Just throwing an idea out there, I have done alot of research on the 4th gen interior swaps and I am going to be putting in a LS1 interoir (dash, cluster, center console, auto w/mega shifter, A pillars, and door panels) into an 1987 IROC MAF 383. I am aware of the problems with wiring, a pillars, fuel level sender, tach and spedo, but I am fairly good with fabricating and electronics. If I were to document my install, make a detailed graphical instruction manual in pdf format, prefabed a pillars, make a direct connect dash wire harness from 3rd to 4th gen, solved the fuel gauge problem, and make a custom tach box, (that would be much cheaper to make then the DD box), VSS, and sold it in a kit and was guaranteed to work, would anyone be interested. My plan is to make this conversion as easy and headach free as possible and make a kit that solves all the common pitfalls. Please let me know what you guys think because if i get some positive feed back i will start working on it asap.

 

well, make one for yourself first. If it works, and you are willing and able to make them for a price that people will pay, then talk about selling them. That's alot of work to do. If you were to attempt selling them, you would have to contend with wiring changes from year to year in thirdgens. And where would you source the connections to have a plug and play wiring harness adapter? I doubt that some of the required connectors even exist to make it truely plug and play with no splicing.

 

Yes, I will be making one for myself first. There will be some splicing but all the wires will be color code much like installing a radio harness. I will make these harnesses to minimize having to match wires yourself and depicting the 3rd gen to the 4th gen connectors. All you would have to do is match up the collors, solder them and connect the two using a connector. I know i will have to change the harness from model to model, I would have to make them to order. I can get most electrical supplies for cost and im not trying to make a ton of money, i just know that this swap is a pain and i want to make it easier for other people who want to do the same. i have seen the same questions asked a million times and some people who wanted to do it opted not to becasue of the work involved, and this is a shame because its a clean looking swap when done properly. I am also a pilot and have help friends build their composit aircrafts and have also made a fiberglass hovercraft so i have got pretty good at composits and forms and i could perfectly match combined 3rd and 4th gen a pillars, and if you wanted i could form gauge pods into it as well so it would be a one peice unit.

 

Yea, i'd be intersted in the A-pillars and the tach box. I already have my dash wired (soldered) up, so I'm not worried about that.

 

I am working on A-B pillars as we speak. However there is no way to make them work without cutting and adding pieces to the existing third gen panels. I had them in on one side but there was too many gaps. The kick panels are not even worth trying to adapt without major modification and even then you have to fill the sides that faces the door with rubber. For the rest if you could make the kit cost effective that would be cool.

 

yes, i will be combining the 3rd and 4th gen a pillars, and ill use it to make a vacume mold, and reproduce one peice units out of fiber glass. A close friend of mine made a complete composite airplane and he has all the tools.

 

Ive seen this done B4. But it was the dash, doors and console from a 4th gen in a 3rd gen. A couple years ago I put a LS1 era 4th gen console in ly '86 TransAm. Pretty easy really. The 10mm bolts inside the console lined up with the old studs on the floor, the front tucked at the same angle under the radio/a-c sub dash on the Bird, and I fabricated a front bracket attachment under the shifter plate. I have an auto, and to eliminate toe possibility of the 4th gen auto plate not lining up, I used a 6sp upper plate. I like this becuase the 3rd gen console had a boot and the 4th gen auto does not. I put the power window switches(in console on 3rd gen) on a custom made plate where the ash tray was on the 4th gen. I also made a single gague pod in front of the shifter where the mini-pocket was n the 4th gen console. I also had to remove the two front 4th gen attachment tangs for cosmetic reasons. The rt side flip out cupholder looks a little bubbly out that side, but all in all it looks great. Sure beats the 3rd gen console with its trim issue.

 

Yeah I would be interested in this kit. As I absolutely cannot stand doing wiring. Anything to make that part easier would be awesome.

 

im interested

 

I would be interested.... could you have it done for an 86 camaro by fall??

 

I was going to wait to see how many positive responses i get before i start. so far i have about 5 people interested. so, today i won a dash off ebay for $100 ($125 for shipping, sick), so i will start to work on the project by next week and hopefull i will have it completed within a couple weeks along with instructions. As for the pillars that will take me longer, i have to get a hold of my friend, make my own, make a vacume mold, and make a couple of test pillars. So i make now gaurantees but ill try my best to have something together by early-mid summer. Keep an eye on this thread for updates.

 

Being that I have swapped a 97 dash and console into my 91 I agree on the headaches it causes and enjoyment it brings, but if you are willing to sort through all the pain to do this then I think you got yourself a sure thing and I applaud you for that. However I am stuck on my a-pillars. I have butchered the driver side 4th gen pillar and have almost accepted defeat. So if you are able to prefab some and begin selling them for an affordable price, I'd take you up on them.

 

if you could get something like that available before the end of the summer I would more than likely buy one

 

The height that a 4th gen dash can install at can vary a little bit. Also how far it sticks out and how far you go from left to right can vary a little bit. Every time I took out my dash and put it back in, I could hardly ever get it in the exact same spot. I just see a lot of problems that could pop up with a kit.

 

so, basically a prefabed A pillar in your opinion is impossible? If you make mounting holes and have solid brackets, i dont see how you would have a different mounting position each time you reinstall the dash. I guess ill have to experement with mine when it gets shipped to me. I might have to have detail specks on mounting holes and bracket dimensions and positions in my manual. Thanks for your input.

 

If the brackets are the same and mounting holes are in the same spot, then a-pillars should be no problem.

Another thing to figure out would be the cold/heater cable. I made a bracket to make the 4th gen heater cable work but its not that pretty and I spent too much time on it.

 

I would be interested in a kit!!!

 

I decided to dump the idea of a-b pillars. There is no way to make the drivers side work without adding "fat" that sticks out too far for my likeing. I decided to mold covers for that area. Pics soon.

 

just got the car running today, i will start working on the interior later this week and start progress on the kit.

 

I would be interested...

 

I would buy the kit. I've wanted to this swap for a long time now. A kit would be awesome!

 

I agree also.... Id like to see a kit also

 

How is the project coming along, namely the A-pillars?

 

Ive been really busy with school and work so i havent had too much time to work on the car. I started working on the LS1 cluster and im having a hell of a time with that, which I my have proven it to be impossible to use an LS1 cluster in a non-LS1 car. Therefore, i havent put the dash in yet so i havnt been able to work on the pillars yet. I have also started to put the 4th gen Camaro door panels on, and that is also turning out to be more work than i tought, but i have been taking alot of pictures and documenting the whole thing, so if i am unable to produce a kit i will atleast come up with a good set of instructions to pass around. I will keep everyone posted.

 

Count me in. Hopefully it will work out.

Thanks

 

Count me in as well,
Thanks in advance for your efforts.

 

Hey guys I have finally had time to work on the kit. It may appear that the skeptics are right and a kit may be impossible to make. At the least I will have detailed and illustrated instructions that will be avialable upon request. So far I have spent 4 days on the drivers side door panel. Im installing the panels first so that I can square up the dash better for better alignment. Ill keep every one posted. Additionally, I have test fitted the dash and center console and found that to be fairly easy, and have most of the wiring complete. Since I have fiqured out the door panel ( big pain by the way) the passenger side should be alot easier ( plus I can follow my own instructions!!!) and the rest of the swap should go fairly quickly.

 

any pics?

 

Every fiber of my being wants to see this happen. Keep us posted