If you think JME is overpriced, think again

[jerry S]

I contacted classicinstruments about having them retrofit the panel of my Mach 1 with their G/Stock gauges. Speedo, tach, and dual fuel/oil, temp/volt. The quote was $2000 with an 8 week turn around time. The gauges can be individually purchased from summit or egauges.com for $543 with senders. That means they are charging $1500 to install it to YOUR panel. At least JME gives you a new panel.

 

[steel1212]

I guess they like it when people.......bend over.

 

[Jc69Stang]

I built my own for about $500 in new gauges and parts, and it was not that hard.

PM me if you want any details, look at my cardomain site on page 1 for a couple of bad pics.

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/958894

 

[jerry S]

I talked to Haneline and they will mount the same gauges in in my panel and include all the necessary senders and wiring for $625. They have their own mounting brackets specially made for these conversions which saves me more time, which I don't have a lot of. Just the gauges would cost me $534 so I figure for $90, why not? I honestly have no idea what they are thinking at classic. The price is so absurd as to be Kafka-esque.

jS

 

[steel1212]

So for only 90$ in labor and what ever parts they use to put the 500$ gauges in your panel? I would think thats a no brainer.

 

[Roddster67]

Sounds like the typical "add 300% for '69-'70, 1000% for Mach 1"

 

[4MuscleMachines]

I will probably be going JME or using the oem 65 GT gauge bezel and vacuum formed support for adding the Autometers. I spoke to the guy at JME and I asked him why his kits were more expensive and even higher than those JME sells with Mustangs Plus. He said Mustangs Plus just uses his bezel and buys the gauges themselves...no assembly. Supposedly JME uses custom bezels, in some cases, polished and they fully assemble their kits, add a pigtailed harness, and include step by step instructions. Hmm, I guess JME is not that outrageously priced? I was quoted $899

 

[jerry S]

I will probably be going JME or using the oem 65 GT gauge bezel and vacuum formed support for adding the Autometers. I spoke to the guy at JME and I asked him why his kits were more expensive and even higher than those JME sells with Mustangs Plus. He said Mustangs Plus just uses his bezel and buys the gauges themselves...no assembly. Supposedly JME uses custom bezels, in some cases, polished and they fully assemble their kits, add a pigtailed harness, and include step by step instructions. Hmm, I guess JME is not that outrageously priced? I was quoted $899

His price for the 69 gauge panel is $1099. He uses 6 gauges that can be purchased for under $500. Then he fits them to a plastic panel of his own design and manufacture. I never felt that the panel and the fitting of the gauges was worth $600.

 

[68 Coop]

I bought a set of 2 inch + (1/8 or 5/8 just not sure which) guages in a set of triples. Why can't I just bolt/attach them to the panel, and save about $920.00??? Thanks for any comments.

 

[jerry S]

Why can't I just bolt/attach them to the panel, and save about $920.00??? Thanks for any comments.

I believe the answer to your question is in your own reply.

 

[68 Coop]

Well, as you see then, I don't know. Will they work or not??? I haven't taken my cluster out to see, therefore the question.

 

[Jc69Stang]

68 Coop,

I know there is a site out there that shows how to do this for your car, I am looking for it. I did my 69 and it wasn't very hard, I think the 67-68 are a little more involved.
I'll let you know if I can locate that site...

 

[Jc69Stang]

I just looked at the Haneline site, and that is pretty reasonable IMO.

I guess turnaround time would be the only thing. I know JME was forever and a day and I wasn't willing to wait that long.

 

[Edbert]

I have over $600.00 into the 5 gauges alone on mine.

 

[4MuscleMachines]

His price for the 69 gauge panel is $1099. He uses 6 gauges that can be purchased for under $500. Then he fits them to a plastic panel of his own design and manufacture. I never felt that the panel and the fitting of the gauges was worth $600.

I also need to do the Autometer swap to my Pro-Touring 70 Boss Mustang. For 69-70 I would not do JME, I waited for about 8months on the list and never got anything. I instead used the credit for other items, specifically the billet radio delete plate and some other nick nacks. Those guys at Haneline sound like the only logical alternative. Did you ask them how many times they had specifically done the conversion to a 69-70 gauge bezel? Any pics?

 

[jerry S]

I also need to do the Autometer swap to my Pro-Touring 70 Boss Mustang. For 69-70 I would not do JME, I waited for about 8months on the list and never got anything. I instead used the credit for other items, specifically the billet radio delete plate and some other nick nacks. Those guys at Haneline sound like the only logical alternative. Did you ask them how many times they had specifically done the conversion to a 69-70 gauge bezel? Any pics?

Jim, the owner, told me they have done it "dozens of times". As for the quality of their work, I have seen stangneters who have done it themselves and the job looks top notch. Haneline is in the business of doing this so if a guy who does it on a one-off basis for his own car and the job turns out great, I have to imagine that Haneline does a good job too. As for pics, they just show the Haneline gauges they would use but not in your panel. They normally use their own gauges but will fit any gauge they carry into your panel, which includes Classic. I like the Classic G/Stock series (you can see them on egauges.com or classicinstruments.com) as these are very reminescent of 1960s muscle car styling. I have decided to have Haneline sell me the 6 gauge kit (3 3/8 speedo, 3 3/8 tach, and 2 1/6

fuel
temp
oil pressure
volt

and fit the Speed/tach and temp and fuel to my panel and the volt and oil pressure to a pillar gauge pod.

 

[reenmachine]

I made a cluster for the '67 vert in the stickied thread, and I've been swamped with requests ever since. On pages 11 and 12 of the thread I show most of what goes into making it. Yes, they're kinda expensive, but a lot of labor goes into it, powdercoating, etc. I wish I could be in the public-service cluster supply business, but hey, I've got mouths to feed!

http://eleanor.pro3i.com/showthread.php?t=536634&page=11&pp=25

 

[4MuscleMachines]

Jim, the owner, told me they have done it "dozens of times". As for the quality of their work, I have seen stangneters who have done it themselves and the job looks top notch. Haneline is in the business of doing this so if a guy who does it on a one-off basis for his own car and the job turns out great, I have to imagine that Haneline does a good job too. As for pics, they just show the Haneline gauges they would use but not in your panel. They normally use their own gauges but will fit any gauge they carry into your panel, which includes Classic. I like the Classic G/Stock series (you can see them on egauges.com or classicinstruments.com) as these are very reminescent of 1960s muscle car styling. I have decided to have Haneline sell me the 6 gauge kit (3 3/8 speedo, 3 3/8 tach, and 2 1/6

fuel
temp
oil pressure
volt

and fit the Speed/tach and temp and fuel to my panel and the volt and oil pressure to a pillar gauge pod.

Just went to their site and I am impressed. I am sure they will be getting my business. Thanks so much for directing me to them. I was stuck with either JME or just the oem bezel on my 70 Boss. Now I will be staying up all night trying to figure out which gauges look best in my car.

Thanks again Jerry!

 

[jerry S]

Just went to their site and I am impressed. I am sure they will be getting my business. Thanks so much for directing me to them. I was stuck with either JME or just the oem bezel on my 70 Boss. Now I will be staying up all night trying to figure out which gauges look best in my car.

Thanks again Jerry!

No prob. Just one thing and it is that some SNrs here who bought the Haneline 1965-1968 panels with gauges have complained that the quality of the panel left one wanting. For me, this issue is moot as I will be recycling my stock panel and have them fit the gauges to it. As long as Haneline carries gauges you can live with, I am sure they will do a fine job on the swap.

 

[68 Coop]

68 Coop,

I know there is a site out there that shows how to do this for your car, I am looking for it. I did my 69 and it wasn't very hard, I think the 67-68 are a little more involved.
I'll let you know if I can locate that site...

Thank you very much for any time and info on this matter. I "think" my Autometer triples will fit right in the cluster, it just by-passing the original wiring that's the biggest problem I foresee. Like I said tho, I haven't had my cluster apart, so I puzzled at what's really involved. Thanks again.