A body Ralley dash cluster interchangeability

Posted By: 70Sbird

A body Ralley dash cluster interchangeability - 10/22/09 03:42 PM

Hello everyone,
I have a question for all of you A body Ralley dash experts.
I am going to swap a ralley dash into my 71 demon and have interchangeability questions on the ralley cluster itself. It appears that all of the clusters from 1967 to 1971 look similar except for the obvious radio openings and the flasher switch. I am assuming that the actual housings and gauges etc will interchange and are the same.
Can anyone verify this?
I believe that I could mount a 1967 housing and gauges to a 1971 Bezel/lenses and have a functional ralley dash. Has anyone tried this?
Thanks
Scott

Posted By: klunick

Re: A body Ralley dash cluster interchangeability - 10/22/09 05:06 PM

Never tried it as I have never had a reason to, but it makes sense to me that it should work. Actually Mike at BEA could probably confirm it as they manufacture the repop dashes and he would know the bolt configuration differences, if any.

Posted By: autoxcuda

Re: A body Ralley dash cluster interchangeability - 10/22/09 05:32 PM

I thought the radio cutout area is different for the knob vs. thumbwheel radios.

This is a 68 thumbwheel radio dash structure. Does your 71 look like this around the radio?

Attached picture 5560391-PICT0627.JPG

Posted By: Jim_Lusk

Re: A body Ralley dash cluster interchangeability - 10/22/09 06:05 PM

Your 71 heater controls will NOT mount to the 67 cluster frame, but will probably mount to a 68. The 67 bezel will only mount correctly to a 67 cluster frame. The 67 speedometer requires a 67 cable (screw-on instead of snap-on).

By "cluster frame", I am talking about the pot metal backing that the guages and circuit boards attach to, not the dash frame.

Posted By: autoxcuda

Re: A body Ralley dash cluster interchangeability - 10/22/09 06:15 PM

Quote:

Your 71 heater controls will NOT mount to the 67 cluster frame, but will probably mount to a 68. The 67 bezel will only mount correctly to a 67 cluster frame. The 67 speedometer requires a 67 cable (screw-on instead of snap-on).

By "cluster frame", I am talking about the pot metal backing that the guages and circuit boards attach to, not the dash frame.

Are cluster frames the same for air conditioning and non-A/C ?? I'm not 100% sure.

Am I correct about the radio knob differences in the dash board frame/structure?

Posted By: 70Sbird

Re: A body Ralley dash cluster interchangeability - 10/22/09 06:33 PM

I think I can answer some questions. The radio area will be different between the thumbwheel and knob style radios on the larger steel dash frame. The cluster housing doesn't extend into the radio area, but the palstic bezel will need to match whatever dash frame you have. I also believe that the cluster housing (potmetal part described above) will also be different between a/c and non a/c dashes.
I has no idea that the 67 heat controls were different and also great catch on the snap v/s screw on speedo! those are the types of differences I need to know but wouldn't find until I had parts to compare!
Thanks!

Posted By: Jim_Lusk

Re: A body Ralley dash cluster interchangeability - 10/22/09 08:41 PM

No difference between AC and non-AC, except in the bezel itself. Cluster frames are the same, except for the year differences.

Having been around 67 and 68 a-bodies for the past 27 years has allowed me to see many of the differences. They completely changed the heater controls and the spacing of the mounting bolts. If you haven't seen the difference, 67 controls are a simple lever with a single pivot. They will stick farther out in mid-travel than at the ends. 68 controls are a slide knob with a complex lever.