Deal or no deal?

[KLaBZ28]

I've been thinking about a dash swap in my 95 but never really thought I would do it until I saw this:

http://boston.craigslist.org/bmw/pts/949079784.html

What else would I need to do a dash swap and is it difficult? Any write ups out there? Only gonna do it if I can swap back to my old one if I want.

[941le]

its not that difficult to do. Ud have to rewire the plug for ur cluster. Still find all the heating ducting that goes behind the dash. Other than that its not bad. Im doin a T/A interior in mine sence every1 else does a LS1 dash.

[KLaBZ28]

I should call him up and ask him if he has the a/c and all ducktin eh? I'd go with a firebird dash those are much nicer if I could only find one...

[Grr]

agreed. IMHO the lt1 camaro dash is one ugly son of a bitch, the whole reason i keep getting firebirds

[Camaro_94]

Is that in Massachusetts?

If you are pretty good with wiring, it shouldnt be that difficult. The LT1 firebird/Trans Am dashes also look good. I like them a lot more than the Camaro ones. I sat in a 95 Z28 the other day helping my friend bleed the brakes in it, and I was sitting in there thinking "Man, the firebird dashes are soooo much better!"

Heres what my dash looks like in my Formula. Just throwing this out there too.
http://i245.photobucket.com/albums/gg76/Camaro_94/0713081805a.jpg

As long as that dash cleans up pretty nice, i think that would be a pretty cool thing to do.

[KLaBZ28]

Yeah its in mass. I don't have a problem with my dash I have now just thought it'd be a cool upgrade to do since I like the 97+ dash's better. My step dad is awesome at wiring things he amazes me. On the other hand, I don't know much how to wire stuff lol.

[YZF]

The dash in the Pontiac's look good but the gauges are god awful. And I hate the red/red-orange/orange colors.

[KissMyWhtSS]

97+ Dash is quite a bit better and quieter than the 93-96 Dash from my experience.

[KLaBZ28]

I'll end up buying this dash and it'll just sit in my shed for years lol. As much as I'd like a 97+ dash, I'd have no idea where to start with a swap.

[941le]

I'll end up buying this dash and it'll just sit in my shed for years lol. As much as I'd like a 97+ dash, I'd have no idea where to start with a swap.
just start taking it out!

[Camaro_94]

Yeah its in mass. I don't have a problem with my dash I have now just thought it'd be a cool upgrade to do since I like the 97+ dash's better. My step dad is awesome at wiring things he amazes me. On the other hand, I don't know much how to wire stuff lol.

As long as hes going to help you then, you should be fine.

[KLaBZ28]

Haha I can do this!!! I just need to find up a write up or something to get a basic idea before I do it.

[KissMyWhtSS]

Haha I can do this!!! I just need to find up a write up or something to get a basic idea before I do it.
I think there might be one. Search on CZ28 and see what you can dig up.

[RumbleZ]

it's not really all that hard just a little time consuming and could be pretty intimidating once you get the old dash out and you see the bundles of wiring everywhere. It's not completely horrible though.

you definitely need to make sure you have all the right parts you're going to need before ripping it apart, unless you don't need the car anytime soon while you scavenge parts.

off the top of my head for the camaro dash swap:

97+ camaro dash, obviously :jest:

97+ fbody center console

97+ fbody instrument cluster connector

97 camaro gauge cluster (specifically a 97 - the same would apply for a pontiac dash swap, need a 97 cluster)

97+ fbody A/C ducting, just the part that bolts to the dash itself the rest is the same

97+ fbody a-pillar covers

97+ fbody upper dash panel

Stereo is different of course, and would be a different mounting setup if you're running aftermarket. I don't know if the connector for factory stereo is the same or different.

97+ camaro climate control panel is different, the selector cable assembley will bolt up, the vacuum harness works but it's better if you can get the 97+ vacuum harness for it, it's a little longer. if the car has defrost make sure the climate control panel has the defrost button, it lives there instead of up by the steering wheel on the 93-96 and the wiring will need to be extended, they also changed the connector so you need that too.

97+ fbody headlight switch, everything plugs in except foglight switch is no longer on the headlight switch

foglight switch is in the center of the dash below the vents so you'll need 97+ foglight switch if you have fogs on your car still. Of course the wiring will need to be extended and you will need a new connector for the switch.

If you have TCS, that switch sits next to the foglight switch on the 97+, just below the vents. I don't have TCS so I didn't have to deal with any of that, I would guess at minimum that the switch may be different, but not sure on the connector.

your existing passenger side airbag will bolt in

You will have to modify the holder on the A/C ducting for the airbag computer, on the 97+ it is set up for the BCM and it is a little different size. I cut off the holder from the old dash and riveted it to the new a/c ducting after trimming off most of the existing holder for the BCM.

The cig lighter in the console is different and takes a different connector. There's also the additional accessory power receptacle in the console as well, they can both tap into the existing cig lighter circuit.

the console light setup is different, I don't have the light so that's about all I can say about it. the existing one wouldn't work in there, and I have never bothered getting a new one I just pulled the bulb out and left the wiring under there.

it seems like the glove box light setup was different if I remember right

You'll need to remember that the back of the fuse panel cover is no longer correct. you can scan or snap a pic of your old one and get some sticker paper and print a new one though.

that's all I can think of at the moment.

I think the easiest way to do the swap is to get the dash with everything behind it, all the switches and climate controls and wiring and a/c ducting all out together from a wrecked car that didn't blow the bags. That is what I did, and it made things so much easier than trying to track down a bunch of misc things. I trimmed off connectors as I needed them and spliced them onto the existing wires except for the instrument cluster. I pushed the pins out of the existing 93-96 cluster connector for that and re-pinned into the 97 cluster connector where they needed to go. It was kind of a bitch to get the connector into place to plug it in though, if I had it to do over again I might have just left a few inches of wiring in the 97+ cluster connector and then just spliced my wiring to those so I'd have a little slack.

[integraXTC]

agreed. IMHO the lt1 camaro dash is one ugly son of a bitch, the whole reason i keep getting firebirds

yeah, that's one of the main reasons, why I opted to get my T/A.

The interior is just so much better. 97 camaro is alot better, but TA is still better.

[integraXTC]

The dash in the Pontiac's look good but the gauges are god awful. And I hate the red/red-orange/orange colors.


No way, I love those colors. :metal: