Today I had a question from a fellow reader about removing the trim around the windshield of his Mustang; the question:

How is the trim around the windshield held in place? Presumably by some sort of clip, but what kind and how to remove the trim without destroying it? Are replacement clips available?

The trim is held in place with molding retainer clips. There are several options for clips depeding on the year of your Ford Mustang and if the clips are for the windshiled or the back window.

1965 Mustang uses the same clip for both the front and rear window Part #: C5ZZ-65423A26-A

1966-1968 Use the same clip for the front and rear window (Part #: C5ZZ-65423A26-B) with one exception: The 67-68 coupe has a specific clip for the rear top molding Part #: C7ZZ-65423A26-A

How to remove the window trim moldings

Removing the trim requires a Molding Remover, which actually works on the clip to release the molding from its grip. Part #: T-87800; here is a short video demonstrating how the clip works and how to remove the molding.

How to install the molding clips

The method for installation depends on the tools that you have on hand, here is a short video presented by myol66.com on how to remove and install the clips.

 

 

 

Does your Classic Mustang leak oil? Most of them do at some point, and its typically from the rear main seal at the back of the oil pan. So how do you repair the leak? It's pretty easy and if you do it yourself you can save hundreds of dollars.

This article details the procedures for removing the oil pans from you classic Mustang. Although this article illustrate the undercarriage of a Mustang, the same procedures apply to other early Ford models including the Falcons, Comets, Fairlane and other models; and applies to both the V8 and six cylinder engines.

The first step is to removed the negative battery cable, raise the front of the car, and drain the oil. Then remove the tubular cross member (illustrated in the photo) that ties the front frames rails together.

The cross member is held to the frame by two large bolts, one on each side of the car. These bolts are tough to remove and may require the use of a breaker bar and cheater pipe or an impact gun. The cross member orientation is important so tag one side of with a piece of tape and mark it "driver or "passenger" so you reinstall it correctly.

You may also need to drop the front steering controls to allow removal of the Mustang oil pan. You don't need to completely remove the steering; just unbolt a couple of things to give you the room needed to drop the pan. The idler arm on the passenger side need to be unbolted from the frame rail, and then remove the center link from the pitman arm at steering box.

 

There's a couple of tricks for separating the center link from the pitman arm; one is to use a pickle fork, the other is to loosen the castle nut up the stud so its flush and then strike it with a large hammer to break it loose.

 

 

Once the steering controls are dropped you can swing them out of the way so you have ample room to access the oil pan and bolts.

 

If you have a factory style starter installed you should remove it to make getting to the the oil pan bolts in this area a lot easier. The starter in this photo is and aftermarket unit and is a lot smaller in diameter so it will remain in place since it does not pose a problem.

 

 

 

Now your ready to remove the oil pan; a ratchet, a long extension and couple of sockets will do the job. You will probably need a screw driver or gasket scraper to slip between the oil pan and the block to work it loose.

 

 

This article applies to:

1964 Mustang, 1965 Mustang, 1966 Mustang,1967 Mustang, 1968 Mustang, 1969 Mustang, 1970 Mustang, 1971 Mustang, 1972 Mustang, 1973 Mustang, and some other models....

If your doing a full restoration or need to replace your Mustang trunk lid because it's been damaged, there is a good possibility that you will need to realign the deck lid.

In most cases you will only need to align the trunk lid front to back and side to side, in some cases you may need to adjust the height of the deck so the body lines near the back window and quarter panels all line up nicely.

 

I'm doing a full restoration on this Pink Mustang and I've elected to leave the trunk hinges and tension bar installed; I would recommend that you do the same unless you want to deal with the aggravation of installing the tension rods.

Installing the Trunk Lid

I began my deck lid installation by removing the old trunk seal, installing the trunk latch striker and then mounting the lid to the hinges.

 

Install the quarter panel extensions

Next I take a general look at the overall fit, install the trunk latch and then mount the quarter panel extensions; the extensions also have to be lined up with the quarter panels and trunk lid.

   

 

 

There is a quarter panel extension seal available for 64-73 Mustang that you should install to make those body line adjustments, buy two sets; one for fit and body work stages and one for final assembly.

 

 

Aligning the Deck

There are four positions that can be adjusted to improve the alignment and fit of the deck lid on the Mustang, one of these is the trunk hinge that sets the deck height. In some cases an adjustment may not be required here but you should confirm that by temporarily installing a new trunk seal/weather strip; the new gasket may cause the deck to rise depending on its thickness.

 

 

 

 

Install the trunk seal so the narrow part of the V is inboard and the thicker part is outboard.

 

 

 

Here is the breakdown for the adjustment points and positioning:

Hinge to Body: Sets the deck height, primarily the front half of the trunk lid.	Trunk to Hinge: Positions the deck lid forward or back, sets the gaps at the rear deck filler panel and alignment with quarter panel extensions.
Trunk Latch: Sets the rear deck height, aligns trunk lid with quarter panel extensions at rear.	Trunk Latch Striker: Can assist in setting the gaps between the deck lid and the quarter panels

 

Aligning the quarter panel extensions

Two parts on the classic Mustang that stand out the most when it comes to poor factory fit is the front fender extensions (head light buckets) and the rear quarter panel extensions. The quarter panel extensions typically line up pretty well on the sides of the quarter panel bit the fit at the top is poor.

The top edges of my extension sit a little high in some areas where they meet the top of the quarter panel so I've used a rat tail file to shave off some of the metal for a closer more inform contour fit with the quarter panels.

  

The final step is to smooth everything out with an orbital sander; now its time to remove the deck lid and prepare to strip it, seal it and install it again. 

 

 

Here is another weekend project you can accomplish in just a few hours. Lets say your Mustang automatic shifter is loose and sloppy, your going to have the assembly out of the car; why not take it a step further and rebuild the entire assembly with all new parts. Watch this video, order the parts and do this project!

 

 

[VIDEO]

Remove the Shifter Assembly

Before you can begin the restoration you either need a good core or you have to remove your existing assembly from your Mustang; for information on removing you assembly read and watch the video "How To Replace Mustang Automatic Shifter Bushings"

 

Get your tools and parts together

This small project requires only a hand full of basic tool: Standard and Philips screw driver, ratchet and sockets, an Allen wrench and of course a hammer.

 

 

 

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Automatic Shift Dis-Assembly

 

Taking this assembly apart is pretty easy just follow these steps

Remove the shifter handle using a very small Allen wrench to loosen the set screw; then just pull up in it.

 

 

 

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Remove the shift cover with a Philips screw driver; four screws out then lift it up off off the shift lever.

 

 

 

 

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Remove the shift cover retaining plate; remove the four screws..

 

 

 

 

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Pop out the housing plug using a standard screw driver; if this piece is in good shape you can probably clean it up and reuse it.

 

 

 

 

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Removing the shift bracket and arm required a 9/16 socket and most likely a tap with a hammer to disengage the two from each other.

 

 

 

     

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If your fortunate enough to have a blast cabinet you can get the shift housing and bracket cleaned up really nice, if you don't have a cabinet then go with old fashioned soup and water

 

 

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After cleaning up the shifter housing and bracket, shoot a light coat of steel colored paint on the surfaces for corrosion protection

 

 

 

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Automatic Shifter Assembly

 

 

Now it time to reassemble the shifter. Lay out all of your new and restored parts, get your tools on the table along with some grease and a shop towel.

 

 

 

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To prevent excessive wear and provide smooth operation grease is applied to the shifter bushings where they make contact with the shift bracket; one on the inside of the housing and one on the shaft of the bracket.

      

 

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Now it time the install the shift bracket and arm into the shift housing, but before you do that you should attach the shift indicator lamp to the shift arm prior to placing it into the housing; it's a lot easier to do this before the arm and bracket are bolted in place.

      

 

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Time for an adjustment

Shift arm and bracket are installed and secure, now its time to install the shift handle and check the adjustment to make sure the shifter will engage each gear properly.

The shift arm has a cable that runs through the middle with a pivot mechanism at the top and an adjuster nut and stud at its base.

To install the shift handle use your thumb to actuate the pivot mechanism so you can get it in line to drop the handle onto the top of the lever.

 

 

Place the shifter in the lowest gear position, get a wrench that has a curve or step down at the end so you can reach the adjuster nut from the top side, use a screw driver to either hold or turn the adjuster stud and make the adjustments needed to get the shifter working properly.

Making this adjustment now is a lot easier to do at the bench than it will be once the assembly is in the car.

Don't forget to remove the handle once adjusted so you can continue assembling the unit.

 

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Feed the shift indicator lamp wire between the housing and the retaining plate base now, its more difficult if you try to do it later.

 

 

 

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Push the new or restored shift housing plug into place

 

 

 

 

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Install the shift cover retaining plate

 

 

 

 

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Install the shifter cover

      

 

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Install the handle and you done with this project!

     

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Parts List

C7ZZ-15A808-A	67-8 SHIFTER LAMP W/O CONSOLE
C8OZ-7213-BK	67-73 DLX SHIFT HANDLE BLACK
52720-SK	64-68 AUTO SHIFT COVER SCREW KT
C5ZZ-7210-A	64-66 AUTO SHIFT LEVER
C5ZZ-7A133-A	64 1/2-73 AUTO SHIFT BUSHING
C7ZZ-7D394-P	67-8 CONCOURSE SHIFT COVER ASSEMBLY
C5ZZ-7213-F	64-67 AUTO TRANS SHIFT HANDLE
C5ZZ-7C147-B	65-73 SHIFT POD BOLT PLUG
1893	64-73 SHIFT INDICATOR BULB
C5ZZ-7B233-A	64-8 AUTO SHIFTCOVER RETAINING PLATE
C5ZZ-7370	65-66 AUTO TRANS SHIFT HOUSNG SEAL

If your doing a classic Mustang restoration you've probably thought about resetting your odometer to zero; so how can you achieve this? I've read about people using a drill and hooking it up to the odometer and letting it wiz away until they reach the mark, this could potentially take hours. There is an easier way to do this by rolling the odometer back by hand.

This article and video demonstrates the procedure on a 1967-68 Mustang Odometer but should apply to 65-66 Mustang and 69-73 Mustang as well, and the procedures would probably work on a lot of other Muscle Cars from the era.

[VIDEO]

Removing the Odometer

The first step is to remove the instrument gauge cluster form the dash; you'll need to do this so you can remove the odometer from the speedometer housing. The Odometer is held in place with a spring clip, a very small screw driver and a little nudging will remove the spring clip allowing the odometer to be removed.

When you remove the odometer you will see a series of tabs between each if the digit barrels, these tabs are the piece that keep the numbers in line and in place until the number to its left passes nine. Don't panic if these tabs and numbers start spinning around as you handle the odometer in preparation for setting it to zero, your going to spin them anyway.

Rolling back the odometer

So you've taken a good look at your odometer and noticed the rings between each of the digit barrels; each having two tabs exposed. The odometer reading is always between these two tabs and this is where we want to line up all the zeros while conforming to the tab alignment.

The first step is to set the left most number on the odometer to zero; turn the entire assembly until this zero is facing you; don't worry about the tab position when doing this that will be set next.

With the zero farthest to the left facing you; secure it with your thumb so it stays in this position. Then turn the rest of the assembly away from you until the digits lock in place; unlock the tab between the zero and the number next to it by turning it toward you until it lock in place. Repeating this procedure will bring the tab around until it is in position where the zero you are holding is between the tabs.  

To align the remaining zeros and tabs, repeat the procedures above. Start by bring the next number (working from the left) so the zero is facing you and is lined up with the zero to the left. Now secure both zeros with your thumb and give the rest of the assembly a spin and repeat the tab movement until it's in line.

Confusing, yes! You should watch the video.

If your going to do your own Mustang body work or just want to know the procedures an experienced body shop my use when removing dents from your Mustang, AverageJoe will explain the concepts and demonstrate how its done.

Anatomy of a Dent

A dent in your body panel my be caused from a baseball, a shopping cart, another car door, you name it. No matter what the dent is caused from it's the result from some type of impact.  

A dent is much like an impact crater. When an impact to the surface occurs it's clear that it leaves a crater, what's not so visible is the rebound zone or ripple effect. Imagine a drop of water into a puddle in slow motion; the drop hits the surface, creates an inverted zone (the dent) and then creates a ripple that is typically higher than the overall surface like a wave (the rebound).

 

The Science of Removing the Dent

[VIDEO]

Removing the dent would seem pretty easy, take a hammer and pound out the crater; there is a much easier way with better results.

An easy fix for a lazy body man is to layer some Bondo over the dent, not realizing that there is most likely high spots that resulted when the dent was created; let me explain

The dent really wants to return to its original position in most cases and if you can get under or behind the dent and apply a slight amount of pressure you can help it return to its natural conforming position. Remember that rebound zone mentioned earlier; the key to getting the metal to return to its natural position resides with this area.

       

It's I good idea to identify the troubled areas before you begin, it helps you determine where you need to go next as you work on each area. I mark the lows with "L" and the highs or rebound area I need to tap on with a line through the "H" as shown above.

 

Place you're body dolly under the center of the dent, apply a slight amount of pressure and then tap the rebound area; you will actually see the metal (dent) return to its natural position. The result should be a surface that in much better shape and will only require a small amount of body filler and in some cases none at all.

 

 

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Pulling a Dent

Sometimes you can't get behind a dent and perform the procedure mentioned earlier, rather than taking the uneducated body man approach and filling in the crater with body filler you should try pulling the dent.

As an example Project Playboy was treated to the lazy uneducated body man procedures by a previous body shop (read Paint Shop Prison). This long crease in the roof top where it transitions down to the quarter panel was uncovered after stripping the 1/4 inch of body filler. Since I can't get behind the dent to apply some pressure I'll have to pull the dent out.

The concept for removing the dent is the same as mentioned earlier but rather than pushing on the dent you pull on it while taping on the metal around it with a soft rubber hammer.

Before the days of stud welders you would drill a hole in the surface to perform this procedure and most likely use the slide hammer. Stud welders make the procedure much easier and give you precise control, you don't always have to use the slide hammer.

The photo to the right shows the use of a pair of pliers clamped onto the stud or draw pin rather than using the slide hammer. I like to work a few steps at a time so I only weld on a stud or two at one time.

I begin by working my way toward the middle of the dent, so the first couple of studs are welded somewhere between the center of the dent and the transition and then eventually to the middle; along the way pulling on each stud and tapping the rebound area or solid part of the body.

I had to use the slide hammer for a couple of light pulls once I got to the center of the crease, overall the work I performed is 1000 times better than the work performed; or should I say, that was not performed by the previous shop.

 

 

 

 

Do your door hinges on you Mustang need to be replaced or rebuilt, maybe your door needs to be removed and replaced? If either of these scenarios is playing out for you then you will have to realign the door to the car at some point. This short article and video will demonstrate the basic principles of Classic Mustang Door Alignment.
 

The door that I am aligning is a new reproduction door From Dynacorn International, so far it's a nice piece and I am very pleased. The procedures that I am using to install and align the door on my 1967 Mustang coupe should apply for the 65, 66 and 68 model as well.

[VIDEO]

Have your fender removed from the car; if you don't remove the fender you will wish you had after several hours of frustration. Also get yourself a helper, it will make things progress quickly and successfully; I went at it alone.

Preparing the door

Install the door hinges on the door and make sure that the lower hinge is in the closed position; this will give you a straight shot at it on installation.

Install the door latch; having the door latch installed will help with aligning the door, especially if you've taken on the job alone and then install the door lamb sticker plate.

 

Prepare the door jambs and gap gauges

Before I mount the door to the Mustang I prep the rear door jambs and rocker panel with my panel gap gauge made out of pop-sickle sticks (you can use paint sticks), this will set the initial gap as well as help protect the jambs and rocker from an impact with the door edges.

 

Mounting and Aligning the Door

Once the door is mounted and the striker plate is adjusted so the rear of the door is aligned pretty well I move to fine tuning the door alignment.

Door Hinges 101

• Each door hinge has a body side hinge and a door side hinge; each of the sides plays a role in aligning the Mustangs door.
• The body side of the hinges allow adjustments to be made up, down and front to back
• The door side if the hinge allows adjustments to be made up, down, inboard and outboard.
• Each adjustment should be made to one hinge side at a time, tighten the bolts and then move to the next adjustment.

Problem and Solution

P: The gap between the top rear of the door and the quarter panel is to close, you need to widen the gap.

S: Make the adjustment at the top body side hinge, nudge it forward until you achieve the appropriate gap.

P: The bottom rear of the door is sticking out and is not flush with the body.

S: Make the adjustment at the top door side hinge, pull the top front of the door outward and you will see the lower rear of the door drift inward.

• Top rear in or out = lower door side hinge
• Bottom rear in or out = upper door side hinge
• Setting gap and angle = body side hinges, up down, forward or back

 

 

I hope this article has taken some of the mystery out of installing and aligning the door on your Mustang; if you have questions or some tips or experience you would like to share please leave your comments.

One of the most visible pieces of equipment from the driver seat of a classic Mustang is the instrument gauge cluster; you're constantly looking at it and if its old and worn, it's time to do some restoration on this piece. This article and video demonstrates how this resto job can completed in an afternoon.

 

 

[VIDEO]

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Before you can restore the instrument gauge cluster in your Mustang you will most likely have to remove it from the car, if so then you may want to view the article "How to Replace a Mustang instrument Bezel" which demonstrates how to remove the gauge cluster.

 

Once you have the instrument cluster removed from you Mustang and on the bench your ready to get started.

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Remove the wiring and bulbs

If you're restoring a 1965-66 Mustang gauge cluster then you wont have to worry about the wiring during the restoration, but for the 1967-68 Mustang you will most likely have to remove and clean the wiring, and before you do that you should take a picture of the back of the cluster with the wiring in place so you can reference it during reassembly.

 

Remove the wiring and bulbs from the back of the instrument housing. The wiring can be cleaned with wax and grease remover which will preserve the color codes and stripes that would typically be removed if you use lacquer thinner.

 

 

 

 

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Clean up the housing 

Before you disassemble the gauge assembly you should clean up the metal housing to remove any surface rust and dirt; I use a fine scotch brite pad to clean things up.

 

 

 

Now its time to begin the disassembly process. I start by removing the wiper switch control so I can clean up the chrome switch arm with super fine steel wool.

 

 

 

 

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Disassemble the gauge assembly

Next remove the instrument bezel from the housing. From the back side of the assembly remove the small screws that hold the bezel and gauge housing together, you should then be able to separate the assembly exposing the gauge faces.

The instrument bezel for 1967-68 Mustangs has lens retainers and also a few other components attached that you will need to remove, clean up and reuse. The lens retainers are held in place by a few screws, the other items such as the turn signal tubs and light separators should be saved; and in some cases you may need to use the old light filters so hang on to the old bezel until your restoration is complete.

The old center lens has a black option delete button on it; save this old lens so you can remove the button and place it in the new center lens.

 

 

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Painting the gauge needles

Clean up the gauge faces with wax and grease remover, this will clean the surface without removing any of the printing or paint from the gauge face. Be very careful with the gauge needles while cleaning, move them out of the way in their natural direction when cleaning around them.

 

 

Choosing the correct bright orange paint to paint the gauge needles can be a mystery; some people use Testor Red model paint, I use Fluorescent Red Paint; its the correct color and looks correct when driving at night.

Before you paint the gauge needles you should protect the gauge surface with some paper and then clean the needles with wax and grease remover.

   

Fluorescent Red Speedo/Gauge Paint If you are restoring a vintage gauge cluster, this is a must have item. This fluorescent red paint has a red/orange color just like the color found on vintage Ford, Chevy, Dodge, and other brands of instrument clusters. This special paint has a high fluorescent solids content and will meet or exceed the original fluorescent red coating. This is a true fluorescent paint that is specially designed to “glow” under the lights of your dash. Using a non-fluorescent paint will result in your gauge needles appearing dark or black at night and make your gauges difficult to read. Using a proper fluorescent paint is the only way to properly restore your gauge indicator needles.

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Reassemble the instrument Cluster

While the paint on the gauge needles is drying its time to begin installing the new lenses into the new instrument bezel, as well as installing any of the other components from the old bezel and lenses that I need to carry over to the new unit.

 

 

As soon as the gauge needles are done drying and the lenses have been installed into the new instrument bezel all that remains is to attach the cluster to the bezel, install the wiper switch and then move on to cleaning up the wiring and install all new bulbs.

 

 

 

Your restored bezel is complete, ready to install and will improve your experience while driving your classic.

 

 

 

 

 

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Replacing the instrument bezel is the easy part, getting to that point involve disconnecting the speedometer and unplugging all the connection from the back of the gauge assembly. read this article and view a video of the removal and installation process.

 

This article cover replacing the instrument bezel on a 1966 Ford Mustang, the procedures are similar for 1965, 1967 and 1968 model years.

Scott Drake Enterprises supplies this particular bezel with a fit and finish that you would expect. You can purchase this instrument bezel and other classic Mustang parts from AAPD.NET

 [VIDEO]

Tools required

• Philips Screw Driver and a couple of wrenches.

Disconnect the battery

Disconnect the battery to avoid shorting anything out or causing an electrical fire. Always disconnect the battery ground or negative cable first, this will spare you the "shock" you may experience if you grounded out the wrench while disconnecting the positive side.

 

 

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Remove the instrument assembly

Remove the screws that hold the assembly in place, pull the assembly forward a couple of inches so you can reach behind it to unscrew the speedometer cable from the assembly, if its too tight to loosen by hand you will need to use a wrench.

 

 

 

After the speedometer cable is disconnected you should be able to tilt the assembly face down onto the steering column, exposing the wired connections so you can disconnect them and remove the assembly from the car.

 

 

 

Its a good idea to take a photo of the wired connection or tag each wire with masking tape and an ID so you know exactly where it goes when you re-install the instrument cluster.

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Remove and replace the bezel

 

To remove the instrument bezel from the gauge housing loosen and remove the screws that hold the bezel to the housing and lift the gauge housing off of the bezel.

 

 

 

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Reassemble and install

If you didn't purchase a new instrument lens and lens pads then you will have to clean up and reuse you existing lens and pads.

Install the lens pads and instrument lens into the new instrument bezel, re-attach the gauge cluster to the bezel and then reinstall in the Mustang.

 

 

 

 

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If this article or video was helpful please leave your comments, and leave some comments of your own if you have any tips or suggestions you would like to share.

Have you ever wondered where you could get white faced gauges for your Classic Mustang? wonder no more; you don't even have to replace a single gauge.

AAPD.NET offers these Scott Drake Exclusive Electro Luminescent Instrument Panels. These panels have white faces and actually glow! The light intensity can be changed with a dedicated controller and the color can be changed from soft blue to soft green with the push of a button.

These panels are available for all classic Mustangs from 1965-1973, they are fairly easy to install and require a minimum amount of tools. Read this article and watch a video of the installation process and then go purchase and install a set, you wont be disappointed. 

If you don't want to go with the white faced gauges or don't want to shell out the $100 bucks, you can opt for changing the stock color of you lighting by putting in new instrument panel light filters or diffusers available in Blue, Red or Amber.

[VIDEO]

Tools you will need

The panels will be installed on a 1966 Mustang, and requires just a few tools to do the installation which can be performed in about an hour or so.

• Philips screw driver
• Electrical test light
• Wire cutters
• 3/8 inch nut driver
• electrical tape
• Adhesive tape or glue (I recommend using Mini-Glue Dots)
• Bright paint for the gauge indicator needles

You can do the installation without removing the steering wheel however, it can be annoying to have it in the way and you probably need to replace the turn signal switch anyway, so plan on having the tools listed below available so you can remove it.

• Steering wheel puller
• 1/2 inch ratchet and a large socket
• and a wrench to disconnect the battery and remove the turn signal arm.

Disconnect the battery

Disconnect the battery to avoid shorting anything out or causing an electrical fire. Always disconnect the battery ground or negative cable first, this will spare you the "shock" you may experience if you grounded out the wrench while disconnecting the positive side.

 

 

 

Remove horn button

Removing the horn button is as easy as pushing down on the center of it and then giving it a twist counter clockwise. If you perform this and your horn is blowing then you missed the step above.

 

 

Remove the steering wheel

The steering wheel will most likely need to be removed with a steering wheel puller so plan on having one available other wise you will not be able to complete the replacement.

Remove the nut that secures the wheel to the steering shaft with a 1/2 ratchet or breaker bar and an appropriate sized socket. Then use the steering wheel puller to pull the wheel of of the steering shaft. Then remove the spring from the shaft and unscrew the turn signal arm by hand or with an open end wrench on the flat spot if its too tight.  

 

Remove the instrument gauge assembly

Remove the instrument assembly from the dash with the Philips screw driver. Pull the instrument assembly toward you a couple of inches so you can disconnect the speedometer cable. If your lucky enough you will be able to unscrew the speedometer cable by hand, if not then you'll have to get an open end wrench to get it loose.

 

With the speedometer cable disconnected you should now be able to tip the instrument cluster face down exposing the wired connections and light bulbs on the back so you can disconnect them and remove the assembly from the car.

 

 

It's a good idea to take a digital photo of your instrument assembly before you disconnect any of the wires, the picture will be a great reference piece if you cant figure out where something was connected.

Another tried and true method is to label each wire with masking tape using names or numbers or both, its entirely up to you.
 

 

 

Remove the bezel and gauges

Now that the instrument gauge assembly is removed from the Mustang its time to disassemble it, do a little restoration and apply the new Electro Luminescent panels.

Remove the instrument bezel and lens from the instrument housing, this takes the Philips screw driver.

Then remove each gauge from the housing, use a 3/8 inch nut driver for fuel, oil, amps and temp gauges and a standard screw driver for the speedometer

Instrument gauge restoration

Since we have the gauges out of the housing, this is the opportune time to do a little bit of restoration on them. Being very careful with the indicator needles is very important, breaking one of these delicate pieces can result in a failed or delayed installation.

Find some matching or florescent orange paint and restore the needles, they'll look great against the new white faced gauge panels!

         

 

Installing the Electro Luminescent Panels

Before going to bat on the installation you should do a preliminary fit on each gauge to see if each piece is going to fit in its place and determine if you need to modify or trim anything. Trimming some of the gauge housing is necessary on some models, for this 1966 Mustang the only trimming needed was on the speedometer gauge.

Once you have all of your fitting and trimming done you can secure the new panels to the gauge face with some adhesive, like glue or double stick tape. I used Mini-Glue Dots to secure the panels, positioned a few of them around the perimeter and near the center. The glue dots are very sticky and should secure the panels in place for years.

         

Reassemble the gauge cluster

Reassemble the gauge cluster, determine your wiring rout and remove a light filter or two to feed the panel wires through the back of the gauge housing. Be sure not to rout through the turn signal lamp holes, and keep this space in mind while routing the panel wires out of the housing.

         

 

Re-attach the instrument bezel and lens to the gauge housing to complete the assembly.

Now that you have the assembly ready to install you should do a mock up of all the connections and controls at the bench; this will give you a good idea of how to approach installing the assembly back in the Mustang.

 

 

Installing the instrument gauge assembly

Before installing the assembly into the Mustang you will need to locate a power source that is only on when the ignition key is in the on position. Since there is no on/off switch for the panels you wouldn't want them to be left on to drain the battery.

 

 

Use a test light to locate the power source; you should be able to find an available lead just behind the instrument panel. Once you find a power source you can install the luminescent panel control module and controller in an accessible location.

 

 

 

 

Using a wire tap splice clamp is the easiest way to tap into an existing power source and only requires a pair of pliers, no cutting or splicing. Locate an existing ground wire and tap splice into it as well.

 

 

 

 

Do a test run on the gauge assembly before you button everything up. If you don't test your assembly before you reinstall everything you may end up removing it again if something does not work.

 

 

 

If everything checks out and the test went well you can now secure the control module and controller. Secure the module to the under dash harness with electrical tape, and then rout the wiring and the control panel into the desired location and secure the controller.

Plug in and install the gauge assembly, don't forget to connect the speedometer cable; then sit back and enjoy the new look.

 

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