Z28 Gauges in Roadmaster Wagon

81X11 · Jan 11, 2012

silverfox said: ↑

PCM under the battery?? wow...the Roadies are different than the Cappies. I didn't know that.:confused:
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MY BAD! I meant under the air filter!

Running to get coffee now. Sorry for the confusion!

-Mike

tall455 · Jan 11, 2012

81X11 said: ↑

You have to run a wire through the firewall to the PCM. There is an open spot for it in the red plug there.

-Mike
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The Factory Service Manual for a 1995 Camaro shows the tachometer signal on PCM connector "A", wire cavity #13. The 1994 Roadmaster FSM shows that PCM connector "A" (red) has an open space at wire cavity #13 - is that where you added your tachometer signal wire?

Thanks!
Robert

81X11 · Jan 11, 2012

tall455 said: ↑

The Factory Service Manual for a 1995 Camaro shows the tachometer signal on PCM connector "A", wire cavity #13. The 1994 Roadmaster FSM shows that PCM connector "A" (red) has an open space at wire cavity #13 - is that where you added your tachometer signal wire?

Thanks!
Robert
Click to expand...

Yep! There are four PCM plugs, and when you remove the air cleaner box, standing in front of the car looking down, it's the top plug on the left. On the actual PCM is says RED, but all four plugs themselves are grey.

Good luck with your install!

-Mike

tall455 · Jan 11, 2012

Mike - thanks for the help and encouragement! I still have a lot to do before I reach the "install" point. I have collected most of the parts - I have a Z28 cluster with wiring plug and a spare Roadmaster cluster to disassemble and use the housing. I have studied the wiring diagrams for both clusters and have charted the wiring connections to make a Z28 cluster to Roadmaster cluster wiring harness adapter. It is time for me to move from "planning mode" into "doing mode".
Gary did a beautiful job on your black overlay. Could you send me his contact information? I would be better off purchasing an overlay from him than trying to "re-invent the wheel".

Best regards,
Robert

81X11 · Jan 11, 2012

tall455 said: ↑

Mike - thanks for the help and encouragement! I still have a lot to do before I reach the "install" point. I have collected most of the parts - I have a Z28 cluster with wiring plug and a spare Roadmaster cluster to disassemble and use the housing. I have studied the wiring diagrams for both clusters and have charted the wiring connections to make a Z28 cluster to Roadmaster cluster wiring harness adapter. It is time for me to move from "planning mode" into "doing mode".
Gary did a beautiful job on your black overlay. Could you send me his contact information? I would be better off purchasing an overlay from him than trying to "re-invent the wheel".

Best regards,
Robert
Click to expand...

Look at these links: http://www.impalassforum.com/vBulletin/showthread.php?t=257024

http://www.gmassie.net/13secss/z28_pinouts.html

http://www.1finecaprice.com/z28clusterinstal.htm

tall455 · Jan 11, 2012

81X11 said: ↑

Look at these links: http://www.impalassforum.com/vBulletin/showthread.php?t=257024

http://www.gmassie.net/13secss/z28_pinouts.html

http://www.1finecaprice.com/z28clusterinstal.htm
Click to expand...

Awesome information!! Thanks so much!

jks22302 · Oct 10, 2016

81X11 said: ↑

You all know I love my LT1-powered Roady Woody wagon, but one thing that has always bothered me was the lack of gauges. The car only has a speedometer, fuel and temp gauges. All the rest are idiot lights.

Well found a guy in New York, Gary Mier, that modifies LT1 Z28 gauge clusters for mid 90's Impala SS's. The cluster includes a 150mph speedo, a tach, the oil and bat gauges, in addition to gas and temp. He let me know that he's done a few Z28 clusters for Roadmasters, see the below pic "love that steering wheel too!":

I'm sold. A fellow member on the Longroof forum was selling one of Gary's clusters and I bought it. It's all plug-n-play on the wiring side, with the exception of changing the oil sending unit on the engine, which he supplies. I will have to take a Dremel to the dash behind the cluster but he supplies instructions and a template. Says the entire mod should take no more than two hours. Very cool!

The one thing I did not like was that the Z28 cluster does not have the PRNDL for the column shifter. It's not like I can't figure out what gear I'm in, but my goal is for the car to look as stock as possible....like something GM could have made. Some folks have added a floor shifter, but I often have kiddos in the middle up front, so have no plans to add a floor shifter.

I reached out to Gary about this, and see below. He did a mock-up adding a Roadmaster PRNDL to the Z28 cluster. My cluster will have this. I had my cluster sent to Gary and he doing the mod now. Pretty cool!

He also can add a woodgrain background to match the dash, as seen in the mockup above. I passed on that, want the gauge surround to be solid black.

The only other issue is the backlight coloring. The dash on Roadmasters lights up blue-green and night, and the Camaro dash lights up yellow. There is no easy solution there, but he said some folks install blue dash bulbs in the cluster, and that tends to "green up" the yellow. See pics below with blue bulbs installed. We'll see!

I'll add to this post once the cluster gets here. He's supposed to mail it out tomorrow or Friday. Pretty neat!

-Mike
Click to expand...

Love the 96 RMW Cluster. That is exactly what I want to do to mine. Could you possible send me Gary Miers contact info or point me where I can order that dash? jks22302@aol.com. thanks

81X11 said: ↑

You all know I love my LT1-powered Roady Woody wagon, but one thing that has always bothered me was the lack of gauges. The car only has a speedometer, fuel and temp gauges. All the rest are idiot lights.

Well found a guy in New York, Gary Mier, that modifies LT1 Z28 gauge clusters for mid 90's Impala SS's. The cluster includes a 150mph speedo, a tach, the oil and bat gauges, in addition to gas and temp. He let me know that he's done a few Z28 clusters for Roadmasters, see the below pic "love that steering wheel too!":

I'm sold. A fellow member on the Longroof forum was selling one of Gary's clusters and I bought it. It's all plug-n-play on the wiring side, with the exception of changing the oil sending unit on the engine, which he supplies. I will have to take a Dremel to the dash behind the cluster but he supplies instructions and a template. Says the entire mod should take no more than two hours. Very cool!

The one thing I did not like was that the Z28 cluster does not have the PRNDL for the column shifter. It's not like I can't figure out what gear I'm in, but my goal is for the car to look as stock as possible....like something GM could have made. Some folks have added a floor shifter, but I often have kiddos in the middle up front, so have no plans to add a floor shifter.

I reached out to Gary about this, and see below. He did a mock-up adding a Roadmaster PRNDL to the Z28 cluster. My cluster will have this. I had my cluster sent to Gary and he doing the mod now. Pretty cool!

He also can add a woodgrain background to match the dash, as seen in the mockup above. I passed on that, want the gauge surround to be solid black.

The only other issue is the backlight coloring. The dash on Roadmasters lights up blue-green and night, and the Camaro dash lights up yellow. There is no easy solution there, but he said some folks install blue dash bulbs in the cluster, and that tends to "green up" the yellow. See pics below with blue bulbs installed. We'll see!

I'll add to this post once the cluster gets here. He's supposed to mail it out tomorrow or Friday. Pretty neat!

-Mike
Click to expand...

I really like the RMW cluster you have. Do you still have Gary Miers contact info or a site I can go to get one of these? I would appreciate it. jks22302@aol.com.

Krash Kadillak · Oct 15, 2016

I messaged Mike (81X11) on FB about this. He'll be here some time today, I'm sure.

81X11 · Oct 17, 2016

Hey glad to help if needed. It's not a hard a mod at all if you get a cluster made. You do have to trim a bit if the internal dash support plastic it clear the cluster, which kinda turned my stomach, but it all mounted tight, no rattles, and looks totally factory once all back together. Folks have no idea it wasn't built like that when new. Love it!

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