3 ratio monitor would have to be pretty small in size to fit two of them side to side for speedo, tach, etc. The bezels would get in each others' way. Maybe two 16x9 ratio monitors side to side with multiple gauges on each would do it?

 

4. This is way too much project for me to even think about right now, but it would just require a software developer and a car guy to get together to figure out the positioning and how to convert the electric sensor signals into something software can understand. Maybe it all goes to a central Mac Mini via USB? There is room for a Mac Mini in the center of our dash if you have no A/C vents.

 

@rchappelear - yeah, that's one negative. I suppose you could modify the bezel by just chamfering the edge, rounding out the chamfer, if there's enough material behind it, and putting whatever trim over that you like. But it is an expensive solution if you have to do further modification. I think I'll just have to live with the sharp edge for the short term. It looks like the LED greenish glow from the outside will be reasonably close to OEM, though brighter, so I can live with that.

[70vert 17]

Okay, these Stewart Warner "green line" gauges from Summit got me thinking:

 

http://www.summitracing.com/search/?keyword=green%20line&dds=1

 

but the gauge size tops out at about 3 3/8 for the speedo and tach, and the JME and Year One (and Year One doesn't have woodgrain) have openings for 5" gauges. (like stock, I assume?) I imagine you could fiberglass in the opening if you were in love with these Stewart Warner gauges, so I posted them up here if anyone's interested in that "green glow on black face" look, and I think these units look great. Probably won't be on my ride, but they are classy gauges. I'm still down for the JME dash down the road.

[70vert 17]

I mean, look at this. THIS is '60s-early '70s style.

 

[Jayru 17]

I'm all for spending stupid money on cars (we all do), but $1100 for a gauge cluster?!? That's kinda nuts! I hope it comes with some KY for yo ass! :scared:

[70vert 17]

Hey, we all get reamed on pricing regularly compared to the Chebby guys anyway. But at least I won't be wearing a strap-on (tach) lol - my steering column can do just fine on its own.

[buening 69]

Hey what transmission are you going to use? If you are going the T56 route like myself you can't use a mechanical speedometer without a converter box. Something to keep in mind, but I'm sure you've already thought of that.

 

While it may not look 60's/70's, you may check out the Maximum Performance line from Stewart Warner. They are offered in white face, silver face, and I believe black face. They have the 5" speedometer and tachs. Just another option ;)