When was the first year for volt/vacuum gauges in Adventurers?
- Thread starter Demonic
- Start date
Cranky1
Banned Old Stinky Fart
Not sure but my 79 D300 Adventurer SE didn't have either one with the burl dash. Had a lot of other cool stuff in it though....
captainchrysler
Well-Known Member
I have not seen any in the 72-74 dash, and not sure how they'd fit. The 75-80 dash has a provision for them on the left side. The earliest that I have seen in a factory installed option is 77. After 30+ years of driving, collecting and parting these trucks out I have only seen a 3 or 4 of 100-350 sized pickups with a verified factory vacuum/volt gauge option. All of those have been at car shows with original the owner/original family. However... Not a very popular option in the light line at, so probably available starting in 75. Most often they were optioned in the trucks in the medium line (600 series and larger) more often.
I have managed to hoard 2 1/2 sets over the many years. Just waiting for projects to begin.
I have managed to hoard 2 1/2 sets over the many years. Just waiting for projects to begin.
I don't know if they were factory but the dash cluster style and size is the same, they do make the burl side pieces with cut outs for the gauges, my son has them in his 80, it didn't come that way, it had the ugly silver one from factory but as he went through modifications to the truck he put the burl dash in, he used a tach on one side and I think a clock on the other. So no reason you can't make it the way you want.
sixpactogo
Active Member
My 78 SE truck came with this style wood grain. (I swapped out the 8 track radio with a 90's CD radio) I'm not sure if they installed the volt/vac gauges in 75 with the burl wood design. May have but I don't recall seeing one.
The '72-4 D100-300 dash only had a clock or tachometer option for the left side. The D500 and bigger (and motorhomes) could have had a vacuum gauge, but, their dash was different. Starting in '75 with the new layout, you could get the same clock or tach, but, it mounted on the right side on that added wing in the bezel. The left side now had the option for the vacuum gauge and voltmeter in that wing. As for the type of finish on the bezel....not sure which years had which. My '78 has what I would consider the textured walnut finish. I've seen the burl wood one (and I might even have one stashed somewhere) and I've also seen the one like sixpactogo's that have a shiny smooth almost glass like finish over a woodgrain. Maybe a difference between an Adventurer and an Adventurer SE?