Hi. Im restoring my real 68 rs/ss but need to know what gauges it had.
Sounds like a stupid question, Im sure, but I got the car in boxes with a lot of parts missing.

120mph speedo ? Tach?

The gauges I have in the boxes were a 120mph speedo on the left, a Gas gauge on the right. No tach, thats it. Seems kind of weak, but Ill do whatever the factory had. Also, any standards on whether they came with console gauges or not?

Thanks. I just figure with so man clones out there, I want to make mine as original as possible. Although thats kind of out the window since it didnt come with a motor, but thats easily rectified in the future when I find one.

B -

Unlike the 69s, where getting the tach was a stand alone option, getting the tach in a 67 or 68 also required console gauges (so there was a place for fuel gauge). The option with the gauges was U17, and it's in the AIM under that RPO code.

If your car had U17 originally, you'd find the hole in the firewall for the oil pressure line. The very front of the AIM has a diagram of the firewall with all the piercing needed for various options. If the hole it there and wasn't added (tough to tell, if it's in the correct place), the car had gauges.

If you want to add the tach (which is now reproduced), you have to add the gauges. If you don't have a console, need to add that to house the gauges.

It's such a snowball project...

Whoa, was this english? hahhaa Thanks Eric... Not sure what U17 and AIM is, but Ill search it out. I dont have any of the original docs for the car, Im guessing thats where Id find the U17 code. The trim tag, which is still attached, doesnt have that kind of info on a '68 :( which sucks.
I was able to 'armchair verify' that its a real rs not only by the previous owner but by some of the options it has, as well as the holes in the firewall for the vaccum lights etc. Granted its no guarantee but its the best I have to go by at this point. Where can I find the AIM diagram?

To elaborate on what Eric said, you should have a 120MPH Speedometer on the left and a Fuel Gauge with idiot lights on the right.

UNLESS your car was ordered with the U17 Gauge Package. If it was, you got the Tachometer where the fuel gauge was and the Ammeter, Fuel Gauge, Oil Pressure Gauge and Temperature Gauge in the Console down on the floor.

However, from your description, it sounds like you DIDN'T get the U17 Gauge Package, so only the Speedometer and Fuel Gauge should be installed.

Hope this clears it up for you.

Ed

It very much does, thank you. That seems to be exactly the gauges I got in the box o' parts too. Im just doing the electrical now, and I notice one long pig tail off the harness around the center of the dash, Im thinking it might be to a console gauge set but Im not sure. Ill trace out the colors and find out.

you can see the connector in question at :
http://maxboostracing.com/mx/connector.jpg

its the one right above my pointing finger in the background

The connector in the background is indeed for a console.

If it only has 7 or 8 wires in it, it's for an automatic trans without guages.

If it's full or perhaps full except for 1, it's for an automatic with guages.

Could also be manual with or without guages, but I'm not sure of those wire counts.

The AIM is the Factory Assembly Manual, they are reproduced for less than $30.
Won't hurt to pick up a Fisher Body service manual too.

The Factory Assembly Instruction Manual that JimM mentioned is the smartest money you'll ever spend if you're serious about re-doing your car correctly. The reprints are on Ebay all the time and the resto catalogs like the ones from NPD, Rick's etc. all have them for sale. The only bummer about the reprints is that not all of the sections of the orignal manual have been included. For example, there's a page or two on radiator hoses that is listed in the original table of contents that is missing in the reprint version. Still, I can't emphasize enough how happy you will be to have this in your library.