BlueKitsune

I'm going to put this in my Z And I've noticed that all the digital gauges read lower then the analog gauges but only slightly


Ugh time to pull the dash for the 100th time lol

PS: If someone wants to buy it before I put it in you can but afterwords to late! And its from an 83 going into a 80 so I cant see there being any issues

BlueKitsune

Er maybe not, I keep going back and forth on this Its a neat gauge set but I'm worried that the gauges may be a bit to confusing to read for any real use (other then the speedometer)

To bad I cant have the best of both worlds lol

FricFrac

I can't wait to get rid of my digital dash...

BlueKitsune

See its exactly that that makes me go back and forth between it.

I gotta ask tho, why don't you like it?

hoov100

It's too american. Remember the late 70's to mid 80's caddys and lincolns that used to have those? It was cool back in the 80's, when remotes where hard wired to your beta max player, but it's just a little too cheesy unless you where going for a whole 80's retro theme.

bsmuwk

digi-dash too unique to pass up IMO.

have it swapped into my 82.

FricFrac

I swaped it out of my NA and it's coming out of the Turbo once I find a pigtail for it. The digital dash was a good way to show off the new technology and it was pretty slick at the time. The ZX really did have a lot of technology and features in it. Even the difference between my '81 and '83 had some nice extra features like power door locks and auto dimming dome lights and I've even revived Bitch'n Betty (or is that Moaning Maxine since she lived in the Maximas as well....) which is a love/hate for most.

The worst part of the Digital Dash is the non-linear tach. It drives me nuts and if it was linear I might not have been so hasty to ditch it will all due haste. I think our brains are programed for analog gagues - that's the way modern cars have gone back to and even with a digital display they represent the value with an digitized analog gauge.

BlueKitsune

this is the only part I really worry about, I mean I understand it and its not like its laggy to show what it sees but ya....

Hmm I wonder if I could mash these 2 clusters together and somehow have the digital speedo inside the analog gauge set... Thats the only part I really like lol

FricFrac

Anything is possible grasshopper.....

BlueKitsune

Of course! But is it actually worth doing for a digital gauge that only goes to 85MPH lol

Switchtr3

I love how it's all digital but the ODO is still analog. The exact opposite of modern cars.

Seriously tho I used to have a digital dash in a chevy truck I had and I hated it. It's un-natural to look at rather than a smoothly moving needle (assuming yours doesn't have the shaky needle, or one like mine that rests nicely at 0 all the time). It's also pretty distracting at night, and it doesn't really seem too accurate. I'm not sure how the Z's digital dash compares to the GM but I'd assume they'd have to be similar. Same basic idea

BlueKitsune

My current speedo is broken it wont read anything under 20MPH (it gets stuck right at 20) and it wont read anything over 60 (gets stuck at 60 too)

Thats why I'm thinking of swapping it out

FricFrac

Or get a Canadian digital - we didn't have that dumb 85MPH rule....

BlueKitsune

Still got yours? Trade you lol

FricFrac

Lol - I imported both of my 83's from the US :/

BlueKitsune

Damn! Oh well lol

mayhem052

I like digital gauges. Our car is so quintessentially 80s' as it is it just makes it even more AWESOME.

WildmaN

I have an '83 280zx with the digital dash in it. Still not sure if I will keep it in there, or swap it to analog. It will be a while before I get to it anyway. lol I have quite a few things ahead of it.

bdgerfn20

Do you still have that digital out of your car? I would be intrested in buying that if i could put it in my 81? Should be able to right?

BlueKitsune

Ya Its still out of the car I haven't had time to even tear my dash apart yet.

And it should work just fine, I took this one out of an 83 and all the connectors fit my 80.

Nismo says you need a different temp sensor for coolant but So far I've only seen one part number for the system.... so I don't think it matters

bdgerfn20

I havent had time to look at my speedometer cluster but ik it needs to be replaced. If all the connectors work and i can just strip the other one and plug this one in that would be great. How much were you looking for it?

FricFrac

...as long as you already have the digital dash pigtail from the main harness connectors above the fuse box....

bdgerfn20

I have the original one in that came with my 81 so i cant just switch them out then from the analog to digital then. Sorry I'm new to the electronics part

FricFrac

I'm assuming since it's an '81 that it's analog. You can't just swap a digital into an analog without changing the pigtail (wiring harness) that goes from the guage cluster to the main wiring harness above the fuse panel in the passenger foot well. You need two things - the digital cluster (which has the speedo dohicky - don't remember what it's called but it's specific to the cluster but should come with it) and the digital pigtail. You need to pull the dash as well which sound ominous but isn't really that hard at all. Just helps to have a second body when you pull it out.

RckLbstr

Hi everyone. I'm seriously considering buying an '83 280zx but unfortunately it comes with a digital dash. From reading through various forums, it sounds as though it's doable to swap it to analog with simply an analog cluster, matching analog pigtail (according to FricFrac), and the time to swap it. Obviously the odometer won't match on the new dash, but I just can't stand digital.

Does this sound about right?

Thanks!