replacing lights with gauges on my 86 gp.

[james86gp]

Since my Regal is more of a cruiser I made a trio gauge pod for under the dash so I could add some mechanical gauges and leave the dash intact.
View attachment 77071 View attachment 77072

with my limited imagination though I don't like gauge under the dash that would have worked for me. I like that

 

[MrSony]

Plus the Regal had by far the stupidest gauge "cluster" of all the g bodies. Speed, fuel, lights for everything else. It's asinine.

I've always envied the GP dash, the cooliest of the G body dashes. GNX is a close second.

 

[james86gp]

The Grand Prix dash just begs you to install a quartet of aftermarket gauges in it! I started with an idiot light cluster, removed all stock warning lights (and the fuel gauge), then shoved four AutoMeter gauges into it. I was able to arrange the gauges to my liking, meaning you can arrange yours however you prefer. Here is how it looks installed, but without the big woodgrain trim piece:

did you install new wire to your gauges. or did you use existing wires.

 

[454GrandPrix]

did you install new wire to your gauges. or did you use existing wires.

I had to install new wires. The way the stock cluster works, the plastic membrane slips over the exposed metal plug end--you'll understand what I mean if you've removed your cluster--and that connection isn't exactly the most reliable (at least not on my car). I found a wiring diagram for the plug, then I used a test light and multimeter to verify every wire, just to be certain. From there, one by one I snipped each needed wire off the harness plug, then grafted a new wire on to it. I attached these wires to a couple weatherpack connectors so that the gauges would be easy to remove for any reason in the future. From there, I built my own little harness to go to the respective plugs on the back of the gauges, and it all tucks into/around the gauge housings--only the weatherpack connector pigtail pokes out.

Sorry I don't have any photos of the installation process. However, here is a horrible photo of the finished result. (PRO TIP: try not to take interior pictures when your car is parked outside in direct sunlight.)

 

[james86gp]

The Grand Prix dash just begs you to install a quartet of aftermarket gauges in it! I started with an idiot light cluster, removed all stock warning lights (and the fuel gauge), then shoved four AutoMeter gauges into it. I was able to arrange the gauges to my liking, meaning you can arrange yours however you prefer. Here is how it looks installed, but without the big woodgrain trim piece:

thanks for the ideas finally got the lights out and gauges in . I see the tachometer what did you do for your speedometer

 

[454GrandPrix]

The speedometer is the one that matches the tach (and the other gauges).