Dakota Digital’s VHX Series...
Dakota Digital’s VHX Series instrumentation for ’67 and ’68 Firebirds is a direct replacement for your factory gauge-pod assembly. This time-lapse photography shows the six instruments’ needles (speedometer, tachometer, fuel, voltage, water temp, and oil pressure) sweeping across the backlit dial faces. Is it just our imagination or do these gauges cast a symbolic representation of the Firebird’s wings onto the steering column in this photo?
When you’re restoring your classic Pontiac, an age-old question (or perhaps we should say, gauge-old question) is likely to come up: What do I do about the gauges?
One traditionally popular option is to restore the dial faces and needles to stock—a process which can cost over $1,000 for a typical Pontiac gauge cluster—then add individual aftermarket gauges under your Pontiac’s dash to monitor the engine’s vitals. This is not the only option.
The gauge pods in our ’68 Firebird were original to the car. Like ours, yours may experience the common ailments that affect these factory units over time—odometers that stopped spinning; speedometers that like to stand still; and Rally gauges, which, when they function, have the precision of a blindfolded batter on home base.
[1] We started by removing the steering wheel, which made photography easier. You won’t have to remove your steering wheel to remove your factory gauge-pod assembly or install Dakota Digital’s new one, but it does give you easier access to the workspace.
If you’re like us, you want your Pontiac’s gauges to be accurate, not only for your safety but for the drivetrain’s as well. You also want them to be an aesthetic pairing to your interior—that is, you want them to integrate.
[2] To remove the factory...
[2] To remove the factory pods, technician Jimmy Ruch of Lantana Auto Shop locates the two half-collars that surround the steering column. Each are held in with two No. 2 Philip screws …
Dakota Digital (www.dakotadigital.com) has been designing and manufacturing automobile gauges for the aftermarket since 1986. Since 2010, its VHX line has delivered the future of traditional. Its ’67-’68 Firebird VHX Instruments system is a direct-fit replacement for your old, weathered stock gauge clusters (regardless of whether they have the Rally gauge option or not). Four styles are available: either red or blue backlighting on either a carbon-fiber-style or silver-alloy-style face. The suggested retail price is $795.
“The concept behind the aesthetic direction of the VHX Series was ultimately to bring a modern race-themed instrument package to a classic vehicle like the Pontiac Firebird,” says Dakota Digital Sales Manager Scott Johnson. “The silver-alloy styles provide something sleek and relatively neutral in terms of blending with several interior styles, and the carbon-fiber style overlays were designed to complement the carbon-fiber accents that are so common today. Blue or red backlighting options allow the ability to further match interior lighting, upholstery accents, or exterior paint colors, or simply provide a highly viewable color for nighttime driving.”
[3] Here’s a close-up of them...
[3] Here’s a close-up of them after he removes them.
Regardless of the VHX Series style you choose, you’ll find no-corners-cut workmanship and materials. All styles are assembled in Dakota Digital’s manufacturing facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. For this project, we chose red on silver-alloy (PN VHX-67C-CAM).
With the expert help of Jimmy Ruch of Lantana Auto Shop, let’s see what it takes to install the kit into a ’68 Firebird.
[4] To lower the column, he...
[4] To lower the column, he removes the 9⁄16-inch- diameter bolts that secure it.
[5] After removing the five...
[5] After removing the five No. 2 Philips screws that hold the instrument housing snug against the dash (three on the top; two on the bottom), he slides out the housing far enough to access its wiring harness and speedometer sending cable, and disconnects them. Then the instrument housing easily comes right out.
[6] Working on the back of...
[6] Working on the back of the instrument housing, Jimmy removes the 1⁄4-inch nuts that hold the factory unit together.
[7] You can see how the factory...
[7] You can see how the factory gauge pods utilized a separate bezel, which bolted to the front of the assembly.
[8] Factory gauge clusters,...
[8] Factory gauge clusters, meet Dakota Digital’s VHX series instruments—”the future of traditional design.” Looks aren’t the only difference between the two gauge systems. The VHX features fully lit needles, backlit faces, and highly visible LCD message centers; micro-controlled precision-stepper motors and solid-state sensors; and user-customizable display feedback, all supported by a limited lifetime warranty.
[9] Jimmy cleans the original...
[9] Jimmy cleans the original pod lens, as it will be reused. However, Dakota Dashes says you don’t have to even use your original pod lens at all. The company’s system looks great with or without it.