Don't Try This At Home: Yes, I Bought the 300ZX Digital Instrument Cluster

by Murilee Martin

August 8th, 2012 12:14 PM

dont try this at home yes i bought the 300zx digital instrument cluster

When I saw today’s Junkyard Find at my local self-serve junkyard, I knew that I had to own that incredible digital dash. You see, I’ve already got a Mitsubishi Cordia Turbo digital instrument cluster, which means I’m collecting this stuff now.

Someone had already started tearing up the dash before I got there, but the cluster appeared to be in good shape. I had only a Phillips screwdriver and a needlenose pliers with me (which I brought in order to grab the headlight switch from a ’68 Dodge D-100, in order to replace the flaky ’78 Dodge camper switch in my ’66 Dodge A-100), but that was all I needed to yank the 300ZX’s cluster. Just $20.99 at U-Pull-&-Pay! The 50 or so connectors on the wiring harness look intimidating, but I’ll grab a factory shop manual and puzzle it all out.

With the help of brainy geek and LeMons racer Quinn Dunki, I’m working on getting the Cordia cluster to function as a wall-mounted display in my office, operated by an Arduino microcontroller. Now, of course, I’ll need to do the same with this 300ZX cluster. After that, I’ll need a Subaru XT digital dash and maybe a touchscreen Electronic Control Center out of a late-80s Buick.

#1980s #300zx #Don'tTryThisAtHome #Gauges #Nissan #Nissan300ZX #SillyJunkyardProjects

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3 of 28 comments

Mburm201 on Aug 08, 2012

For the Buick touch screen, I would recommend a 1989 Riviera screen. That was the most advanced version with a cool Buick emblem on startup and a function to set reminders. You will need the controller box, as the screen itself is just a dumb monitor. I always wanted to hack into my '87 screen to extend the functionality, but I could never find good documentation on it. GM was about 20 years ahead of the industry on the dashboard touchscreen, and I thought it was well done for the time.

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Modelt1918 on Aug 08, 2012

forgetaboutit mr2bz, Murilee won't tell you. I tried also!

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- Scoutdude on Aug 09, 2012
  
  Read the article it was in there with a nice clickable link to the yard's website.
  
  Like

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