R.J. SEESE DISCLAIMER

I do not have the credentials to offer automotive advice. The modification experiences that follow, and any I might offer on this web site in the future, explain how I chose to approach a modification I wanted to make to my personal car. I am not suggesting that anyone else make this modification to his or her vehicle. In the event anyone chooses to accept the responsibility of initiating a similar vehicle modification, they should do so with the understanding it could result in undesired damage to their vehicle and could void the warrantee provided by the vehicle manufacturer. In addition, I wish to point out that undertaking any vehicle modification without proper knowledge, experience, tools, and safety equipment can result in personal injury.

HOOD SCOOP AND HOOD STRIPE
By Robert J. Seese

APPLICATION: My car is a 1996 Mustang V-6 coupe. White face instrument conversion kits are available for the V-6 from a number of sources.

TIME REQUIRED: Two hours for the installation a couple more hours for the calibration.

COST OF THIS MODIFICATION: With shipping, the instrument kit was $74.60 and the AC panel $29.60 for a total of $104.20. There were no other expenses involved except for aspirin as the calibration process definitely gave me a headache.

WHERE TO GET THE PARTS: I purchased both kits form MAC. Products, Inc. I ordered by phone at 1-800-296-3044 as I had a couple installation questions. You can also order through their web site at www.macperformance.com. The parts were on my doorstep in just a couple of days. The people at MAC are knowledgeable and helpful and their products are of excellent quality.

WHAT I ACCOMPLISHED:
My factory instrument pod now has a very appealing "updated" look. Also, since I have rather abundantly installed various white-faced after-market gauges across my dash, my instruments have a more coordinated appearance.

3. Remove the four torx headed screws that hold the dash bezel in place, remove the two wiring harnesses connected to it - then carefully lift the pod out of the dash.

11. Remove the stock black plates by carefully peeling them off the gauge pod. Yes, you will destroy them in the process. This is what the pod will look like with the black plates removed.

12. Remove the backing from the new white instrument plates and install them using the alignment pins molded into the pod to achieve proper alignment.

14. The instrument pod with the white face plates installed and the needles and stops replaced.

18. The white Air Conditioning panel. Also visible are billet aluminum knobs to replace the factory ones (see "Billet Air Conditioning and Headlight Knob Installation").

22. An overall of the dash with the new white instrument faces and the white AC panel.

HOW I COMPLETED THE MODIFICATION:
I will admit to having been being a little apprehensive about doing this modification, but it turned out to be relatively easy except for the aftermath of the needles not being properly calibrated. But, more about that later.

The first thing I tackled was installing the white AC panel. There were no instructions provided. Frankly, I figured pull off the knobs, remove the protective backing, stick the panel on and reinstall the knobs. It is so easy no instructions are needed. Wrong!

The panel is much larger than the space it is intended to cover. Clearly, to install it you have to snap the center AC vent panel away from the flat surface where the knobs install. I always hate to have to pull plastic panels out of their snap fit for fear something will break. However, the vent panel did pull away relatively easily. I did not remove it completely. I only pulled it far enough forward to allow me to fit the panel with the backing that covers the adhesive removed into position and press it down. Wait, I left out a step.

Like most of us, I hit my dash from time to time with one of the products designed to protect vinyl and plastic from deterioration and to give it a "dressed" appearance. These kinds of protectants impede the adhesion of anything you want to stick on. Thus, it is necessary to clean the area around the AC knobs prior to installing the new white panel. They make cleaners for this purpose, but I find lighter fluid works just fine.

Once the panel was pressed into place, I snapped the AC vent bezel down and reinstalled the knobs. I don't know that I am all that crazy about the white over black AC panel and I certainly think it is overpriced, but I figured I might as well carry out the white face theme by installing one.

Now, it is time to install the new white instrument faces. The MAC kit comes with good but rather abbreviated instructions, so lets take a somewhat more detailed walk through the process. The first step and a very important one is to document the position of each gauge needle with the ignition off, with the ignition on, and with the car running at idle. You can do this by making a sketch of the instrument pod layout and noting the positions using a different color for each needle operation phase (key off, key on, car running at idle) or you can take photographs. Use a digital or Polaroid if you are ready to start the job. In my case, I made 35mm photos a couple days prior to the Saturday I had set aside to make this modification and I also made a sketch to cover the possibility of the photos not turning out for some reason.

Prior to starting, disconnect the battery. You are going to be messing around with electronic connections, so don't take a chance on making some kind of an error that will somehow damage an instrument or some other chip or board in the electrical madhouse of modern cars.

Remove the headlight knob. See my article on this site "Billet Air Conditioning and Headlight Knob Installation" to learn how difficult that supposedly easy job can be. In theory, you use a small screwdriver (or similar tool) inserted into the opening at the base of the knob to pull the retainer clip forward while simultaneously pulling the knob off. I ended up cutting the sucker off, which did not matter since I was replacing it anyway. If you have any thoughts about replacing your headlight knob with an after-market one, do it in conjunction with the instrument face modification. You do not want to go through the agony of removing the headlight knob more than once.

Once the headlight knob is removed, use a torx type tool to remove the screws that hold the instrument bezel in place. The bezel is held in with these screws plus attached retainer clips. Pull forward gently and the bezel will snap out.

Next, remove the torx screws that hold the instrument pod in place. Pull the pod forward as far as you can. Reach behind the pod and you will find two wiring harnesses attached to it. There is a connection on the right side and a connection on the left with the two harnesses meeting in the center and running back into the dash. Work you hand up the two harness runs and you will find a nylon snap connector that attaches them to the frame of the dash. Pull that connection loose and you will gain six inches or so of length on both harness lines. It will make things a lot simpler.

Press the middle of the left harness clip together and separate it from the dash pod. Tilt the left side of the pod out and release the right harness clip in the same manner. Remember this process, because you are probably going to do it three or four more times.

You can now lift the pod from the car, lay it on a workbench and remove the torx screws that hold the clear plastic cover in place. The next step is to remove the needles using the two tools (one on each side) provided in the kit. I actually found it easier to use one tool and my fingers because I could envision the needle flying off and becoming damaged.

Remove the needle stop pins on the speedometer and tachometer. I had no trouble pulling them out with my fingers. I have a very early 1996 model. I have been told that 1996 and later Mustangs have a third pin at the oil pressure gauge. Mine did not and the MAC panels I received did not have a provision for the third pin. If you car has a stop pin for the oil pressure gauge, you may want to discuss that with a MAC tech rep prior to ordering.

Next, is removal of the black instrument plates. There are three separate sections. Mine were spot sealed to the plastic base. I had no problem peeling the original plates from the base, but I sure damaged them in the process. Do be sure no remnants of the original plates remain, as that would interfere with installing the new plates.

Remove the protective covering from the adhesive back of a new end plate and lay it in place over the existing guide pins. Check it for alignment, particularly of the opening for the needle, and then press the plate into position. To be sure I had good adhesion, I rubbed over the entire face applying light pressure through a small piece of soft cloth (you don't want to damage those pretty new white faces). Install the other end plate and the center plate in the same manner.

Using your sketch or photo of the needle positions with the key off, install the needles. Do your best to press then down with out turning the shaft they are attaching to. Be sure not to press them so hard they touch the instrument face. Install the stop pins and replace the clear plastic cover. Do all of this as if you never expect to have to do it again, but you probably will.

Reinstall the pod in the car and set it in place. Do not reinstall the bezel. Turn the key on. Check the needle position with the drawing or photo of the needle positions with the ignition on but the car not running. They are correct? Boy, are you lucky. Now start the car and check the positions at idle. Still correct? You are really lucky.

When I turned on the ignition the first time both my speedometer and tach needles jumped to 10-mph and 100 RPM respectively. I later learned that is because the needles are spring loaded against the stops. I had to remove the pod, remove the cover and reset those two needles by starting them well below the stop position. I closed up the pod, reconnected it and things were better, but still not correct. I removed the pod and went through the process again, this time setting the speedo and tach needles even further below the stop position. I reinstalled the pod and things seemed OK. I turned on the key and the fuel needle was off. I removed the pod, removed the cover, adjusted the fuel needle, reinstalled and started the car. Things looked correct.

I then went for a ride and it was clear both the speedo and tach were reading high - everything else now looked ok. I noted the approximate error in both the speedo and tach and returned home, removed the pod, removed the cover, reset the speedo and tach needles, reinstalled and went for another test ride - this time with my wife following in her T-bird and me talking to her on the cell phone.

My wife read off the numbers from her speedometer. The speedometer was still a couple miles per hour high and the tack was also still a tad high compared to my after-market one. Oh well, factory tachs are never more than close anyway. and better a little high than a little low on the speedo.

Anyway, the readings were now close enough to satisfy me, so I reinstalled the bezel and headlamp knob and called it a day. The point being, the installation is not bad, but the calibration was a pain - mostly because I did not know the speedo and tach needles were spring loaded against the stop. I am not sure about this, but it seems to me that if you pull the stops and reinstall the needles at the same point they drop to, you will be close to correct.