Classic/Antique Car Repair: Quick question..., gauge package, gauge cluster

Question
Mr. Benjamin:
This question is not strictly in your field of expertise, and I hope I'm not wasting your time...but it's a sort of "general" question and I was hoping you might could answer it.
I've got a 1978 Chevrolet El Camino.  Pretty fair condition...it set for a long time, and only has 78,000 actual miles on it.  It has the "light indicator" type of gauges...if the oil pressure gets low, a light comes on...if the radiator overheats, a light comes on...etc.  I'd rather have the dial type of gauges, since I've always felt that they were a little better...you can notice something before it gets to be a problem.  
But I'm not exactly sure how complicated it would be to switch over.  
Can I just buy a dial-type gauge cluster (have seen a couple of eBay, for example) and install it in place of the other one, and then just plug the current wires into the appropriate dials and have 'em all work?  Or is it more complicated than that?
Any suggestions, advice greatly appreciated.
Warm regards,
David Gardner


Answer
Yes, you can add aftermarket gauges, but you must also install different sensors.  If you buy a kit from someone like Summit Racing, or JCWhitney, they will supply both the gauges and the sensors as a matched set.

Before you do that, however, do a little research to find out if a full gauge package was an available option on your El Camino.  I seem to recall that they were an extra cost option.  If you could find one so equipped in a junkyard, you could change it over to a factory setup with out having to hang extra gauges on under the dash - it would certainly look better, and be authentic in the bargain.  Just be sure to take the gauges AND the sensors, otherwise they won't work.

Dick