TAC Tech > Electrical

Converting base Firebird gauges to Trans Am rally gauges

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BlueBaron762x39:
How hard is it to do this swap?  Just replace the printed circuit on the back of the gauge housing and add the Trans Am tachometer and other gauges or does it require substantial rewiring and new sensors (temp, oil pressure, etc.) as well?

b_hill_86:
Substantial wiring? No. Does require moving wires in the big plug that goes into the back of the cluster. Tach is wired separately. Fuel is in a different location from memory. Yes to swapping sensors to senders. Definitely doable. There used to be a sticky on this very thing that’s gone now but there are active members who could probably chime in with more first hand knowledge than me.

Jack:
All of the above. And I created the write up and sticky.

I am willing to do it again and I've asked whomever has a print out or a pdf of the write up to forward to me (I have the pictures) but never got a reply. I know few people saved it or printed it as they reached out to me with specific questions and said that they have a printed copy.

firebirdparts:
Hopefully somebody will respond to Jack.  I looked in the wayback machine today and I don't see anything.

The wiring for the volt and fuel gauge is consistent year to year, I would think.  The wiring on the cluster was revised each time they added a new warning light, so there are probably 4 versions of it.
 I don't recall if 1979, 80, and 81 are three different versions, but I think they are.  The gauges themselves don't care, but you have to have the printed circuit year match the appearance-of-the-plug year.  The early version is pre-seat belt warning.  The mid-70's version is with the seat belt warning.

*IF* you buy a Trans Am instrument panel harness, it's totally plug and play, but it's pretty hard to install that harness.

firebirdparts:
I'll get us started.  I was just standing here next to an NOS 1978 shop manual so I took legible photos of that part of the manual:  Click to enlarge.



This is a common configuration.  The seat belt light appeared in 73 or 74 and this configuration was used at least until 1979.

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