Adding new gauges to your square body?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

catchbats

Junior Member
Joined
May 3, 2023
Posts
3
Reaction score
1
Location
Lake Havasu
First Name
Jerry
Truck Year
83
Truck Model
Silverado
Engine Size
5.7
I'm posting this because I've seen this asked a bunch and it's a little hard to find. So, If anyone is going to be adding aftermarket gauges to your square body, New vintage has an adapter for the 18pin gauge plug. This will allow you to add new gauges without the need to hack the plug off and spend hours tracing down what each wire does with a test light. It's a little pricey but if you don't have the experience of automotive wiring, this is for you! Snap adapt.part # 995051-07
 

Soundmound

Supporting Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2022
Posts
1,773
Reaction score
5,327
Location
North Central Washington
First Name
Dave
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
Scottsdale
Engine Size
305
I dunno, $90 seems like a deal to me to save your harness and sanity.
 

sidschev

Full Access Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2023
Posts
279
Reaction score
495
Location
Arkansas
First Name
sidney
Truck Year
1984
Truck Model
c1500
Engine Size
350
now that is a cool product Thanks
 

Galane

Full Access Member
Joined
Jun 28, 2014
Posts
148
Reaction score
38
Location
Idaho
First Name
Gregg
Truck Year
1982
Truck Model
Sierra 3500
Engine Size
350
You still have to know the pinout for the specific original gauge cluster because GM put different signals in different places despite there really being no need to do so. I upgraded an 82 with nothing but the speedo and fuel gauge to one with oil, temp, and voltmeter. Had to move several pins in the connector along with changing the on/off switches for oil and temp to ones for gauges.

Just one of those 70's and 80's things Detroit made different for different options when they didn't need to. A single wiring harness could have been made to work with any gauge cluster, any combination of cruise control, intermittent wipers, air conditioning or not etc. and it would have been much lower cost than having several different harnesses made, along with allowing for all possible options combinations.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
42,137
Posts
909,894
Members
33,634
Latest member
prenrag
Top