The Dakota Digital gauge kit...
The Dakota Digital gauge kit for '57 Chevys comes complete with the gauge cluster, computer box, sending units, hardware, and instruction sheet.
The stock dash cluster in...
The stock dash cluster in the '57 we purchased has been sitting outside for years, and with no windows in the car, the weather has taken its toll on the parts. The small round bezels on the dash face were originally chrome-plated. The larger bezels surrounding the gauges are stainless steel. There is also a polished stainless trim strip outlining the dash cluster. They will all have to be restored before the dash can be completed.
The dash cluster was disassembled,...
The dash cluster was disassembled, bead-blasted, and primered. Although it looked awful, it was actually in perfect condition.
We removed all of the trim...
We removed all of the trim parts and had them chrome-plated. Fortunately, the small bezels weren't pitted, so they cleaned up nicely. The other parts are stainless steel and were easy to restore.
The dash cluster was sanded...
The dash cluster was sanded smooth, then it was painted Tahitian Turquoise basecoat with a pearl topcoat to match the car.
We started by reinstalling...
We started by reinstalling the stainless trim that surrounds the gauge cluster. It's secured by small tabs that have to be bent to fit.
We sandblasted and painted...
We sandblasted and painted some of the interior parts that secure the small chrome bezels with Krylon Dull Aluminum spray paint. Originally, the small bezels were used for turn signals and indicator lights. With the Dakota Digital kit, they are no longer functional.
The chrome-plated stainless...
The chrome-plated stainless trim rings were installed in the unit.
After the trim rings were...
After the trim rings were in place, we installed the gauge cluster.
The gauges were secured to...
The gauges were secured to the cluster with small Phillips-head screws, which were supplied in the kit. Spacers were used between the gauges and cluster for a perfect fit.
The small chrome-plated bezels...
The small chrome-plated bezels were installed from behind and secured by the original parts as shown. We removed the original plastic lenses and outfitted them with black plastic lenses to match the dash face since they were no longer functional.
The water-temperature sending...
The water-temperature sending unit was installed in the intake manifold in the thermostat crossover passage.
The oil-pressure sending unit...
The oil-pressure sending unit was installed in the rear oil-passage hole. The Dakota Digital gauges can work with the stock sending unit in the gas tank or an aftermarket sender can be used.
The speedometer sending unit...
The speedometer sending unit is installed in the transmission with one wire running to the unit and the other going to a ground source. Following the directions supplied, all of the wiring must be completed as indicated to get the unit fully functional. We selected blue fluorescent gauges to match the color of the car.
Tri-year Chevys are very popular, so there are many great parts to choose from when you are in the process of restoring or hot rodding one. A rodder can purchase everything from new chrome trim to new interior kits for '55-'57 Chevys, making the job of fixing one up that much easier. A product we've always liked is Dakota Digital's vacuum fluorescent digital dash package in tri-year Chevys. The gauges are available in easy-to-install kit form and can be purchased for all three models. The '55 and '56 units are very similar, but the '57 is quite different because of the three-pod dash arrangement.
The dash cluster in the '57 we've been working on was in terrible condition when we purchased the car, so the Dakota Digital dash was the perfect solution. We started by restoring the trim parts of the dash cluster, primering and painting the pod, then installed the digital gauge kit. We were amazed at how easy the installation was. In a matter of an hour, we had the gauges mounted and the sending units installed. Here's a quick look at how it was accomplished.