Ford XW GS Dash Conversion Part 2 - Assembling The Dashboard

[@MeatballGarage]

G'day everyone - What did you think of those little customisations i made? I really liked the shift light mount! Assembling your dash is pretty straight forward, as long as you can rob some bits off your existing dash..and you can touch em up so they look the part. If you are not drilling out gauges to mount LED's you will have it together in an hour!

[@johngibson3837]

I put a gs dash in XW Fairmont and don't remember having to any rewire stuff also took a gs dash out ov XY and replaced it to a standard one and dont remember having to rewire that either, early 80s so all original stuff

[@MeatballGarage]

G'day John! My wiring was an absolute basket case - things going left right and centre! I think if going from a std dash to a GS/GT dash where wiring wasn't all up shit creek all you'd need to do is put a new oil pressure sender in, then wire up the tacho and that should be it. I assume that was the extent of the jobs you did? The GS/GT dashes do look a class above the standard ones don't they! Cheers mate!

[@harryoffen9592]

Where about did you buy the dash and gauges from"?

[@MeatballGarage]

G'day Harry - I got some bits from the GT shop and other bits from GT Ford Performance - when I bought everything was just after the first lockdowns ended in 2020 so stock was a bit of an issue. Cause i bought every item separate and didn't get a 'dash kit' i paid a bit more too from memory. Have you got yours yet?

[@darcya5731]

How dose the tacho look at night was there a big difference

[@MeatballGarage]

Hey Darcy! Yeah mate huge difference! Have a look at the final video - i added in some pics of the dash all lit up at night - the LEDs are a beauty!

[@tipacompain4588]

Hey mate love your videos, can you send us a link to that wiring diagram after one

[@MeatballGarage]

Hi Mate - Thanks so much for the comment!

[@MeatballGarage]

Here is the 3 pod gauge wiring diagram that comes with this dash: i.ebayimg.com/images/g/eI4AAOSw1J1dAasw/s-l1600.jpg I can't find a decent full diagram like i was using to rewire the dash (the one I used doest look like its there anymore..) I'll keep looking and pop it here if i find it - Cheers!

[@gmskippy]

Beautiful mate great job so far.

[@MeatballGarage]

Cheers Glenn!!

[@stevepierce3509]

Where did you buy your XW dash fascia from please ? Sorry mate just noticed its an xy fascia.

[@MeatballGarage]

Hey Steve! I got the facia from GT Ford Performance in Niddrie. Most of the old ford shops (GT Shop, Grand Tourer) sell em as well. I think only one mob actually manufactures them. Good pick up - I got the XY one cause i wanted to run a shift light in the middle for something different! Do you need to pick one of these up? Cheers mate hope you are well!

[@meloz1246]

Slick.

[@MeatballGarage]

👍 cheers Mel!

[@HCXY351]

Hey . Nice vids. Learnt heaps. ! cutting out the dash for pod! Saved me heaps of swearing... 🤣 Currently fitting my XY interior back together , so all your vids are helping me remember how I pulled it apart 12 years ago ! Haha.. love the old beasts. Just wanna drive the thing again ! Q. Could you run the tacho power wiring off the pod cluster earth and power. ? ( so it just the tach signal from coil needing to be run fresh). ? Assuming someone has the knowledge to say if that's possible on these aftermarket tachos. Cheers for the vids and info 👍🏻

[@MeatballGarage]

G’day Henri! Mate that’s awesome - glad I have prevented some swearing and thrown tools haha! Great to see you getting a project back on the road, nothing like sitting inside a fresh interior! What are you running in your XY? For the tach - yep you are supposed to be able to run power and ground from the pod. BUT - my tach (or car) has earthing issues and behaves all over the shop. A few people have reached out and said the same thing of theirs (repro clevo tacho, revving slow and going silly over 3k rpm.) If you can, hook it up and give it s test run before you button up the dash, you might find it needs a strong earth to body, battery or somewhere else to work! Have a go and let us know the results - keen to see of you have a better experience with your tach than me! Cheers for watching and the comment! Marc

[@qm3ofamooni260]

Thats a lot of wires haha good work mate

[@MeatballGarage]

Thanks mate! Oh man the wiring was a dog's breakfast before I 'tidied' it up! I have a new respect for auto elecs and anyone that does their own looms. If i had to do it again, I'd just pay a bloke to do it for me. Cheers!