79 cluster question

[The79]

So I recently bought a 79 Malibu I've been into imports but love American muscle my question is what cluster will fit in a 79 malibu classic I found a 81 cluster but I don't know if it'll work they look way different any help would be helpful thx

 

[slingshot]

So I recently bought a 79 Malibu I've been into imports but love American muscle my question is what cluster will fit in a 79 malibu classic I found a 81 cluster but I don't know if it'll work they look way different any help would be helpful thx

I believe the recess in the dash to receive/mount the 81 cluster will be different from the 79 recess, but the complete dash from the 81 should directly fit into your 79. If the speedometer from the 81 is cable driven, there is a chance it will work, many of the G-body cars used the same or similar parts. For example, if the fuel sender for a 79 includes the 81model, the gauge should work. Try looking at Amazon or eBay for parts and year compatibility. Beyond this, I have no experience swapping gauges across g-body model years, always went aftermarket. With the proper senders, they can obviously be made to work.

 

[bent1973]

So I recently bought a 79 Malibu I've been into imports but love American muscle my question is what cluster will fit in a 79 malibu classic I found a 81 cluster but I don't know if it'll work they look way different any help would be helpful thx

Is it the sweep style with idiot lights or is it the round style with gauges? I recently did the swap from the sweep style to the round gauges. The difference would be in the housing and bezels. Top pic is round and bottom is sweep style.

 

[The79]

Is it the sweep style with idiot lights or is it the round style with gauges? I recently did the swap from the sweep style to the round gauges. The difference would be in the housing and bezels. Top pic is round and bottom is sweep style.

Mine looks like the sweep style I found the round style but I don't know if it would click on and read all the gauges how'd yours come out

 

[bent1973]

Mine looks like the sweep style I found the round style but I don't know if it would click on and read all the gauges how'd yours come out

Mine came out good, I still have to add the sensors under the hood for the oil and water temp. I have a couple of sweep style sets around here if you need parts. To change from the sweep to the round style you have to change the wires around in the harness to fit the new gauges.

 

[ssn696]

You can swap the round style in place of the sweep style. With luck, the cluster you found has the flexible printed circuit board - I think these changed between 78-81. As long as you use the whole cluster and fex panel together, the hard part is swapping the pinout on the end of the cable that plugs into the dash. The plug is the same, but you need to swap the wires around. For a diagram, go here:
http://www.maliburacing.com/gauge_conversion.html