Have you guys seen these?

[Fordboy300]

I was on my Instagram and a ad came as I was scrolling and this popped up.  




Looks pretty good. Not sure if I would fork out the cash to buy one but glad the bullnoses are being recognized.

[86 1/2 Brutus]

I kind of like it, must be for a standard though.     Some years ago, and was never able to find it ever again, some place was offering a real wood bezel with round white gauges in place of the stock square gauges on the tach cluster.  I always wanted one, but by the time it came time to do Brutus, i couldn't find it anymore.  I've seen one in person and it was beautiful, but cost a pretty pretty penny.

[Rembrant]

They've been out for a little over a year now I believe. They're nice, but quite expensive also. I don't believe I've heard of anybody installing them yet.

http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/Dakota-Digital-Gauges-for-1980-1986-F-Series-tp35986.html

[Rusty_S85]

Rembrant wrote

They've been out for a little over a year now I believe. They're nice, but quite expensive also. I don't believe I've heard of anybody installing them yet.

http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/Dakota-Digital-Gauges-for-1980-1986-F-Series-tp35986.html

I never installed one in our era trucks but I have installed those VHX series gauges in everything else from Camaros to C10 surburbans to Transams.

They are quite nice, they have a lot of functionality and you can buy expansion modules to add even more functionality in the way of adding transmission temp gauges, oil temp gauges, compass, ambient air temp gauges, etc.

This is one I installed in a '63 C10 Surburban last year.


On another note I posted earlier this year I believe it was about the RTX series of gauge clusters they came up with that actually look like the original clusters.  Sadly they dont offer it for our 80 - 86 trucks yet and when I badgered Dakota they said they have no plans to release them at the moment.  Im hopeful to badger them enough and get others to badger them to offer them for our trucks as I would gladly upgrade to the RTX on my truck so I can get compass, ambiet air temp gauge as well as a transmission temp gauge without having to add aftermarket gauges.

This is some of their RTX clusters for different applications

1932 Ford Car




1940 Ford Car




1957 Chevrolet Car




This one shows how they can make them look for later model vehicles, 1973-79 Ford Trucks






These gauges have numerous custom colors you can create for the illumination, they have a digital mechanical odometer tumbler that will roll digitally vs just numbers changing, they are like late model cars that will actually flash the odometer when you open your doors, they also feature the OE "Normal" range minus the "Normal" text as when the key is turned on and the cluster activates you get hash marks with legit gauges blended in with actual numbers.

I really am trying to get Dakota Digital to make them for our trucks by bugging them about them constantly.  I know they wont match perfectly with the rest of the truck with the digital odometer vs the mechanical but with the digital clock it would kind of blend in some what.  Only thing I dont like about their RTX is for the tach for the 73-79 trucks they have a 8,000 rpm tach.  Honestly I think they should offer two flavors a 6,000 rpm like OE and a high rpm version that goes to 8,000 rpm.  For me I dont need a 8,000 rpm tach.

[Andre]

They are available on Broncograveyard, and on sale now, but still 650 dollar.
https://shop.broncograveyard.com/1980-86-Ford-Pickup-and-Bronco-VHX-Dakota-Digital-Instrument-Cluster/productinfo/37120/

We are going to make something similar to what is available on LMC truck shop.

[Rusty_S85]

The VHX is cheaper than the RTX, but I personally prefer the RTX as they look more stock which is what I prefer and I dont mind paying the $1,100 for them if I can get them to look OE but have the speedometer setup at 120 mph vs 160 mph and the tach setup at 6,000 vs 8,000 rpm.

I just have to pester them enough to get them to release the RTX but I think they will eventually though cause it took 3 or 4 years from the introduction of the VHX for the 73-79 trucks before they released the VHX version for the 80-86 trucks.