Badass_recaro

Is it even possible to mount a digital dash in my car?
I have a normal 82 recaro trans am and i really want a digi dash!

But I hear that it's impossible to mount it into a car that has analogue dash..

WILL85IROC

try Dakota Digital - digital instrumentation and accessories automotive and motorcycle enthusiasts. theres another company buy i forgot the website...

Xophertony

you will need to convert to a digital VSS instead of a mechanical speedo. you will need a COMPLETE cabin wire harnes out of a Digital Dash equiped car (i assume they are different) and you will of course need the actual digital dash and all trim. the non guage cluster portion of the dashes should be the same. i do not know i you will need the ECM from a digital dash car or not (which would pretymuch mean converting to TPI) i certainly hope not, because i one day hope to convert to a holley ECM...

Badass_recaro

Holy smokes! It's that big of a job?
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They don't have digital things for trans ams!

sogabe

search ebay with 'trans am cluster'

i did find one for a camaro,
everything's digital and its like 399bux but it looks pretty nice
and i bet itll make it more luxurious.

only if i had money and the knowledge to install it though..

Badass_recaro

Yeah. I saw it to!

But I think the clusters that WILL85IROC linked to looks veeeery good!
Does anyone here know of some other companies that sell stuff like this?
It would really help!

1989karr

hmmm don't know if they still make it but..........


Interior Products

The knight rider parts are at the top but the stock gauge replacements are more towards the bottom It's a digital dash that bolts into the stock one just like that!!.......so it says...............but....the price.....ouch lol

sogabe

thats some neat stuff on dakota website,

AS I KNEW the 90-92 model is not in there though.. sigh

oh well i couldnt afford it anyways

Al Hasse

Just because it's not on their site doesn't mean they can't make it, you need to send in a ready to install cluster, including bezel, and they will convert it to digital. No harness required, you tap off from the original in the car and run those wires to the new cluster's cpu. The kit comes with all the senders and cable/digital converter for VSS (didn't need mine since I had electronic speedo).

Here's my '92

sogabe

wow cool... how much did they charge u?

Al Hasse

I've had mine for about two years now, so price has gone up. I paid about $900 for the conversion, now lists for $975 for the 6 gauge cluster. Price is higer than for the ready made panel because they are not stocked and have to be fabricated.

Custom Mounted Instruments - Uses Original Bezels

sogabe

that sure looks nice..
but considering the price I will have to take priority in
my other stuff, like my engine(high mile)

looks nice though

Al Hasse

Mine went out about 4000 miles ago, then replacement block was bad, had to warranty that, now just finishing breakin on this one. Had 199000 when motor went south, now at 203000 and hope to see alot more.

Xophertony

just so everyone knows, those photos don't do justice, al's car is way nicer looking in person. that cluster is HOT!!

btw i am prety sure i was wrong about the ECM, been looking in my factory manual, makes no mention of a different ECM.... so my bad.

Badass_recaro

But will the camaro cluster fit a trans am?

Al Hasse

Probobly not. If you want Dakota Digital, send that Trans Am cluster to Dakota Digital for them to convert it to digital.

WILL85IROC

i found the other one: Covan's Classic

Badass_recaro

Thanks! Keep'em coming!

Al Hasse

The other one you might be looking for is Nordskog

Nordskog Performance Products

Here is their universal "build-to-fit" panel

Nordskog Performance Products

Badass_recaro

Wow! those were good looking!!! any other similar places I can get digital gauges?

nimrod_sixty9

What about the factory one from the Berlenetta? Didnt it come with a Digi dash option. I think I remember seeing it in a U-Pull-It for like $10! And it looked like it would fit my 92' camaro. Id imagine there are some for FBs too, if you could ever find one, it would be hella cheaper (and neat since its a factory product!)!

Badass_recaro

Yeah.I understand that!

I've already made up my mind NOT to go for a digi dash from a trans am.
Instead It will be clusters (digital) from various suppliers.

Xophertony

yes, berlinetas came with a digital dash option. to put it in a regular camaro all you nead to do is swap the passanger cabin wire harness (the whole thing) and the dash itself. since you have to pull the ash anyyway to do the wires this is no biggie. a buddy of mine did the oposite of this (converted berllinetta to RS).

yes, Pontiacs came with a digital dash option as well, only it is much more tastefull then the berli one. GTAs had it as an option 87-89. however only 5 or so were done in 89. if you special ordered from the factory you could get a regular TA with a digital dash as well. a memeber of cascade crew ordered a TA in 1988 with a digital dash. it had all the GTA options except Y84 (gta option package). to do this swap i would think it would be the same thing. pull the dash, swap the passanger cabin wire harness, and put the new dash in.

unlike the camaros, the GTA digital dash and associated trim WILL fit in the regular dash shell. you don't need to swap the WHOLE dash. justy most of it. with the berlinettas the digital stuff has it's own dash assembly, and the entire dash needs to be swapped (somone correct me if this is inacurate, i am prety sure i am right)

i have attached pictures of the GTAs digital dash:

Toehead

Wow, that dash is funky looking... Much different then the berlinetta dash.

Badass_recaro

Do you guys think there will be problems with making the digital gauges work in a 1982 T/A?

I'm talking primarely about gauges from northskog and egauges.com

Al Hasse

If I read the downloadable install sheets right, the Nordskog gauges install very similar to the Dakota Digitals thay I have. You need to splice into the stock wire harness behind the gauges, then run a wire for each signal to the microprocessor. Gauge signals are supplied by the microprocessor. Not hard once you figure out which wires are needed to splice into.

lostangel

iTrader: (1)

on the dakota digital display do you know if it blanks out completely to black? I'm still trying to figure out what i want to do interior wise. I think the gauges would be cool if they would disappear when the car if off.

Al Hasse

Yes they do black out completely when off. The only thing to see is the etching on the gauge faces.