There is a difference in the products both companies offer.

. Nordskog offers multiple colors and combinations along with universal pod applications. Dakota Digital has a program where you send them your existing dash bezel and they custom fit their gauges into the stock openings. We really like this as it keeps the original look at first glance. Nordskog seems to be coming along to that idea and offer kits that you fit into your existing gauge housings. Our 1969 Corvette 427 project is an example of their kits that fit an existing setup. The latest introduction from Dakota Digital is the 1969 Firebird setup. We are thinking about sending them our bezel and having their gauges installed for our customized Firebird project we are doing now. All for around $600! That seems reasonable money considering all one has to do is ship them a bezel and it comes back ready to wire in. They offer the same for a lot of models but will do it on most any make. Our 1969 MacNova project utilized a universal gauge setup from Nordskog that fit perfectly in the original speedometer cluster housing. We also gained a lot more gauges in the process and it looks really Darth Vaderish when you have it off. Just a sea of black when you open the door.

When considering the digital gauges, there are other factors that have to be taken into consideration. First is the price of the gauges themselves. Is there going to be any modifications needed to install them in the dash? If so, that can raise your costs in labor, especially if you have a shop do it. Also, the routing of the wiring, the installation of sending units is critical also. Speedometer issues arise from nowhere, especially if you run an aftermarket ignition system. Even spark plug wires can make false readings appear. Our 69 MacNova suffered from a speedometer reading speed at idle due to the  MSD spark plug wires. Once we eliminated all the possiblities, we switched to a stock GM spark plug wire and the problem went away. It can be a bit overwhelming if you are not comfortable with electronics. It is also very easy to damage the gauge if wiring is not correctly hooked up. Grounds are a very important issue, especially on an aluminum or fiberglass bodied car. All these issues can make what seems like a $600 or $700 gauge purchase translate into several hundred dollars more in labor and diagnosing.

In closing, do your homework before you buy and make sure you are fully aware of what you are getting into. This is not a plug and play system, although I am sure it will get there at some point in the future.Is there a difference? They are both good companies and offer excellent products. It is always good to have a choice and one certainly has that in what these two companies offer.