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V6FBody Online's - Techbase

2nd Generation FAQ: Interior Related

Can I interchange dashboards between the different model years?
What can be done about my broken dash clock?
Why does only the "high" fan/blower setting work?

 
 
Can I interchange dashboards between the different model years?

Yes - to an extent. The gauge clusters for the second generation cars are pretty much the same. Dashes from '70 to '76 are identical, but '77 to '78 models have an extra ventilation opening in the middle. '79 and '80 models have a different instrument cluster (flat cluster cover) and ventilation holes are in the cluster opening. '81 is totally different from the previous models. The only differences would be in the numbers on the gauges. 1970s have a 150 MPH speedo which dropped down to 130 in 1972. The tach went from 8000 RPM to 7000 in 1972 also. In '80 the speedo dropped down to 85 MPH.

The cluster wires should work pretty much the same for the speedometer cable The gauge cluster has just one plug that goes into the back of it. You might have to swap headlight switches though. If your old switches work, just use them. If not, buy some new ones.

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What can be done about my broken dash clock?

Aftermarket companies sell quartz version replacements, but they run around $80. A company called Clockworks (1-800-398-3040) will do a mechanical restoration for $30 (quartz conversions from $59) with 24 hour turnaround.

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Why does only the "high" fan/blower setting work?

The high setting is wired differently than the lower ones. The coil- resistors (look like springs) mounted in the evaporator box, are wired directly to the switch in the car. For the high setting, GM wants maximum current, with no loss due to the long wiring run and the switch. So, they put a relay in close to the blower motor. They probably didn't want the hot resistors behind the dash (fire hazard) and the long wire-runs to the switch don't matter if you're slowing the motor down anyway. So they only use the relay for the high position. If a blower works on high, but none of the lows work, than that half of the circuit has the problem. If it works on low, but not on high, then it is probably the relay or the wiring to/from the relay.

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