A good set of gauges goes a long way towards the full gratification of a weekend cruise in the vintage gas-guzzler. Too many times, we’ve had our own jaunt interrupted by an oil pressure gauge dropping to bottom, all the while wondering if a crotchety connection gave way or we’re about to wind up with metal shaving soup in our oil pan.

Glitches like those coupled with the dim-lit dashboard of a decades-old muscle car are reason enough for an upgrade. Mopar A-bodies used to be largely unloved and unsupported in the dash department. However, companies like Classic Dash have stepped up to the plate in recent years with a host of fitted and functional panels to liven up the laziest set of needles.

Classic’s complimentary panels are molded from UV-resistant ABS and can be supplied with no less than twenty gauge set options. 1967-1969 Darts, 1967-1969 Barracudas, 1970-1976 standard dash A-bodies, and 1970-1971 Rallye dash A-bodies headline the offerings for Mopar’s cool compact cruisers.

The boxy and boring square speedometer of the ’70-’76 models is particularly ideal for an upgrade. “Our 70-76 Duster dash has been on fire lately. We run them by the hundreds,” says President Greg Wambold. Mopar Connection’s own Orange Crush ditched a dingy factory panel in favor of one from Classic Dash that came fully outfitted with a set of Autometer Phantom II gauges. The end result was (and still is) a slick, sleek, and useful cluster that’s at home both on the autocross and the show circuit.