I have a 1987 Firebird Trans Am,i swapped transmissions and did major work to the car and before i go crazy taking the dash apart i want to know if this is an electronic sending unit or it is infact cable driven which i'm hoping.

Would be amazing to have a speedo again





Thanks in advance!

 

I'm pretty sure it's cable driven, think electric was later in years. But I'm no expert. Before tearing into dash, why not look at the tranny and see? Cable speedo won't have an electrical connector on the tailhousing.

 

I bought the car with the speedo not working,recently i just had a fully built TH400 installed so looking @ the transmission won't do me any good :/

Thanks for the input!

 

The speedo will be electronic or mechanical and will require either wiring (VSS) or a cable on the trans tail shaft to make the speedo functional. Unless you stripped the wiring or the cable, one or the other should still be there.

Oh, some Birds went electric as early as 86.

JamesC

 

Thanks for the input so far

 

you can still tell if its elctric by looking at the driver side of the tailshaft , wires or no wires there will be the sending unit will have a black plug on it with one retaining bolt...even if it was rebuilt IT HAS to be there if its electric vss otherwise youd have no trans fluid hope that helps

 

There is a totally different transmission in there now,a brand new TH400

Looks like i'll just have to take apart the dash and see!

 

you most likely have an electronic speedometer. If you had mechanical you'd see a thick cable hanging right next to the transmission on the driver's side.