What's the one thing you can always count on seeing when you get behind the wheel of your pickup? Your dash--more specifically, that gauge cluster nestled right on the other side of your steering wheel. Or is it? If you're like many who drive early Ford pickups (mainly the beloved '56 F-100), you may be trying your hardest to make out needle locations that determine vital stats not only going on beneath your hood, but beneath your wheels as well when driving at night. That's if your little pointy things are working properly to begin with! Sure you may have noticed the 45-mph-posted speed-limit sign you just passed, but can you be sure that your old speed-o is telling you the truth about just how fast you may have passed it? Maybe...maybe not. Not only that, but the average gauge bezel, as cool and nostalgic as it may be, can be sort of boring to some--especially those looking to add a bit of flare (even if just for personal satisfaction) to that area most looked upon when in the driver seat.
We just happen to wander into Charp Industries not too long ago as they were about to replace a stock F-100 gauge cluster with a fancy new cast-aluminum six-hole bezel and modern Nordskog (digital) gauges obtained from Blue Oval Truck Parts (a division of Charp). Being the studious editorial types we are, we had camera and notepad in hand, and we were able to capture the entire installation/transformation in one afternoon. From the electronic to the mechanical aspects of this job, it was literally a no-brainer (and this is coming from an electronically timid writer!).
For those considering this swap, keep in mind that it is not a direct bolt-in replacement: You will need to trim your dash to fit the "taller" bezel in place and allow sufficient room for the new gauges. If you're not prone to cutting virgin FoMoCo metal, please keep this in mind! Everyone else, please follow along!
If you read the story, you already know about the precaution--but being you've made it this far, it's a safe bet you're up for some cutting! Before you go and take and the time to mount and loom together your desired gauges, take the bezel and mark your dash where it will need to be trimmed. | 
Whether you use an air saw, die-grinder, Dremel, or even a hacksaw (not highly recommended!), just make sure you don't cut too much since you want sufficient metal for the lower portion of the bezel to rest upon. | 
The BOTP bezel is cut for two 3 3/8-inch gauges and four 2 1/16-inch gauges. The bezel is also available in a five-hole configuration, as well as a dual-quad setup. Contact BOTP for more info on availability and options. For this installation, the owner chose to use a set of Nordskog digital gauges with red illumination. The first thing we did was trial-fit it--no problem. |
Unlike analog, it's a bit more difficult to know exactly "which" gauge you're working with unless they're illuminated! Simple--we just gave them "juice" to help us along. | 
Don't let the mess of wires scare you; keep things in order and you'll be fine. The important thing is keeping the gauges lined up, which you can ensure by keeping the mounting tabs parallel. | 
Once you've got all the gauges set in place, use your regulated power once again to "fire" them up to make one last final alignment check. |
Once we had everything in line, the mess of wires out back was "un-messed." In other words, the ground, power, and sender feeds were all loomed (zip-tied) and soldered together for a nice, clean look--which also helps with wiring into the truck. | 
Take care in removing your old cluster, especially if your dash is painted nice, but also to keep the stock wiring in tact as much as possible. (It's also a good idea to disconnect your battery while working with "hot" wires.) | 
The lower portion of the stock gauge cluster that's usually hidden behind the dash is most of what you'll be trimming out. But don't use this as a template; follow the steps outlined earlier to get your cut line! |
If you've got an extra pair of hands, have them install your electronic gauge sending units while you're busy cutting away on the dash. | 
You'll want gauge-matched oil pressure, water temp, volt, and fuel senders, as well as an electronic speedometer sending unit if you're using a digital/electronic speed-o. | 
Most top-name gauge manufacturers provide you with wiring diagrams for your new instruments; the Nordskog ones had very clear instructions. We wired in the new gauges with disconnects to make future access (if at all necessary) much easier. |
The new BOTP panel attached to the dash with the stock upper Phillips screws, and believe it or not, nothing more. Once those screws were secure, so was the panel--even with a full set of gauges in place. | 
Using the truck's main power source this time around (we like to call it a 12-volt battery), we made sure all six of the gauges were working properly. Nordskog's tach and speed-o feature fine-tuning adjustments for trip meters and such, which you can read more on in their instructions. | 
One last thing--BOTP also offers a new headlight switch with a built-in dimmer, which was wired into the new dash panel to utilize the supplied LED high-beam indicator. The turn-signal LEDs were also wired into the GM (we didn't say that!) tilt column, as well. |