Gauge Cluster Change - Third Generation F-Body Message Boards

Hammer's Bird · 02-07-2010, 12:13 PM

I have an 84 Trans Am/Firebird that used to be my dads and i am making a bunch of changes to the interior and one thing i did was get a new stereo deck because the old one was cutting in and out well that deck had blue lights and my dashboard broadcasted red so i decided to take out the old lights and replace them with blue LED's. Well in the process i found that the backs of my gauges were painted orange so i tried to take them out to paint the backs. I couldnt get the face plate of the speedometer off with out taking off the needle and i got anxious and just started fiddling and in turn i snapped the needle

so i have been looking for a new speedometer well i found these two on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1982-...#ht_500wt_1182

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/FIREB...5#ht_500wt_955

So the first link is to a whole new cluster and there is one major problem the locations of my fuel and oil gauges are switched on this one. so the oil on this one is where the fuel is one mine and vice versa. so i was thinking, could I just buy this one and then take the speedometer out and just use thats speedometer? and would there be an exchange problems there like it not fitting or what? also this one is an up to 140 and mine only goes to 80 and i know sometimes traffic on the freeway exceeds 80. Second, is the speedometer this one looks identical to mine except for that it doesnt have a trip which mine does. so i have a lot of questions and any information about if they are inter-changable or what might not work would be appreciated.

oh and one last thing it is an automatic trans and the gear indicator (park, drive, reverse, etc..) has a light that goes to it and i found it but the casing is painted red and i cannot figure out how to get it off.

thank you so much for anything you can give me

Sincerely,
John

Jeffs82TA · 02-07-2010, 12:27 PM

The 140mph cluster is an electronic speedo. It won't work in your car.

firechicken_3 · 02-07-2010, 06:42 PM

i might have an 85 mph with trip, its from an 84 i know for sure, i will check on trip meter