aftermarket wireing harness questions

[1983stepside]

hi i have a 1983 chevy c-10 and i got a new harness from a company called e-z wireing its alot cheaper than a painless but is marked every 5 inches just like theres, my questions are, 1. i've been thinking on puting in after market gauges to replace my dummy lights i have and to put a tach beside the speed -o, and ive seen the write up on how to do the recessed and and face mounts, (but i cant find them to save my life) but is there a harness that i could get that would make wireing my gauges to my new harness alot easier and cleaner? 2. i was also thinking on just leaving my stock gauge cluster dummy lights and all (because the other 2 ways look kinda difficult and im not sure id be able to do either of them ) and just get a aftermarket tach and put it somewhere on or under the dash or something, and was wondering if there was an easy way to have my universal harness work with my gauge cluster that has the circuit board type, any one make a plug for that, any one do this before? thanks guys and if theres any pics of the plugs i can get or any gauge set up feel free to show me thanks again 

[VileZambonie]

How about some Dakota digital gauges? I got a set from Chris I'll be installing hopefully soon. As far as plug and play, there's too many variations. I suggest you just buy some wire, terminals, heat shrink, solder and a soldering iron.

[Captkaos]

If you go aftermarket gauges Painless makes a kit, but no one makes anything that adapts to the factory connector,
These are the links you are looking for:
http://www.73-87.com/7387garage/interior/gauges_recessed.htm
http://www.73-87.com/7387garage/interior/gauge_surface.htm

[1983stepside]

ok thanks for the info, im not a big fan on digatal gauges, i just dont like the way they look, but doing a recessed or surface mount aftermarket gauges, is that hard to do? is on a lil easier to do then the other? thanks again

[Captkaos]

surface it much easier.

[1983stepside]

surface it much easier.

thanks capt i was looking at the links and thats the way i was leaning towards i have a billet aluminum cover that goes over the stock bezel do i need to do anything to it to make it fit around the gauges?

[Captkaos]

You have to machine the bezel (or grind it out.)

[82gmc3/4ton]

I installed new gauges (Summit electric and Autometer speedo) in a old cluster I had laying around using a hole saw and a Dremel. I just recently installed 12v L.E.Ds for the turn signals and high beam lights.

[82gmc3/4ton]

the back wiring

[82gmc3/4ton]

The front

[82gmc3/4ton]

Almost done

[82gmc3/4ton]

lights

[1983stepside]

looks good

[Grover 1]

Looks real good.  What did you use to secure the gauges to the bezel?

[82gmc3/4ton]

Thanks. Grover on the first pic you'll see that I used the brackets that came with the gauges. They are up against the clear plastic that you see in the second pic. I had to notch out the hole in the back of the cluster so they could slide in.