On the covan dash for a 67/68 how did you put your guages...the speedo and tach are pretty much set but which hole did you put which guage...i've got, oil,fuel,volt and water with two center holes and two lower holes left and right...how did eveybody do theirs?

The approach I took was to put the most important gauges in the most visible locations, and the least important in the least visible.

Four notes about what I don't like about how I did mine:
1) The turn signal LEDs are up too high, I have to slump down to see them.
2) Should have painted the plastic to match the finish on the rest of the dash
3) Didn't need (can't use) an alternator idiot light with the LS1 alternator
4) Can't read the the odometer for squat unless I slump down--gauges really need to be angled up.

http://www.blown.net/ls1swap/DSCF4054.jpg

http://www.blown.net/ls1swap/DSCF4266.jpg

You and I are of a like mind...I was about settled on where I was gonna put them and its basically the same as yours...a follow up though...did the dash insert allow for enough room to have put the turn signal LED's in a different location?How was the install all in all anything to be aware of? How much would you say the bottom of the guages need to be rotated up...I.m wondering in a semi-cicle tapered piece could be bought or fabricated...I've seen them on guage kits before. I tell ya yours look friggin cool...I'm pretty pumped about the upgrade!

You can put the LEDs anywhere in the panel--you're going to be drilling holes for them. The only gotcha I ran into is that the pins on the back of the bottom gauges can short out against the lower structure of the dash when you are trying to remove the panel--make sure you disconnect the battery when removing or reinstalling the panel. I'm not sure how much they need to be tilted up to read my odometer. That'll depend on the specific gauges you use and how for the odometer is set back behind the window on the face of the speedo, what seats you are using, and how tall you are.

Autometer makes an angled spacer for the 2 1/16" gauges, but I haven't seen anything for the 5". I used them for the gauge pod on my 67 console.

4) Can't read the the odometer for squat unless I slump down--gauges really need to be angled up.
Your problem with the odometer might be the LCD itself. Liquid cristal displays appear to change intensity, depending on the angle at which they're looked at. I instaled a Covans dash on my friend's 67, and we didn't felt the need to angle the gauges.:yes:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y45/ssxty8/th_Algages2.jpg (http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y45/ssxty8/Algages2.jpg)

i've been comtemplating this mod for my car..how much moola you have into the gauges???

Your problem with the odometer might be the LCD itself. Liquid cristal displays appear to change intensity, depending on the angle at which they're looked at. I instaled a Covans dash on my friend's 67, and we didn't felt the need to angle the gauges.
I was going to say the same thing, my gauges are mechanical and the odometer is really easy to read, and I would not install any of the gauges with the angled spacers, but thats just me

i've been comtemplating this mod for my car..how much moola you have into the gauges???

I bought the whole thing...as a kit with the wiring harnesses and all from Classic industries for about $575.00. I just couldnt figure out how to put a nice guage cluster in my car.I dont have a console and I wanted a complete guage package for my car and just couldt find a place to put a tach,water,oil,volt to my stock speedo and fuel...just not enough dash!

Your problem with the odometer might be the LCD itself. Liquid cristal displays appear to change intensity, depending on the angle at which they're looked at. I instaled a Covans dash on my friend's 67, and we didn't felt the need to angle the gauges.:yes:


Nope the angle to the LCD is itself is fine. The problem is that at the angle I'm at, the top 1/4 of the digits are "hiding" behind the faceplate of the gauge. Can't see the difference between a 1 and a 7. The other option might be to disassemble the speedo and trim 1/16-1/8 or so from the top of the odometer window in the faceplate.

i've been comtemplating this mod for my car..how much moola you have into the gauges???

The empty Covan's panel is like $120 most places. What you spend on gauges for it depends on what gauges you use. I spent a ton on full-sweep electric Autometer UltraLite-II's--about $950 from Jegs, not including having to replace the oil pressure sender that I broke while installing the engine.