macambra Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 So, my plan (hopefully soon)is to replace the idiotic digital cluster with an analog unit that I acquired a couple of years ago. I am rolling an 83 ZXT, and I have an analog cluster from an 80. I have a spare digital unit that I have torn apart so I can compare them side by side. I compared the wiring drawings in the back of both manuals and created a table for making my own harness between the original wiring and the analog. If anybody has experience doing this or additions to my table please contribute. I am not removing the dash assembly or replacing the harness in it. So, please don't comment unless it is productive for this conversation. WARNING-I'm not sure about all of the leads in the table. I have crossed what I think fits based on terminations listed in the manual. There alot of differences between the 83 and the 80. Instrument cluster conversion.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZUL8TR Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 Hunt for a 130mph speedo from a 79 ZX. You could also check out a Canadian version from any year since they didn't have the 85mph limitation. I did this swap years ago, but since I replaced the digital harness with an analog version, I can't help with the wiring. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluDestiny Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 (edited) PM battlesquaddatsun. He went analog to digital. Basically you should just need the cluster and harness. edit: Oh you're planning on rewiring it yourself. Missed that Edited April 16, 2012 by BluDestiny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macambra Posted April 16, 2012 Author Share Posted April 16, 2012 Hunt for a 130mph speedo from a 79 ZX. You could also check out a Canadian version from any year since they didn't have the 85mph limitation. I did this swap years ago, but since I replaced the digital harness with an analog version, I can't help with the wiring. Good luck! I have a 130mph speedo and from what I can tell it came from an 80. Probably a late 79 production sold as an 80. The wiring matches to the 80 FSM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZUL8TR Posted April 17, 2012 Share Posted April 17, 2012 Not to be argumentative, but the Federal gov't law from Sept 1979 stated must have 85mph speedos. This continued through to 1984. Therefore, I can't see how you have a 1980 130mph speedo unless it is from another country and then it would read in KPH, not MPH. In the US, the only year the S130 had a 130mph speedo was 1979. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macambra Posted April 18, 2012 Author Share Posted April 18, 2012 Not to be argumentative, but the Federal gov't law from Sept 1979 stated must have 85mph speedos. This continued through to 1984. Therefore, I can't see how you have a 1980 130mph speedo unless it is from another country and then it would read in KPH, not MPH. In the US, the only year the S130 had a 130mph speedo was 1979. I don't know. I removed it from a car a buddy and I cut up a couple years ago.The harness matches the 1980 diagram not the 79. It's definitely MPH. Whatever, it doesn't matter, I have it and am putting it in the car when I get the wiring sorted. Edit: I remembered that I have the dash in my garage. Here's the vin: JN1HZ04S9BX255408 According to FAST it was produced in 8/80. I'm not saying that it wasn't replaced some time in it's life though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZUL8TR Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 I bet a previous owner must have swapped in the 130 mph speedo at some point. Only way that could have happened. Good news is you don't have to hunt for that part. Sorry, but I have to ask. If you have the analog dash, then I'm guessing you have the harness with all the appropriate connectors. Why not just swap the harness and make it easy on yourself? I know you said you didn't want to discuss that, but curiosity has got the better of me now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macambra Posted April 18, 2012 Author Share Posted April 18, 2012 I bet a previous owner must have swapped in the 130 mph speedo at some point. Only way that could have happened. Good news is you don't have to hunt for that part. Sorry, but I have to ask. If you have the analog dash, then I'm guessing you have the harness with all the appropriate connectors. Why not just swap the harness and make it easy on yourself? I know you said you didn't want to discuss that, but curiosity has got the better of me now. I only have the connectors and a short pigtail of the harness. I didn't have time to remove the harness from the car. We only disassembled the car far enough to cut it up. The dash was in the way so we removed it and cut the harness. Plus, I originally had no plans to swap. I decided a month or so ago that I wanted analog gauges. I kept the dash and cluster to use as a template or refinish later. I was really wanting to install an AutoMeter set of matching gauges, then I started pricing them out and I'd be spending around $2k for what I want. So, $2K or a little wiring work for a cluster I have in hand...Hmm...Hindsight is 20/20. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macambra Posted April 18, 2012 Author Share Posted April 18, 2012 (edited) WARNING-I'm not sure about all of the leads in the table. I have crossed what I think fits based on terminations listed in the manual. There alot of differences between the 83 and the 80. WARNING,WARNING,WARNING: I did find some discrepancies in my table while performing some live testing on the analog gauge cluster. I will post a new table when I change it. Edited April 18, 2012 by macambra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZUL8TR Posted April 18, 2012 Share Posted April 18, 2012 I only have the connectors and a short pigtail of the harness. I didn't have time to remove the harness from the car. We only disassembled the car far enough to cut it up. The dash was in the way so we removed it and cut the harness. Plus, I originally had no plans to swap. I decided a month or so ago that I wanted analog gauges. I kept the dash and cluster to use as a template or refinish later. I was really wanting to install an AutoMeter set of matching gauges, then I started pricing them out and I'd be spending around $2k for what I want. So, $2K or a little wiring work for a cluster I have in hand...Hmm...Hindsight is 20/20. Now that makes sense. New gauges really add up! I've added a few AutoMeter gauges so far. The rest will have to wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akumazedex Posted April 24, 2012 Share Posted April 24, 2012 I just swapped dash harnesses. Done. I have one for sale by the way, for an 82. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macambra Posted April 27, 2012 Author Share Posted April 27, 2012 Well, I think that I have it now. It will be a while before I get the cluster in. Here's the updated wiring table. Digital to Analog Wiring Table 2.0.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnum44 Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 I did a digital to analog recently on my 83 turbo with a 130 speedo from an 80 280zx and changed under dash harness from an analog zx and everything works perfect.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FricFrac Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 I've got the car now. When I get around to it I've got everything I need to swap it to Analog. It's easy peasy - just need the analog pigtail in the dash and the gauge cluster.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnum44 Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 So, I totally went analog with mine. Managed to find a working 79 zx analog clock, Now all my gauges are analog. I don't like the analog and digital combo, being from 80 to 83 they went with digital clocks... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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