Can anyone ID these instrument cluster codes from 1965 FI car?

[Andrew C.]

Hello,
If you can make out the numbers in the pictures, do you know what each set corresponds to?

Thank You

[Jack M.]

Re: Can anyone ID these instrument cluster codes from 1965 FI car?

The info I had for the red LB sticker was as follows:
6,500 tach & 80# oil = L71, L72, L76, L78, L84 & L88
LB Dash Cluster Sticker.jpg

[Andrew C.]

Re: Can anyone ID these instrument cluster codes from 1965 FI car?

The info I had for the red LB sticker was as follows:
6,500 tach & 80# oil = L71, L72, L76, L78, L84 & L88
[ATTACH=CONFIG]122299[/ATTACH]

Thank you very much for that! I thought the second "6" in the "Cluster" series was an "8", but perhaps the smudge obscured it. The car is indeed an L84 with a 6,500 Tach.

[Richard M.]

Re: Can anyone ID these instrument cluster codes from 1965 FI car?

The info I had for the red LB sticker was as follows:
6,500 tach & 80# oil = L71, L72, L76, L78, L84 & L88
[ATTACH=CONFIG]122299[/ATTACH]

Jack,

I believe 1967 L89 also(L71 with aluminum heads). I've seen 2 of those on 2 1967 L89's, a silver convertible and a silver coupe, both owned by two acquaintances.

Rich

[Jack M.]

Re: Can anyone ID these instrument cluster codes from 1965 FI car?

Good addition, Rich... and we may also note that in 1967, clusters with the 'Speed Warning' option had GREEN colored labels/stickers.

[Brian T.]

[Duke W.]

Re: Can anyone ID these instrument cluster codes from 1965 FI car?

I recall there was a TSB issued in the mid-sixties regarding "high coolant temperatures". These were on early C2s that had a 240 degree temp gage with a 180 midpoint. The GM "fix" was to replace the gage with one that has 250 max with a mid-point of 210.

This bulletin mentioned the change in production and said customer complaints could be addressed by changing the gage to the newer type. I don't recall if it said whether this was a customer or GM paid service, but I expect the former.

When my '91 MR2 was new I had an opportunity to talk to some Toyota marketing executives, and I asked them why my new Toyota sports car had fewer gages than a Chevy pickup truck, and the temperature gage was just calibrated with C and H... not actual temperature.

Their response was that actual calibrated gages caused too many customer complaints about "overheating" (Remember Toyota sells mostly sedans, SUVs, and trucks, and their typical customers are not "car guys".) Further discussion allowed me to understand the issue. Most people know that water boils at 212F, so if customers saw the gage go over 200 they thought their car was "overheating".

Few people, including many Corvette owners, both vintage and modern, understand that a 50-50 mix of ethylene glycol antifreeze and water with a 15 psi radiator pressure cap will raise the boiling point of the solution to 265F.

In my "Special 300 Horsepower" technical support paper (included near the sticky section end "restoration documents" thread) I state that the normal operating temperature range is 180-230F. Of course the upper range should only be approached if you're stuck in a Phoenix freeway traffic jam on a July afternoon when it's 115+F outside.

If the upper range is achieved in more moderate temperatures there is likely an issue with a degraded cooling system component (radiator, fan...) or something wrong with the spark advance map (like a dead VAC).

Duke

[Jack M.]

Re: Can anyone ID these instrument cluster codes from 1965 FI car?

Here you go, Duke...

Temp-Gauge-November-23-1965a.jpg
Temp-Gauge-November-23-1965b.jpg