71 Dash - will it fit my '70?

[erikgiles]

ALl responses appreciated.

[2ManyZs]

It will fit with no trouble. The problems might be in the wiring harness if you try to use the 71 gauges and switches with the 70 harness in the car.. there might be a few differences in wiring plugs and connectors.

[26th-Z]

The pin connection clips between the dash harness and the engine harness / body harness may be different. new pin connectors can be found here http://store.yahoo.com/eagleday/blco.html

Otherwise, the dash will fit in the car.

[EScanlon]

DEPENDS on the date of manufacture for the dash and vehicle.

The EARLY 71 dash/wiring is essentially a 70 dash.

The LATE 71 dash may have the some / all of the 72 Z changes.

These are the differences which we, in the U.S., use to designate a Series I and a Series II, which as discussion on this site has enlightened us are not real or true differentiations.

The 70 and Early 71 dashes typically did NOT have the hole above the Hazard Flasher cut out. Additionally, the indent for a label for the Hazard Switch was NOT there. This difference is cosmetic only, but for some people is a tell-tale item. The hole that was NOT cut out was for the Fog Lamp Switch. Most, if not all, U.S. market cars did NOT arrive in the U.S. with that option installed. The label indent was added in the later models because the non-indented dashes would not allow the label to STICK and would fall off. The label was added because apparently the UP-ON and DOWN-OFF was too complex a concept for some people.

The latter 71 dashes that DID have the hole above the Hazard Switch opened up typically had the Cigar Lighter mounted there. That's because the Center Console changed, and the Cigar Lighter was no longer placed on the bracket to the side of the Fuse Box and THROUGH the top part of the Ash-Tray / Fuse Cover piece.

If the 71 dash you are getting is close to the end of the 71 production year you may find that the wiring harness now has provisions for the following:

Choke Warning Light

Seat Belt Warning Light

These items were now located in front of the shifter, and if your car does NOT have the wiring and relays for this, you will find that your connectors will be different. Another bit of wiring that will be different is the location of the Fog Lamp Switch connections as well as the Electric Fuel Pump interlock. Another item is that the later dashes / vehicles joined the Seat Belt Warning buzzer to the Ignition Key / Door Open buzzer.

Another item of note: The method by which the Hazard Flasher Switch and Cigar Lighter opening were illuminated. Early dashes had the Toggle Flasher Switch which did not receive any illumination, whereas later dashes lost the toggle switch and received the Pull/Push switch which used Fiber Optic wiring to transmit light from a bulb holder located behind the dash right by the Instrument Lighting Dimmer Switch. The Cigar Lighter was also illuminated with Fiber Optic Cable.

As a final item, and this is a very rare item, is the difference in the Tachometer wiring. The early tachs used a LOOP through the tach which required 2 connections, whereas the later used a SINGLE wire.

These are the biggest differences I can recall right off the top of my head.

As far as fit, there won't be any problem. The most significant change that I can recall is that the earlier dashes had the lower mounting pads "shimmed" whereas the latter dashes did not. To fix this all you need to do is to bend the lower mounting arms up a bit.

As far as the wiring, what I would do is remove the wiring harness from the new dash and mount your old wiring harness.

Enrique