L-body Guage Cluster Interchangability

[contraption22]

The cluster on my '83 Rampage is cracked and has no tach, so I would like to replace it. Somewhere in my collection of parts is a dash cluster from a Shelby Charger, 1985-87 I beleive. Are these clusters interchangable without having to change the whole dash?

Thanks!

Mike

[Nemesismachine]

The gauges all come out, if that's what you're asking. I have a bin in my basement of P/L body gauges that all got unscrewed from the bezels.

[contraption22]

But can i swap the entire guage cluster assembly from a later SC into my Rampage without changing the whole dashboard?

[shelbydave]

They are not directly interchangeable. I had to modify an '85 cluster to fit my '83.
The top corners don't fit. Since I wanted to keep my dash original, I cut the meat off the cluster to make it fit.

The shape is slightly off also. You will see a larger gap between the top of the cluster and the dash.

[contraption22]

They are not directly interchangeable. I had to modify an '85 cluster to fit my '83.
The top corners don't fit. Since I wanted to keep my dash original, I cut the meat off the cluster to make it fit.

The shape is slightly off also. You will see a larger gap between the top of the cluster and the dash.

Thanks! That's exactly what I needed to know. Other than that, everything else plugged in and functioned?

[shelbydave]

Oh yeah.. I forgot about the plugs... No. I had to modify my wiring harness for the '85 plugs. They are totally different. The good thing is that all the proper wires / signals were available. I just needed to find them and splice into them.

If you have an '85 dash harness, that may be easier. There was alot of missing wires for the gauges to work and such..

[contraption22]

Hmmm. I am wondering if I can swap dashes with my other '83 that has a tach and have it plug right in.

[shelbydave]

I'll bet you can... I could have used the '85 as is, but the gauges would not work. I would have only what I had with the '83. Fuel, Tach, battery, and check engine light.

I also used an '86 engine harness with the TII overlay. I also bet that the signals simply aren't at the bulkhead connector for the gauges in the later cluster.