Wouldn't it be nice if you could take your Mustang's factory instrument panel and trick it up to suit your personal tastes without major surgery or an expensive aftermarket cluster? Well, now you can, thanks to Northwest Mustang, Mustangs Plus, and Ford Racing Performance Parts. Mustangs Plus offers a molded plastic, five-pod cluster adaptor from Northwest Mustang that enables you to take a stock Mustang instrument bezel and fit it with Ford Racing instruments over a weekend.
We're heading down the home stretch with Project Reclaim, a '65 Mustang fastback that Mustangs Plus and The Restomod Shop has saved from the salvage yard. Technician Richard Bramlett built a custom five-pod instrument panel for Project Reclaim using Ford Racing Competition instruments that light up in a cool electric blue thanks to light emitting diodes (LEDs) and colorful Ford Racing graphics. He's going to show us how it's done.
Richard starts with an off-the-shelf...
Richard starts with an off-the-shelf five-dial bezel for '65-'66 Mustangs. No modifications to the bezel are required.
This molded plastic bezel...
This molded plastic bezel adaptor, manufactured by Northwest Mustang and available from Mustangs Plus, enables you to fit the factory-style bezel cluster with aftermarket instruments.
Richard fabricated a custom...
Richard fabricated a custom instrument panel wiring harness for our five-dial Reclaim cluster. Connectors are soldered and fitted with heat shrink for maximum performance and reliability. With Richard's system, you can plug and unplug the cluster as necessary for maintenance. We're using a Painless Performance electrical system.
The adaptor and bezel are...
The adaptor and bezel are mated as shown, securing both with stock self-tapping screws.
The Ford Racing instruments...
The Ford Racing instruments are retained via plastic I-beam brackets.
Installation is easy.
The electric speedometer is...
The electric speedometer is also secured with a plastic I-beam and instrument pins.
Richard installs his custom...
Richard installs his custom wiring harness, which will plug into the Painless electrical system.
As you can see, Richard's...
As you can see, Richard's harness is compact and ready for operation. The key is organization. It's not a bowl of spaghetti. Instead, it is streamlined and easy to understand.
To install the five-dial cluster,...
To install the five-dial cluster, all Richard has to do is plug in. He has designed enough slack into both the cluster harness and main loom for easy access.
Cluster installation is easier...
Cluster installation is easier than what Ford had in this car to begin with. Four countersunk sheetmetal screws get the job done.
For its interior, Project...
For its interior, Project Reclaim is getting cool brushed aluminum, which will contrast nicely against the Restomod Blue and Graphite Gray colors. We like the soft backlit LED instrumentation available from Ford Racing. In the coming months, we'll show how to install a gauge pod, also fitted with Ford Racing instruments and Painless wiring.