Dash, Instrument Panel
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,058
Likes: 27
From: Eastern North Carolina
Dash, Instrument Panel
Hi Everyone,
Just curious at this point but does anyone know if its possible to convert a late model C3 dash to a earlier pre-77 dash? I like the round speedo and tach much better then the square..Tim
Just curious at this point but does anyone know if its possible to convert a late model C3 dash to a earlier pre-77 dash? I like the round speedo and tach much better then the square..Tim
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,503
Likes: 33
From: McGrady NC
St. Jude Donor '15-'16
I would hazard a guess of "no". The earlier dash was in three sections with a dash pad on top while the '78 and up was one huge, very expensive and somewhat fragile piece. If you replaced everything from the firewall to the rear of the console it might be possible. That's a lot of experimenting.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,481
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Technically, yes. You will be involved in reverse engineering. Purchase an AIM for any of the "new dash" years 78-82. Purchase an AIM for any of the round gauge years 68-77. Compare the installation and hardware required for the mounting of each type of dash.
Main dash wiring after the conversion is likely to be a hassle. Early cars did not have circuit boards.
Main dash wiring after the conversion is likely to be a hassle. Early cars did not have circuit boards.
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,852
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Very Do-able!
You would want to go with the 77 style since it is the closest to what you have.
The shift plate and the console is very similar. You would re-use this part with the heater control.
The heater box, heater controls and all that would work just fine with the 77 style dash pads.
The 77 cars used a different pillar post molding but it was basically the same only shorter on the end.. I don't think that will cause you an issue.
The wires would have to be split off to make the tach functional as would the rest of the wires to the lights. The sockets are marked on the back of the 68-77 tach and speedo cans so figuring out which wires go where would not be an issue. I have a wire schematic on the site to hard wire that tach.
If you decide to do this, I have the bulb sockets you'd need for the conversion of the dash harness. The small gauge bezel would need to be changed to the 77 style.. but the gauges would bolt right up to it. I have a printed schematic on the web site that shows you what wires on your speedo tach cluster do what.. so that wouldn't be that bad.
The more I type on this the more I keep thinking that this really would not be that hard of a job.
The pads would install in the existing holes on the side and assembly without issue.
IMHO,
Willcox
You would want to go with the 77 style since it is the closest to what you have.
The shift plate and the console is very similar. You would re-use this part with the heater control.
The heater box, heater controls and all that would work just fine with the 77 style dash pads.
The 77 cars used a different pillar post molding but it was basically the same only shorter on the end.. I don't think that will cause you an issue.
The wires would have to be split off to make the tach functional as would the rest of the wires to the lights. The sockets are marked on the back of the 68-77 tach and speedo cans so figuring out which wires go where would not be an issue. I have a wire schematic on the site to hard wire that tach.
If you decide to do this, I have the bulb sockets you'd need for the conversion of the dash harness. The small gauge bezel would need to be changed to the 77 style.. but the gauges would bolt right up to it. I have a printed schematic on the web site that shows you what wires on your speedo tach cluster do what.. so that wouldn't be that bad.
The more I type on this the more I keep thinking that this really would not be that hard of a job.
The pads would install in the existing holes on the side and assembly without issue.
IMHO,
Willcox
Last edited by Willcox Corvette; Sep 8, 2011 at 06:54 PM.
