78 Instrament Cluster Replacement

[CTX-SLPR]

Howdy,

I'm busy scheming about the '78 Regal I'm picking up and how I'm going to use it and what I need to do to it. I am planning on leaving as much as possible alone just to make it easier on me but the dash is so devoid of information I can't use it, especially not for an engineering test vehicle. The problem with just pull the whole dang thing out is that this doesn't seam to have the seperate cluster and sorround, its all 1 piece. I'm going to be putting in an aluminum panel with gauges in for the cluster but I need something that will fill the rest of the hole. To further complicate things.... I need a 78-81 option since my wipers will mount in the dash, not on the collumn. Any suggestions?

 

[84c10]

First off the 78-83 gauge clusters were designed to have the individual gauges removed seperately instead of as a whole unit like the 84-87 cars. The fuel, speedo. and clock/delete plate on the top row. Then on the bottom can be empty on either side of the steering column with the woodgrain cluster bezel covering the holes. They're back there empty but hidden by the bezel if its a N/A coupe without the extra gauge option, and sport coupes having boost/temp gauges.

Either the sport coupe or N/A bezel from a car with the extra optional gauges will have holes for 5 square gauges spread around the column like an upside down "U", leaving you with slots to mount extra gauges in if you were after a more factory look....

I guess what I'm saying rather long-winded is that each of those silver faced gauges is meant to be unscrewed from the factory and would leave the big light blue plastic shell behind to be used as you saw fit.... grab a sport coupe or performance gauge bezel and then there's 5 big square holes to mount in.... (might just be able to leave the stock gauges and add new ones to either side of the column???)

 

[turbofish38]

I swapped in the factory gauges when I built my 82 Regal 455 car. You have 5 pods. Upper right is clock,center speedo and left is gas. Lower right is volts or turbo boost and lower left is temp. All you need to change are the engine temp and oil pressure sending switches, I think? I just swapped the dash harness at the same time since I had to replace the pad. You could probaly fashion some aluminum plates and use aftermarket round gauges if you had the correct bezel for the gauges. I still see a few of the factory gauges in the boneyards. I might have a good set laying around. Let me know if you are interested.

 

[CTX-SLPR]

I swapped in the factory gauges when I built my 82 Regal 455 car. You have 5 pods. Upper right is clock,center speedo and left is gas. Lower right is volts or turbo boost and lower left is temp. All you need to change are the engine temp and oil pressure sending switches, I think? I just swapped the dash harness at the same time since I had to replace the pad. You could probaly fashion some aluminum plates and use aftermarket round gauges if you had the correct bezel for the gauges. I still see a few of the factory gauges in the boneyards. I might have a good set laying around. Let me know if you are interested.

This looks awefully 1 piece to me. I plan on using gauges I already have/need for my Riviera project, thats 5 2 1/16in gauges (Fuel, Oil Press, Temp, Volts, and an Aeroforce OBDII intercepter) and a 5in electric speedometer and tachometer. I'm willing to use whatever will work to use those or possibly use smaller speedo and tach and pick them up at a swap meet.

 

[By-Tor]

I didn't think that Regals came with a stick?
Nice looking interior, but where did the radio go?

 

[By-Tor]

After checking out the pics, I have noticed something.
The color of your interior is all one color right?
My dash is the same blue and so is the carpet.
But everything else is white(Seats, door covers, visors, etc.)
I find this weird, is my car some kind of "FRANKENSTINE"?

 

[CTX-SLPR]

Radio is is in the trunk. Car has been sitting 18 years for whatever reason. I'll be the 2nd project owner of it. Not like it matters much to me about the stock radio in the trunk I'm pobably going to be putting an eBay Sony or something in it so I can play CD's.

My '64 Riviera has a white and black hybrid interior, black carpet, dash, rear parcell shelf but white seats, door panels, headliner, visors. Most manufacturers won't make white carpet or dash pads because they would be near impossible to keep clean and be hard to sell accordingly.

 

[turbofish38]

When you pull the trim off you'll see were you can remove 4 of those 7mm headed trim bolts and the entire cluster pulls out. The gauge pods are seperate and are usually held into the cluster with 2 or 3 screws. One lens covers the fuel gauge and speedo and another lens covers the clock. Here's the only pic I have of the factory gauges. You have to squint to see the temp gauge on the bottom. And one last bit of trivia. You got the extra cost trip odometer when you ordered the gauge package.

 

[turbofish38]

I just noticed. Is your car AC delete? I think I see the two vent levers under the column. Cool score! 4 gear and no AC. A real Race Car there. To bad you couldn't order a SFI TR that way. I'm trying to build my 455 Regal into a 60's style factory racer. No,absolutely no options. All I need is the rubber floor mat from a 78-83 Malibu 9C1 cop car. Remember when rubber was standard and carpet was an option? I'm almost there. Crank windows,straight bench,no AC and radio delete plate covering the hole. Another thing that is missing is the vinyl interior. This is an 82 Regal and cloth was standard.

 

[turbofish38]

After checking out the pics, I have noticed something.
The color of your interior is all one color right?
My dash is the same blue and so is the carpet.
But everything else is white(Seats, door covers, visors, etc.)
I find this weird, is my car some kind of "FRANKENSTINE"?

That's normal for a 78-84 vintage Regal. IIRC there were 4 dash colors and 6 interior colors. Depending on the exterior color you probally could have recieved the blue or tan/brown dash. Maybe even the weird green in 78. For example my 82 has the off-white/oyster interior with Platinum Gray exterior and the dash pad and steering column is dark gray/charcoal in color. Some of the lower plastic trim is a meduim shade of gray. Thats Buick for you. Much more classier than a Chevy. Even on the inside.:smile:

 

[CTX-SLPR]

The car is a total stripper, the only option I see so far is the 4spd over the 3spd manual. It has power brakes and steering, thats it. I don't think those where options though. I'm planning on selling it once I'm done with it as an engineering car or converting it to a daily driver type thing with the spares from my Turbo6 build.

I'm still not seeing what you mean about the dash opening up to allow for the lower 2 gauges. I've edited your picture a bit to show what I'm talking about. Best I can tell, I'm going to need a new sorround piece with those holes in them already. If you don't mind measuring, what size are they?

Thanks,

 

[Indy Pacecar]

Hey turbo fish were do you get the pictures of the paccar interior? Or know were thtat car is I own two of them looking for others please let me know thanks Mike

 

[turbofish38]

I pulled that pic off of eBay a long time ago. IIRC that car was a basket case. The leather is almost peeled off the steering wheel. Hey PM me with an e-mail addy and I'll send you every pic if have copied over the years on the 81 pace cars. I've got a small library of pics I use to illustrate these cars. I've got at least a dozen 81 pace car pics I can send you.

 

[charlief1]

Turbofish, My interior is just like your pic. It's an 83 T-Type and I may have finally found the rest of the brackets and emission parts to get the under hood part out of the way. I'm jazzed at finding the parts and brackets but I'm going to use a 4.1 instead of the factory 3.8.

 

[Indy Pacecar]

Thanks turbo fish! I don't have a printer to do the pictures.If I could like to buy those from you! please let me know! Thanks Mike owner of car#11 and 27 only18,500 miles on it

 

[turbofish38]

You'll have to wait for me to buy a new printer so I can print glossy photos again. At the rate I'm going that will be awhile. I'll let you know when I'm up and running.

 

[CTX-SLPR]

How big are those guages? 3 something?

 

[Indy Pacecar]

The 78 sport package fuel to the left spedo is in the middle.clock is on the right top.Botton left is the temp and right bottom is the boost. and they all measure 4 inches I hope that this helps you. Indy pacecar.

 

[SmooveG]

Check this out

 

[usetaboost]

Got another oddity for ya turbofish. My old sport coupe had NO trip odometer!