Dash and Gauge Cluster changes from 78-87

[dougfather]

I recently bought a whole lot of parts from a 81 GP. I have an 84 GP. A lot of good body panels and some interior as well.

I have come to notice the front trim piece around the gauges is different. There is a cutout for the wiper switch and the gauges are a different color needle. I plan to sell on eBay. So here are my questions:

1) What where the year's the following was used

silver gauges - 78
black with white needle - 79 - 82???? not sure here
black with orange needle - 83??? - 87 not sure here

I believe 81 was the last year of the dash mounted wiper switch. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[GP403]

some of the later ones (not sure what year the switch is) also have the larger opening for the big-din radio. There was a change to more silver around the edges at some point (maybe the same). The Grand Am and some early GP ones have a silver finish on the face instead of the wood grain.

Unsure about the rest of it.

 

[87GP]

Here's some part #'s for the instrument cluster cover...

81-83 1001 8759

84 1003 0788

85-87 1003 5090


Sorry don't have any info on the gauges but I thought I read a post somewhere that 84 had silver faced gauges?

I can say my 87 has black gauges with red-orange needles.

 

[dougfather]

The one that came with the lot of parts is from an 81. It is wood grain with satin black edges, with wiper switch openeing.

My 84 cover is woodgrain, silver edges, and no wiper opening.

 

[GP403]

Sorry don't have any info on the gauges but I thought I read a post somewhere that 84 had silver faced gauges?

The only year the gauges were silver was '78....

 

[heffamphetamine]

as said before, only 78 model year cars had the aluminum guage faces. 79-80 had black guages faces with mph in white and kph in blue with white needles. 81 model cars, as far as i know, used the same tach as 79-80 cars, but now the fonts on the guages were bolder, with mph in white and kph in blue(if i remember correctly) i this stayed the same until the 84 cars, which went to orange needles and the universal symbols for oil/water/temp. but don't quote me on the later year fonts/colors