temp gauge off the wall

hey Zeus,
you said it, the stocker sucks (though im not familiar with the pre 87 gauges) - i dont imagine they got worse with newer models.

get a real gauge so you know what is really happening. the thermostat really determines what is going on with the cooling system - if your gauge read cold normally (after driving for awhile), unless the stat was stuck, the system was at or around the stat temp, and your gauge was a little slow/low.
good luck.

no im sure you are not the only one to consider your ride a person.

if the aftermarket gauge has a long capillary tube attached to it, it is mechanical. i doubt this, so it must be electrical. i might try and get my hands on a sender (the vendor can help with this). then wire it. one pos and neg for lighting and power, and one wire for the sender. cake.
are you sure your fan is kicking on (and at the right temp, whatever you set it at)?
good luck.

My temp guage will say 130 sometimes when I'm out driving it. I know 3 core radiators cool a lot, but something tells me the sensor is off. I run a 180* thermostat also.

JB, if you have a 180 stat, i would find it hard to believe you actually run 130 sustained. the stat really regulates the temps - if below 180, the stat closes, so it does not matter how good the radiator is. do you have a real gauge, and where is the sender for it?

zeus, try to find the ISO circuit. on 87+ stangs, there is a dedicated fuse for it. not sure on your 86. also, there might be one wire for the dimmer circuit on the back of the headlight switch. pull the switch and put the probe of a test light on each wire (ground other lead). then turn on lights and as you probe each wire, move the dimmer (you have a dimmer, right? i dont know). when you find the wire that allows the test light to dim when the dimmer is turned, you have the right one. use this to power your gauge lights.

alternatively, if no dimmer, just find the parking light feed (under dash - look at schematics - on my 88 it is a brown wire), or use one of the wires on the back of the switch that is hot only when the parking lights (and headlights) are on. use it and your gauge lights will come on with the other lighting.

i think autometer sells different color bulbs, or covers for the bulbs. im not sure on that.
good luck.

Zeus, is there an ISO fuse (iso is what it is called on the 87+ cars). basically a dimmer fuse. if so, tap off the dead side of that fuse. you can buy special fuse taps at the parts store. it is a thin metal connector that piggybacks the fuse's blade. then you can connect a wire to the thin metal piggyback deal.
if no fuse, find the correct wire off the headlight switch, etc. you can bare some insulation and splice in a wire, which will run to your gauge(s). or you can use a plastic tap - also at the parts store. if used correctly, they work very well, IMHO.

all you are doing is putting a Tee on the existing wiring, so do what makes sense to you (no special connectors, per se, needed. just use common sense). also, i would put a 1 amp fuse on the new wire you run. that way, should the wire develop a short, you will just blow that little fuse, rather than taking out a larger circuit, all the parking lights, frying the dimmer, or catching the wire on fire. just a nice thing to do. very easy too.

good luck.