non-panther digi cluster retrofit (Raser is the man)

[grandpaslincoln]

[raser13]

when it comes to the speedo the only signals you have to worry about are the battery on pin #17, the keyed power on #16,(i just tied those two together)the ground on pin#18, and the speed signal coming from the tranny on pin #3. and that about it. all the other wires are used for either the lights or the fuel economy senter on the fully digital cluster. oh, you will also have to run power to whatever lights you will use to light it up with. i used blue l.e.d.s, if you go to change the color from stock green you will have to remove the green plastic film that is directly stickered to the back of the screen. also if do this you will need to scratch up the serface of the clear pastic light diffuser. i just hit it withe a power sander for just a second. what this does i give the light somting to hit off of and light up if you dont do this the cluster will still light up you just won't be able to read it near as well.

[raser13]

So you think an Aerostar one would work better to put into a different dash?

If you have diagrams for the transmission speed sensor too that would help for winring it up for standalone use in mine.

the areostars just happen to have the circut tape wrap right behind it self making this one nice easy package, whereas the cougar/ t-bird 's circut tape winds around aways befor it gets to where the clip plugs into it thus making the mod a little more difficult. as for the tranny speed sender it's easy, it's a two wire system black to ground and the other to the back of the guage pod. and for thaose of you who might want to do the whole cluster i found the grounding instructions for the tach.if you want it set up for a v-8 you need to ground tach strap#1(pin#8) on the cluster clip. for six you don't ground either. and for a four you ground tach strap #2(pin #9 ) on the cluster clip. any other questions feel free to ask.

[83tc]

anyone have one of these senders?or can get one?

[85crownHPP]

RASER you still around??? I now have in my possesion a digi Aerostar cluster per your advice!
You wouldnt happen to have a part number for the speed sensor would you??? Also I am wondering if you had thought about trying to hoo up one of these to the existing 'speed' electrical signal coming off our AOD's for the cruise controll and/or tripminder??? Wouldnt that be somethin.....

[83tc]

hrm, pete, let me know if its possible, i can yank whatever i want from the junkyard super cheap and im smelling a digi cluster swap soon, who the hel needs a huge clock in the dash anyways?

[boXman]

Just say no to digital... :nonono:

[88MercWagon]

hrm, pete, let me know if its possible, i can yank whatever i want from the junkyard super cheap and im smelling a digi cluster swap soon, who the hel needs a huge clock in the dash anyways?

Make the clock into a tach.

[85crownHPP]

83 TC - you could easily add just the digital speedo portion of the digi cluster into your analouge cluster, replacing the speedo. It can opeate by itself, and is cable driven. While its apart you could put a tach in the clocks place too.
I wish I had a towncar so I could try this... also I bet I could get one into a grandmarq cluster too... they are a closer shape than the vic cluster.

[Paul_]

You could always swap in the whole dash, shell and all, from a Grand Marquis.

[gadget73]

Hmm. Modded Townie digi speedo, Coogie digi tach, and a Vic tripminder in a Petemang guage console. I think I smell an idea here.

[83tc]

already have a tach mounted on the dash, thinkin about finding a digi oil/water temp gauge, anything like that around????i can always toss in the digi tach if need be and ditch my other tach

[raser13]

hey guys sorry i've been out of the loop for so long. i just moved and way out here in the country it's a p.i.t.a. to get the internet going. so back to the digi buisiness.... to start off with the great discovery! the speed signal that comes out of the brain for such things as cruise control and such is the one you need to make the digi speedo work. no sender swap required , as for all the fuel,oil, and temp guages they are on the same pod as the tach and require adding a button to the dash to toggle between them. the nice thing is if say the gas is getting low the cluster automaticly swiches to the fuel display and starts flashing at you. as for the chec engine light the pods do not allow for this or the blinkers, or the high beam indicator. these will have to be wired in seporately and added to the modded dash. these are not to hard to add and i just used leds to light them up. i apologise for the lack of pics i just got the net up and running and intend to have pics and a right up posted soon!!! again sorry about the delay and if you have questions please ask as i'm back up and running.

[83tc]

so, where do i find this brain and what wire do i use in my towncar?

[85crownHPP]

heck yes Ill be getting started on mine soon.

83tc you can fit the town car digital speedo right insode your cluster in place of the analouge speedometer Im pretty sure, and its cable driven so it will plug right into your speedo cable. You'll have to hot wire it to turn on, but thats no biggie. Im using rasers idea becuase it was too much of a pain to get the TC digi in my cluster, but for a TC it should be easier than using the aerostar one. Hell you could even make a hybrid of the two, the aerostar info display sounds easier to wire up than the towncar message center.