1968 Dash Gauge Cluster/Speedometer Problem

[tyotteson]

I recently purchased a 1968 Firebird that with the intent of restoring it. The dash cluster was completely ripped out of the car. When I started putting it back together I realized that the speedometer cluster was actually for a 1969 Firebird which does not match up. I then went and purchased a used 1968 speedometer cluster. When I got the speedometer in the mail I put it into the carrier and tried installing it in my car. My problem is this: The speedometer cable that is on the car is the push on type. The cluster requires a thread on style. I am confused and not sure if I once again have the wrong speedometer cluster, or if the cable is wrong, or whats going on. Please help!

 

[melsg5]

if you go www.amesperf.com and look at the firebird catalog you will see that 68 and 69 did NOT use the same cable. I would call them and ask what the 68 cable end looks like and I suspect you have a 69 cable.

 

[tyotteson]

I noticed they had different cables, but for a lot of the cables you can have either push on or thread on style. However for these cabels it gives a date range (i.e. 67-68 or 67-69). Which is what confussed me. I have yet to call and ask anyone, but thought I could find the anser first. The cable that I have cambe attached to the car which is why I am having a hard time thinking its the wrong cable and that maybe I have the wrong cluster again (maybe the cluster for the 67)....

 

[melsg5]

the 67 would have the same cable as the 68 thus if you know you had a 69 cluster it would have to use a 69 cable. Why dont you believe that when the 69 cluster was installed that they also didnt install a 69 cable?

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[tyotteson]

Sorry for the confussion, the 69 cluster wasn't installed. It was a car that I bought that was in pieces. The previous people thought they were going to rebuild it. So far I have been able to sell 4 different parts they thought they could use for it. But maybe you are right, they might have bought the 69 cable/cluster and installed the cable before they did anything else to the car, lol. One of the great problems of buying something that was tore apart, that you didnt get to tare apart, lol. Thanks

 

[melsg5]

if you look at the online pdf catalog for Firebirds at www.amesperf.com they have some very clear pictures showing the different speedometer gauge faces for 67, 68 and 69

 

[tyotteson]

So I have the 68 speedometer W/O gauge package. Now I just need to determine what speedometer cable I need. I have a few different books for parts (ames is one of them) and it doesnt specify what cable I have to have. There were like 4 different cables, all of which different lengths, and some push on style and some thread on style. So I am assuming that I need to remove my old one from the transmission and measure the length then order the closest one in length with a correct thread on style (the one with the car was a push on style)

 

[melsg5]

I dont see 4 cables for a 68 in the Ames Catalog, only 1 part number FR600.

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