 Sure, we could have stayed with the old, played-out gauges in project Buckshot but they were, well – old and played out. After all, Buckshot is about serious transformation, not restoration. The stock gauges (although functional) just wouldn’t do in our radically modified ’75 Ford Bronco. We needed a solution to monitor all of the engine’s vital functions and look the part, all at the same time.
We needed something edgy, a bit dark (metaphorically speaking), and something that would tie together the old and the new. I spent the better part of a day searching various gauge manufacturers’ web sites looking for the perfect set of gauges to compliment project Buckshot with no luck. Nearing the end of my search, I happened to stumble upon a set of gauges at one of our favorite manufacturers, Auto Meter.
 The MCX Street Rod series were perfect – they feature nostalgic American muscle style design with easy-to-read black and white dials, but with a bit of an outlaw look to them. Imagine a Jessie James chopper design wrapped into an instrument gauge and you’ll get the idea. They have bright LED full dial illumination complimented with shiny chrome bezels and accents center pieces. Furthermore, the MCX series of gauges conveniently place all crucial monitoring into two 5” gauge clusters, not too different from the stock Bronco unit, but certainly far better looking. We placed our order for the Auto Meter MCX series kit box, which includes the tachometer / speedometer combo gauge, and the oil pressure, water temperature, voltage and fuel level gauge combo too. The kit also comes with a new oil pressure sending unit, a new water temperature sending unit and a fuel level sending unit. We also ordered up a new Hall Effect speedometer sending unit and an LED lighting dimmer control too.
| Installation – Auto Meter MCX Street Rod Series Gauges |
| Time: |
2-8 Hours (depending upon application) |
| Tools Needed: |
Assorted electrical wiring tools (e.g. crimpers, strippers, soldering iron (optional), connectors, etc.) |
| Difficulty: |
 |
Note: Our installation is far more difficult than the average install. We’ve customized our wiring harness and used a new dashboard for project Buckshot. For most applications, installation is far simpler and easier.
 We started identifying where we wanted our gauges placed on our dashboard and then checked to ensure it wouldn’t interfere with any other wiring, ductwork or controls behind the dashboard. |
 We then broke out our trusty Miller 375 XTreme plasma cutter and circle cutting adapter and made short work of making the circle cuts into our steel dashboard. For those of you without a plasma cutter, a jig saw or a 5” hole saw would work just perfectly too. |
 With the holes cut, we affixed a drum-sander attachment to our right angle air grinder and smoothed out the edges. Take a small amount of metal off and continually test fit your gauges. It’s best to have a snug fit, so don’t overdo it. |
 With the gauges now nestled safely into the dashboard, we began the wiring procedures. We are installing a new Painless Performance Bronco wiring harness into project Buckshot and as you can see, there’s quite a bit to it. |
 The gauges feature labeled wiring connectors on the back of the gauges, making the hook-up a snap. |
 The Auto Meter MCX Series gauges set in place |
 The back-lighting of the Auto Meter MCX Series gauges |
The Verdict
 The Auto Meter MCX series gauges have a nostalgic, edgy look to them that will compliment a variety of vehicles. They have excellent back lighting, making the gauges easy to read in the dark, yet have black and white faces with classic red needles, making them easy to read in the bright sunlight too. The speedo / tach combo unit will work with 4, 6, or 8 cylinder engines with points ignition, electronic ignition, and most 12V high performance racing ignitions too. It also features a resettable digital trip odometer and a digital odometer. The speedometer will read from 0 to 120 m.p.h. and the tach ranges from 0 to 8,000 rpm.
The gauge cluster (oil pressure, water temperature, voltage and fuel level gauge) comes with new oil pressure, water temp and fuel level sending units too, which is a handy feature when buying a kit. The fuel level measure in ¼ increments, the oil pressure ranges from 0-100 psi, the voltage measures from 8 to 18 volts and the water temperature from 100 to 250 degrees.
As with any Auto Meter gauge, you can count on their quality of component, as well as their accuracy in measurement, not to mention their plethora of gauge motifs to choose from.
| Auto Meter |
413 West Elm Street
Sycamore, IL 60178
Phone: 866.248.6356
Tech Support: 866.248.6357
Fax: 815.895.6786
Web: www.autometer.com |
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4x4Review Off Road Magazine
Sure, we could have stayed with the old, played-out gauges in project Buckshot but they were, well – old and played out. After all, Buckshot is about serious transformation, not restoration. The stock gauges (although functional) just wouldn’t do in our radically modified ’75 Ford Bronco. We needed a solution to monitor all of the engine’s vital functions and look the part, all at the same time. 
The MCX Street Rod series were perfect – they feature nostalgic American muscle style design with easy-to-read black and white dials, but with a bit of an outlaw look to them. Imagine a Jessie James chopper design wrapped into an instrument gauge and you’ll get the idea. They have bright LED full dial illumination complimented with shiny chrome bezels and accents center pieces. Furthermore, the MCX series of gauges conveniently place all crucial monitoring into two 5” gauge clusters, not too different from the stock Bronco unit, but certainly far better looking. 
