There are many challenges when LS-swapping an older model car. You’ll need to figure out things like motor mounts, headers, wiring, and many more things. One area that can go unnoticed at first is the gauges. Since old cars don’t offer much in the way of electronics, it can be tricky to get an outdated gauge cluster to work correctly with a modern powerplant. We’re not saying it can’t be done, but it does require some ingenuity, and from our experience, you will find a gauge that’s broken. If you want to keep a factory look, you have a couple of choices, figure out how to make the factory gauges work, or call Dakota Digital.

With over 30 years of experience, Dakota Digital designs and manufactures some of the aftermarket’s best electronic instrumentation systems. And now, they offer their Retrotech RTX series for the C1, C2, and C3 Corvettes. This series will give you the best of both worlds, a classic OEM look with late-model features.

Dakota Digital starts with a CNC machined housing for the RTX series and then installs its modern electronics, which are designed and built in-house. These units include LED lighting, a full-color thin-film transistor (TFT) screen, speedometer, 0-80 psi oil pressure, 100-260ºF water temperature, fuel level, 9-17 VDC voltmeter, and a 12-hour analog clock. Other features include Bluetooth integration, GPS technology, and RGB backlighting.

While the gauges may appear factory at a glance with a vintage-looking rolling odometer, they come to life when the ignition is turned on. The TFT message center is fully configurable and will display just about any piece of information you want to monitor. The LED backlighting is also customizable with your favorite color scheme to match your car’s interior or exterior.

For more information on these innovative products and others, be sure to visit dakotadigital.com.