85 Trans Am Cluster Swap
#1
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Joined: Nov 2004
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From: San Diego
Car: 1985 Trans Am
Engine: LB9
Transmission: 700R4
85 Trans Am Cluster Swap
Can the entire gauge cluster from an '85 Trans Am be swapped out for something that goes higher than 80 mph? Do they have the electronic contacts on the back (like plug and play style) or are these cable driven? I'll even take a 120 speedo, I just hate the look of one that maxes out at 80.
#2
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From: Pittsburgh, PA
Car: 1984 Camaro
Engine: 350, 4bbl
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: GM, 3.23 posi
Not 100% sure about the T-A, but I just swapped the gauge cluster on my '84 camaro last night. I put in a 115mph cluster out of a '88 z28 that I got off of ebay. Very easy to do.
Check out the Tech article (https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/gauges.shtml). the only thing I had to do additionally was to loosen the steering column bolts so I had enough clearance to pull out the old cluster. the tech article also says you have to reach up under and disconnect electrical connections, but mine has connections that just 'plug in' when the cluster is pulled out or pushed in.
Check out the Tech article (https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/tech/gauges.shtml). the only thing I had to do additionally was to loosen the steering column bolts so I had enough clearance to pull out the old cluster. the tech article also says you have to reach up under and disconnect electrical connections, but mine has connections that just 'plug in' when the cluster is pulled out or pushed in.
#3
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,924
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From: Kingston, Tn
Car: 1987 GTA
Engine: LT1
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 9 bolt 3.70 posi
The 85 model had a cable driven speedo, all of the 120 and 140 MPH speedos in the Trans Am/Formulas are electric (unless it's an aftermarket one that was sold before 86) They changed the type of speedo sometime mid year '86, my Firebird had a mechanical speedo, but I purchased a gauge cluster from an '86 LG4 car to get the bezel and it was electric and was an 85 MPH.
#5
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Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,924
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From: Kingston, Tn
Car: 1987 GTA
Engine: LT1
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 9 bolt 3.70 posi
You will probably want to do what I did, I bought a harness out of an '91 Trans Am with the cluster, then something happened to that harness and I got the one out of my GTA to use while I was doing the body work on it.
Any harness from an 87-92 should work, best bet is to find one out of an '87 since the '85 doesn't have VATS and that wasn't done on the Trans Am's until '88
Any harness from an 87-92 should work, best bet is to find one out of an '87 since the '85 doesn't have VATS and that wasn't done on the Trans Am's until '88
#6
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Joined: Dec 2000
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From: Buffalo, NY
Car: 1984 Trans Am
Engine: LT1
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 10 bolt w/ 4.10 gears
Originally posted by Klortho
Any harness from an 87-92 should work, best bet is to find one out of an '87 since the '85 doesn't have VATS and that wasn't done on the Trans Am's until '88
Any harness from an 87-92 should work, best bet is to find one out of an '87 since the '85 doesn't have VATS and that wasn't done on the Trans Am's until '88
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