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VDO/ Faria Dash Dimensions - Help!
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Author:  deafwish [ Tue Dec 30, 2014 2:23 am ]
Post subject:  VDO/ Faria Dash Dimensions - Help!
Hoping someone who has a 1996 - 2000 model VDO dash like the one pictured below could PLEASE measure the surround that it is in?
I'm about to order a new dash & wanted clarification that the older Faria car style dash is the same physical size as the VDO car style dash?
I can buy a replacement dash surround that is designed to replace the VDO dash & want clarification that it will work to replace my Faria dash...
Any help would be greatly appreciated! :wink:

Cheers.

My 1997 Faria dash:
Image

Image

The 1998 VDO dash:
Image

The dash I want, but is for the VDO dash replacement:
Image
Author:  NickH [ Tue Dec 30, 2014 8:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: VDO/ Faria Dash Dimensions - Help!
Yes it's the same. I have the same Faria old dash in my 96 Sundowner and purchased the same replacement from A&A, it's a perfect fit.
Author:  ric [ Tue Dec 30, 2014 9:02 am ]
Post subject:  Re: VDO/ Faria Dash Dimensions - Help!
You can make the analog style dash yourself very easily.
Author:  rpengr [ Tue Dec 30, 2014 11:49 am ]
Post subject:  Re: VDO/ Faria Dash Dimensions - Help!
The replacement panel from A&A looks SO MUCH BETTER than any flat homemade panel, IMO. Looks worthy of a Four Winns.
Author:  deafwish [ Tue Dec 30, 2014 5:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: VDO/ Faria Dash Dimensions - Help!
NickH wrote:
Yes it's the same. I have the same Faria old dash in my 96 Sundowner and purchased the same replacement from A&A, it's a perfect fit.


Thanks Nick.
Did you order the 18 1/2" dash or the 20" dash?
I'm pretty confident mine is the 18 1/2"...

p.s. I've never seen a DIY panel in a boat of this vintage look to my standard.
I'd hate to cheapen the look of my immaculate RS by having a backyard made cluster! :wink:
Author:  NickH [ Fri Jan 02, 2015 8:04 am ]
Post subject:  Re: VDO/ Faria Dash Dimensions - Help!
deafwish wrote:
NickH wrote:
Yes it's the same. I have the same Faria old dash in my 96 Sundowner and purchased the same replacement from A&A, it's a perfect fit.


Thanks Nick.
Did you order the 18 1/2" dash or the 20" dash?
I'm pretty confident mine is the 18 1/2"...

p.s. I've never seen a DIY panel in a boat of this vintage look to my standard.
I'd hate to cheapen the look of my immaculate RS by having a backyard made cluster! :wink:


I have the 18.5" cluster in Cherry wood. I believe he had two options, but since my boat doesn't have any other wood grain in the dash area, I went with what he had in stock. The only other thing he needs is the connector type for the harness. Apparently there are a couple different variations. I just took pics of mine and sent them to him.

One issue I ran into is, I believe the Faria cluster in our boats is wired slightly different than the VDO versions. Winter came before I could dive into the wiring too much but I think the pinouts maybe different. On my old cluster the temp gauge, trim gauge and speedo were dead. With the new one the oil pressure and temp don't work, I believe it may just be reversed in the harness since the oil pressure works fine on my old one. As for the temp gauge, I need to replace my thermostat in the spring, so I'll test and replace if-necessary the temp sender at the same time. Also, the Faria depth gauge that comes with the new cluster is a 2-pin weatherpak type connector, where our clusters had the 6 pin transducer connectors on them. Same thing with that, I ran into winter before I could figure out a work around for this.

Even with the minor wiring setbacks, I believe this is a great upgrade, aesthetically the new cluster looks much better than the old auto-style one and will be more serviceable in the future. I'm with you on the home-brew cluster, my boat is in pristine shape for a 1996, I'd hate to cheapen the look, and I even work in for a company that could custom fab something out of plastic, glass or whatever.
Author:  deafwish [ Fri Jan 02, 2015 6:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: VDO/ Faria Dash Dimensions - Help!
Cheers for the response, Nick!
About to order mine & hopefully mine comes wired correctly...
Author:  Graham R [ Fri Jan 02, 2015 6:34 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: VDO/ Faria Dash Dimensions - Help!
NickH wrote:
deafwish wrote:
NickH wrote:
Yes it's the same. I have the same Faria old dash in my 96 Sundowner and purchased the same replacement from A&A, it's a perfect fit.


Thanks Nick.
Did you order the 18 1/2" dash or the 20" dash?
I'm pretty confident mine is the 18 1/2"...

p.s. I've never seen a DIY panel in a boat of this vintage look to my standard.
I'd hate to cheapen the look of my immaculate RS by having a backyard made cluster! :wink:


I have the 18.5" cluster in Cherry wood. I believe he had two options, but since my boat doesn't have any other wood grain in the dash area, I went with what he had in stock. The only other thing he needs is the connector type for the harness. Apparently there are a couple different variations. I just took pics of mine and sent them to him.

One issue I ran into is, I believe the Faria cluster in our boats is wired slightly different than the VDO versions. Winter came before I could dive into the wiring too much but I think the pinouts maybe different. On my old cluster the temp gauge, trim gauge and speedo were dead. With the new one the oil pressure and temp don't work, I believe it may just be reversed in the harness since the oil pressure works fine on my old one. As for the temp gauge, I need to replace my thermostat in the spring, so I'll test and replace if-necessary the temp sender at the same time. Also, the Faria depth gauge that comes with the new cluster is a 2-pin weatherpak type connector, where our clusters had the 6 pin transducer connectors on them. Same thing with that, I ran into winter before I could figure out a work around for this.

Even with the minor wiring setbacks, I believe this is a great upgrade, aesthetically the new cluster looks much better than the old auto-style one and will be more serviceable in the future. I'm with you on the home-brew cluster, my boat is in pristine shape for a 1996, I'd hate to cheapen the look, and I even work in for a company that could custom fab something out of plastic, glass or whatever.


What surprises me is that when a replacement cluster was designed ( whether the original FW one, or the aftermarket one) is that the gauges are still as deep set in the binnacle. I couldn't see the gauges on my 1999 Sundowner dash when I was standing up ( that was vital to spot lobster pot markers etc).The gauges on my 2004 boat were much more visible, not shrouded by the binnacle.
Author:  NickH [ Sat Jan 03, 2015 9:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: VDO/ Faria Dash Dimensions - Help!
Graham R wrote:
What surprises me is that when a replacement cluster was designed ( whether the original FW one, or the aftermarket one) is that the gauges are still as deep set in the binnacle. I couldn't see the gauges on my 1999 Sundowner dash when I was standing up ( that was vital to spot lobster pot markers etc).The gauges on my 2004 boat were much more visible, not shrouded by the binnacle.


Yeah, this is slightly annoying to me as well. I rely pretty much on the gps for speed and depth readings when standing... which for me is most of the time.
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