When you spent the money and THEN they offer something that you like better....

[Kern Dog]

In late 2015, I finally made the move to improve my instrument cluster in my car. 1970 Charger with the standard Rallye gauges and a sort of OEM looking tachometer.
The oil pressure gauge was dead and the temperature gauge only worked sometimes.
I could have sent mine out to be restored but instead, I went with these Dakota Digital gauges, the VHX:

They work fine and have many features. The non stock appearance didn't bother me but THEN Dakota Digital came out with THESE:

Aw, come on, man....
Where was this when I was shopping for mine? I would have certainly chosen this since it looks so much closer to the factory design. I was wondering if I could just buy the instrument panel by itself and plug it into the car instead of buying a whole kit. A call to DD put the Kibosh on that. The sensors and wiring are the same but the "brain" and instrument panel are not sold separately.
I have tried to be responsible with what I spend on the car. Upgrades get paid for by side jobs, parts sales or just from unexpected income.

I can't justify this though:

I guess I could sell a few things from the stock out back.....

 

[451Mopar]

I like those new gauge clusters, but they are pricy.

 

[Mopar Hunter]

Wow the Dakota Digital RTX jumped up $430 from what I paid when they first came out.

If it wasn’t for @biomedtechguy bringing them to my attention, I would’ve just got my OEM restored.

 

[Mopar Hunter]

BTW @Kern Dog the Dakota Digital VHX gauges you installed look great.

 

[Mopar Hunter]

 

[Richard Cranium]

Wow the Dakota Digital RTX jumped up $430 from what I paid when they first came out.

If it wasn’t for @biomedtechguy bringing them to my attention, I would’ve just got my OEM restored.

The price of everything has jumped over the last two years. Is there anyone left who can't figure out why?

 

[hunt2elk]

I would think you could sell your old one to recoup some of the cost to upgrade if you really like the new style better?
It's going in a bitchin' second gen Charger, which has increased in value way more than 2K since 2015 anyway, right? My vote is to go for it if it floats your boat.

 

[70ChargerRT]

I’ll be honest with you I absolutely hate the new RTX tach and what’s the deal with that stupid annoying Orange on it also?!!It looks nothing like this. Dakota could have done better!!!!

 

[Richard Cranium]

In late 2015, I finally made the move to improve my instrument cluster in my car. 1970 Charger with the standard Rallye gauges and a sort of OEM looking tachometer.
The oil pressure gauge was dead and the temperature gauge only worked sometimes.
I could have sent mine out to be restored but instead, I went with these Dakota Digital gauges, the VHX:

View attachment 1428485


View attachment 1428486


View attachment 1428487

They work fine and have many features. The non stock appearance didn't bother me but THEN Dakota Digital came out with THESE:

View attachment 1428488

Aw, come on, man....
Where was this when I was shopping for mine? I would have certainly chosen this since it looks so much closer to the factory design. I was wondering if I could just buy the instrument panel by itself and plug it into the car instead of buying a whole kit. A call to DD put the Kibosh on that. The sensors and wiring are the same but the "brain" and instrument panel are not sold separately.
I have tried to be responsible with what I spend on the car. Upgrades get paid for by side jobs, parts sales or just from unexpected income.

I can't justify this though:

View attachment 1428493

I guess I could sell a few things from the stock out back.....

I would think you could sell your old one to recoup some of the cost to upgrade if you really like the new style better?
It's going in a bitchin' second gen Charger, which has increased in value way more than 2K since 2015 anyway, right? My vote is to go for it if it floats your boat.

The old used one must be worth a hundred fifty bucks now.

 

[chargervert]

Put the one you have now in the other Charger,and sell some parts to pay for the new one for the red car!

 

[hunt2elk]

Plus it's about time you do another how to tutorial, isn't it?
I do agree that the orange up to 2500 looks kind of goofy on the tach and doesn't serve any purpose. Maybe they could make one for you without that feature?

 

[Richard Cranium]

Damn you Kern Dog, now You’re making me spend even more money on the new roach!!!!

 

[hunt2elk]

Damn you Kern Dog, now You’re making me spend even more money on the new roach!!!!

I figured there was a reason you value his old cluster at $150, lol.

 

[Richard Cranium]

I figured there was a reason you value his old cluster at $150, lol.

To paraphrase our dear leader,I may be a white boy, but I’m no dummy.

 

[Triplegreen500]

If I'm looking at the photo correctly, the orange is the tach 'needle', and orange segments light up to show rpm. In the photo it would be at 2500. Fewer orange lights at idle, more at redline. My guess is the yellow is a memory function, or a "shift light" setting.

 

[hunt2elk]

If I'm looking at the photo correctly, the orange is the tach 'needle', and orange segments light up to show rpm. In the photo it would be at 2500. Fewer orange lights at idle, more at redline. My guess is the yellow is a memory function, or a "shift light" setting.

I believe you are correct. Didn't realize there was not a needle at first.

 

[YY1]

That's "the business model".

like iphones and corvettes.

 

[70ChargerRT]

If I'm looking at the photo correctly, the orange is the tach 'needle', and orange segments light up to show rpm. In the photo it would be at 2500. Fewer orange lights at idle, more at redline. My guess is the yellow is a memory function, or a "shift light" setting.

I didn’t realize that either. It’s sucks even more now!!! No needle???? WTH!!

 

[451Mopar]

The price of everything has jumped over the last two years. Is there anyone left who can't figure out why?

I know, sticker shock for me. I just bought two 275x60x15 MT E/T pro radial tires from Summit (lowest price I could find), and with taxes it was still over $700!

 

[fesser]

I feel your pain, only I am probably a bit weird.
For my Coronet I bought this VHX

Then later I found and bought the more expensive RTX...

Then I noticed what I had failed to notice earlier, that the gauges only go up to 120 mph. That started bugging me so I returned the RTX (since it was still right in front of me all packaged up) and decided to go stock. But I still have a VHX somewhere in the parts storage container. They both seemed well made FWIW.