79 suburban dash swap

[plastikboy]

I just bought a 79 K25 suburban as a project car/occaisonal hauler for $800. It was a good deal with the rebuilt 350+new clutch. However, it's in rough shape cosmetically. I spent a weekend already gutting it. There are several things that need replacing now though. Most pressingly, the dash gauge cluster. The actual plastic trim piece that covers the gauge cluster was hand painted woodland camouflage when I drove her home. The odometer does not work at all and all the gauges are unreliable at best. What years of Chevy trucks can I use for this swap. I don't know how similar the different years of trucks are, but from the outside, most chevy trucks from like 67 until like 1985 look pretty much the same. I looked on Year One's website and they don't even mention my truck in any catalogues from what I can see.

[MT-2500]

Originally Posted by plastikboy

I just bought a 79 K25 suburban as a project car/occaisonal hauler for $800. It was a good deal with the rebuilt 350+new clutch. However, it's in rough shape cosmetically. I spent a weekend already gutting it. There are several things that need replacing now though. Most pressingly, the dash gauge cluster. The actual plastic trim piece that covers the gauge cluster was hand painted woodland camouflage when I drove her home. The odometer does not work at all and all the gauges are unreliable at best. What years of Chevy trucks can I use for this swap. I don't know how similar the different years of trucks are, but from the outside, most chevy trucks from like 67 until like 1985 look pretty much the same. I looked on Year One's website and they don't even mention my truck in any catalogues from what I can see.

Check your local salvage yard interchange book.

[randy78]

parts for these trucks are more common than dirt

67-72 are a whole different design and look than the 73-80 and 81-87

what parts doyouneed exactly and what year ?

parts changed even within the same year groups

even cluster bezels differed and changed often

i have some around

as do many ppl here too

and yards near you should have many trucks 73-up and have parts you need for low cost

geta hold of me if you need more specific info and such regarding these trucks


good luck!

randy

[plastikboy]

specifically what I need is the entire gauge cluster for a 1979 K25 Suburban. Mine has the four gauge pods on the left panel (oil, voltage, eng temp and one is unused). On the center console it has one large pod for the spedometer and one large pod for the gas gauge. I would REALLY like to convert it to the later (I believe 1980+) gauge cluster that replaces the gas gauge with the tachometer. I looked on egay and found a used one from a C10 with an auto for like $160, plus shipping in "used, as is, no implied warranty/guarantee" condition. Which tells me one or more of the gauges or the odometer are most likely inop. I'd really like to have a functioning tach and odometer so I can monitor my fuel economy a bit better.
I also need the actual plastic bezel piece that mounts on the gauge cluster. Also found of egay for around $100-150. I checked the junk yards around here, and there wasn't really much of anything usuable.
Also, if anyone has door panels for front driver/passenger that would be awesome. I don't have any power options, just crank windows.

[idmetro]

You can search here http://www.car-part.com/ and you will also find http://www.lmctruck.com/ helpful if you want to spend the money and get a new part. Enjoy!

[lugnutz24]

A buddy Of mine replaced all of the original guages witgh autometer ones. He had to do a bit of work and reconstruction, but not as much as you would think. The guys down at our local NAPA store helped him find all of the guages he would need and ended up spending under $200 on it all (after buying a couple gauges used from a racer friend). I know it may be more than you wanted to spend, but they do have cheaper gauges out there and it is hard to justify that kind of bread on something that your not in that much.