This has been an on-off-on-... thing for a long time. I'm toying with the idea of swapping an 86-88 digital dash into my 1991 Firebird. The car has an L03 TBI auto engine.

I believe it wouldn't matter if it's TBI or TPI or manual/auto?

Can anyone confirm on that?

 

Yes,..... It matters. TBI and TPI wiring are not plug-&-play compatible.

 

So what do I do? Is it just the harness? Can it be modified to fit?
Was there even a TBI digital dash version?

 

Plot twist: if I use the harness that is in my car now? I know, anything is possible. But is it feasible with reasonable effort to connect the corresponding wires to the digital dash and just add the sensors to the remaining pins?

 

I do not believe you can get the digital dash with the TBI. The only cars I have seen with the Digital Dash were TPI cars, And they were always Trans Am/GTA cars. I know that the 85-86 cars had different electrical connections here and there compared to the 87-92 cars. Overall anything is possible BUT this will be quite the big undertaking to do so. Not to mention the sheer amount of parts your are going to have to find. Just to start you car going to need, The dash, the AC controller, interior bezels, spare TBI,LB9 interior and engine harness(so you can cut them up and not destroy the one that is in your car). You car probably gonna spend around $1000 just getting this project started. I am adding the Bose system from the later year Camaros to my 86 Bird. I have everything but a spare uq7 wiring harness. So your not the only one who is getting into stuff like this lol.

 

Hmm
so you say that this will be a major undertaking. This is inciting lol

I have downloaded the 88 Firebird manual and will read into the electrical stuff of the digital cluster. Who knows, it might be doable in the end

 

Well. You are going to have to take apart the whole wiring harness for your whole car and modify it. Sure, some things will most likely be easy. But if im not mistaken the digital dash cars also had indicators that told you if the door were open etc. Its going to be one of those projects thats gonna take up your whole basement because all the trial and error/ the sheer amount of organization just trying to keep track of what goes where.

 

I wanna add the dash to my car as well. But i cannot find a 86 correct dash. They changed the tac in 87.

 

Yes, the tach was changed in 87 from a S type style to a more round one. But apart from that there should be no difference, at least in the electronics. Not totally sure though... I have a 86 and an 88 tach display laying around...

Anyway. I think I'm going for it. I like insane projects. I'm gonna read into the internals and post, if anyone is interested.

 

I really want that 86 tac. How much do you want for it lol.

 

The digital dash on the Trans Am was not limited to the TPI engines. The parts book shows part numbers for the cluster for H, E versions of the 5.0L. Some of the early clusters have a choke sign instead of the Service Engine Soon lamp.

 

That's interesting! One obstacle would probably be to get one of those TBI harnesses as many people report to have only seen TPI versions. So TBI versions apparently exist but I guess they are extremely rare

 

Only the display or the whole unit? Shoot me a pm!

 

If there was a TBI version ( I've just never seen it ) than it would be from an 88, So yes,.... very limited availability !

 

According to the Parts book, the digital dash for the 5.0L TPI (F) Auto and 5.0L TBI (E) was the same in 1988:




Unfortunately, production numbers aren't publicly available for this year and for non-GTAs. On the GTA side, the digital cluster represented slightly over half of all GTA sales in 1988 making it a very common option - atleast on the GTA in 1988.

 

Ya;,... RPM rating specific. The auto TPI 305s, LG4's and TBI cars all had a similar 4400-4500 RPM "Yellow line" while the 350 and manual TPI 305s got the hotter Cam and higher RPM limits. The digital dash cars had tachs that are more engine specific than analog cluster cars,.......... Berlinetta had a V6 cluster for carb cars and a different one for the higher reving MPFI.

 

Thanks guys, this information is extremely interesting!

Currently scanning ebay and craigslist for TBI harness. Or does anyone know someone who knows somebody who might know a guy that has heard of someone with a TBI digital dash car and is willing to part it???