What plug is this?

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wingnutks

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What is this black plug for on the dash?
0107211410b.jpg
 

79 USA 1

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If you are referring to the plug sticking through the dash pad it connects to the printed circuit board on your dash pod.
Attaches at the point of the lower left in this photo.
P1012148.JPG
 
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CopperNick

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+1 on above except to add that there are two versions of that plug depending on whether you have idiot lights or gauges in your instrument cluster. The cluster shown above has idiot lights. Why do I say this? Because that large blank cover located over to the left of the cluster; remember you are looking at it from behind, is where the tachometer would be installed in a full gauge assembly. No tach usually means that the car came with idiot lights on the dash and that flat poly-sheet loaded with all those copper colored strips has them laid out in a different pattern than what you would see if the tach and gauges were there. To match this variation, the copper contact strips in that plug get moved around into a different pattern as well
 
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79 USA 1

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+1 on above except to add that there are two versions of that plug depending on whether you have idiot lights or gauges in your instrument cluster. The cluster shown above has idiot lights. Why do I say this? Because that large blank cover located over to the left of the cluster; remember you are looking at it from behind, is where the tachometer would be installed in a full gauge assembly. No tach usually means that the car came with idiot lights on the dash and that flat poly-sheet loaded with all those copper colored strips has them laid out in a different pattern than what you would see if the tach and gauges were there. To match this variation, the copper contact strips in that plug get moved around into a different pattern as well


Correct you are!

The photo was the idiot light dash from my 79 Monte Carlo. The large blank cover is the back of the clock. Also the gauge pod has the metal clips in the other 3 positions like the ones shown for the fuel gauge. Of all the photo's I have none show the back with the gauge package only the front of the empty housing.
P1012093.JPG
 

Tomeal

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+1 on above except to add that there are two versions of that plug depending on whether you have idiot lights or gauges in your instrument cluster. The cluster shown above has idiot lights. Why do I say this? Because that large blank cover located over to the left of the cluster; remember you are looking at it from behind, is where the tachometer would be installed in a full gauge assembly. No tach usually means that the car came with idiot lights on the dash and that flat poly-sheet loaded with all those copper colored strips has them laid out in a different pattern than what you would see if the tach and gauges were there. To match this variation, the copper contact strips in that plug get moved around into a different pattern as well
Not to sidetrack from the OP but a question that goes with this.

So other than gauges or idiot lights, is there anything else that changes through years or models that would affect interchangeability?
 

79 USA 1

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Not to sidetrack from the OP but a question that goes with this.

So other than gauges or idiot lights, is there anything else that changes through years or models that would affect interchangeability?


I can only speak of the Chevrolet lines With regards to the Monte Carlo idiot light or gauge set there was three face styles offered.
78/79

P1012105.JPG

80-85, Yes this shot is with a 9C1 police car speedometer.
P1012084.JPG
86-88
P1012136.JPG
They can be swapped between years and yes with a change out of the wire locations the round clusters can be swapped into a Malibu/Malibu Classic/El Camino with the rectangular speedometer.
When swapping from idiot lights to gauges or from rectangular to round you need the "pod" housing.
Note also the tach on the 86-88 no longer has the clock. even the base idiot light dash had no clock in the dash it was in the radio.
 
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Tomeal

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They can be swapped between years and yes with a change out of the wire locations the round clusters can be swapped into a Malibu/Malibu Classic/El Camino with the rectangular speedometer.
Do you know where I can easily find the information on how to do that?
 

64nailhead

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Bonnewagon

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ That is awesome info! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ You can change the pins with a tiny tool like a jeweler's screwdriver. Heads up to Pontiac guys- the harness is the same for gauges and idiot lights.
 
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