Anyone do an 86 to 87+ interior swap?

Nvidia · Dec 11, 2005

After installing my shifter, I've run myself into a roadblock as far as the interior goes, or the dash at least. I absolutely HATE the middle console on the 86 I have. It's cracked in like 10 different places, people crack the center console lid every time they get into my car and use it to put their weight against as support, and every time I try to shift, I bang my elbow into it.

So after spending hours trying to figure out how to cut off the back half of the console but still keep the shifter area intact, it got me thinking about an interior swap.

How hard would it be to convert the dash and the middle area from my 86? Is the E-Brake still in the right place? Any differences in mounting I should know about? Thanks for reading, just getting on my nerves a little bit.

Scones · Dec 11, 2005

Nvidia said:
After installing my shifter, I've run myself into a roadblock as far as the interior goes, or the dash at least. I absolutely HATE the middle console on the 86 I have. It's cracked in like 10 different places, people crack the center console lid every time they get into my car and use it to put their weight against as support, and every time I try to shift, I bang my elbow into it.

So after spending hours trying to figure out how to cut off the back half of the console but still keep the shifter area intact, it got me thinking about an interior swap.

How hard would it be to convert the dash and the middle area from my 86? Is the E-Brake still in the right place? Any differences in mounting I should know about? Thanks for reading, just getting on my nerves a little bit.

If you wanna do this, seats are direct swaps. Dash will ab ALOT of work and create a pita dash for swapping heater cores if you ever need to. The E-brakes ARE in different locations soooo....read what I suggest

Had the same problem with my 85 Vert....the thing about the earlier interiors is that (as long as the seats are in good condition) they are quite sought after b/c they are some of the meanest looking interiors around.

Anywho, what I did with my Convert was pull the entire centre column out. Then I used some small floor mats (sliced just right) to cover the bottom of the E-brake carpet, and the same with the shifter. The front seats were heavy leather ones and cracked to the point of being useless so I asked for two Summit glass seats for X-mas (don't order the mounting brackets if you're going to do this....the stock ones I modified (easily) to work)....

If your dash is cracked it's not hard to find GOOD ones for not a lot of money. I paid $40CDN for the one on my 86. PM me with the colour of your dash and I'll see what I can find for you ok?

Hope that helps keep a true four eyed fox the way it was meant to be
Scones

795.0pacecar · Dec 12, 2005

Check out junkyards. Early 4 eyed cars could be had with consol deletes.

D347643 · Dec 12, 2005

the thing about the 87+ dashes is how nice the mounting of an aftermarket tach looks compared to 4 eye dashes,.....there is nowhere to put one really. I did the 87+ dash conversion but you might as well replace all your harnesses also with newer style ones since the instrument cluster wiring is dif....btw remember that the 87-89 dash harness/instrument cluster is dif than the 90-93. If im not mistaken the 89 cluster and dash/engine harnesses only work with other 89 ones due to 89 being the first year of maf also so id avoid those unless you have an entire 89 5.0 to part out. the real PITA is bending the original upper dash mount bracket to allow mounting of the new dash. you'll see what i mean when you try to mount your new dash or compare the mounts of a 4 eye and wrap around.

srothfuss · Dec 12, 2005

Someone else did one in an '86. I think his screen name is Myke86stang or something like that. A PM to him could also be helpful.

TC93 · Dec 12, 2005

I done in my 86 and plan on it my 84 when ever I get that far into the project. When I did the swap I swapped everything, from heater box to wiring harnesses. Figured it would much less hassle than trying to mate and splice harnesses together. I used a complete 89 dash,heater box and controls, steering column, dash harness and engine harness. Made the swap allot easier.

For the actual mounting, that wasn't real hard. Like mentioned above you will see where the tabs have to be bent and trimmed for the 87-93 dash to mount. As for the center console, the E-brake will have to be moved over. After I had the dash mounted I mocked up the center console to see where it needed to mount. Once mocked in place I marked and drilled holes,, and bolted the e-brake handle down.

And for the center console you will have to get the mounting bracket from a 87-93 car, that mount to the trans tunnel that hold the back of the center console and plus the arm rest bolts too. If you go to a junkk yard to get it, take a drill since it is riveted to the tunnel. Just when you mock the center console up when the dash is installed,, you can see where that has to mount. I marked the location of the wholes and drilled out for rivets when installing it.

I use to have pictures, but my computer got a vrus and I had to reformat it about 2 months ago. I do plan on making a write up when I do my 84, but that won't be until late spring, early summer if I get a chance...

Finished product....

Car it it was in...

Kornnut · Feb 22, 2006

How big of a deal is it to make the lights work? How about the speedo?

TC93 · Feb 22, 2006

Kornnut said:
How big of a deal is it to make the lights work? How about the speedo?

The speedo is mechanical so it may be the same betweent eh two, But as for the light most likely will need wiring diagrams from both yeras. That way when you splice the 87+ headlight plug on tot eh86 dash you can cordnate the color's to corresponding wires on each plug.

When I did my swap , I swapped evreything, dash harness, motor hareness, and the main harness that runs to back of the car.

Kornnut · Feb 22, 2006

Myke86GT said:
The speedo is mechanical so it may be the same betweent eh two, But as for the light most likely will need wiring diagrams from both yeras. That way when you splice the 87+ headlight plug on tot eh86 dash you can cordnate the color's to corresponding wires on each plug.

When I did my swap , I swapped evreything, dash harness, motor hareness, and the main harness that runs to back of the car.

With the interior out of the car how hard was that? I am not looking for a/c heat, or power options. I just need the lights to work, and the guages. how much do those three harness go for?

ram360 · Feb 22, 2006

I did the swap to my 83 GT....Go some pics of the tear down in my sig

Kornnut · Feb 22, 2006

ram360 said:
I did the swap to my 83 GT....Go some pics of the tear down in my sig

WOW

TC93 · Feb 23, 2006

Kornnut said:
With the interior out of the car how hard was that? I am not looking for a/c heat, or power options. I just need the lights to work, and the guages. how much do those three harness go for?

An engine harness will run around $100(mass air 89-93)and a dash harness around $30-$50. But if you go with an 87-88 speed density set-up, you could probably get both harness's for about $65-$100..

The one for the rear of the car shouldn't have to be swapped if you use 87-91 engine & dash hanress. If you get a 92-93 engine and dash hanress then it may, since the 92-93's move the fuel pump relay into the enigine bay. I swapped all mine because my car was hacked up by previuos owner. Harrnesses were cut in a few places. So I figured it would be easier too swapp themm allout instead of trying to splice back together..

86mustang5.oh · Feb 23, 2006

not tryin to steal a thread but will a 4 cyl dah work on a 86 gt if i get a new harness its a 89 dash...

86mustang5.oh · Feb 23, 2006

and will i have to change anything else

seijirou · Feb 23, 2006

it'll work but your tach will read more rpms than you're really turning if you don't get an 8cyl tach.

I did the swap in my 86 using an 87 as a donor. I do recommend getting diagrams and splicing your wires or using speed density harnesses or the 1989 harness as they are a closer match. If you want to run mass air and you don't have the 89 harness, get the piggy back or make that harness yourself and swap the pins. It's only 4 wires, and it's really easy to do. Using the 90+ harnesses is a real nightmare. Keep in mind there's more to swap than just the dash and center console. The A pillar panels from the 4 eye mustangs won't fit with an 87+ dash in there. Nor will the steering column panels. I went ahead and swapped out all of the interior pieces. If you want to swap the interior quarter panel plastics you'll also need to put in the 87+ style quarter windows aswell... assuming you're trying to avoid cutting. If you do the door panels you'll have more wiring to do.
I didn't have any problems keeping the 86 steering column or heater box. I've heard people say without changing the heater box doing a heater core later is harder. But I found when I did mine, after the swap, I knew the interior so well I had the job done in 2 hours.

usd2ba6 · Mar 2, 2007

I just got an 86gt with a beat red interior and happen to have a 90 4 banger parts car with a good grey interior. You guys have definately convinced me to leave the dash alone (I'll probably just paint it at this point)and I know the seats will work, but how about the trim, door panels, etc?

*didn't mean to jack your thread, but it kinda applies

seijirou · Mar 9, 2007

usd2ba6 said:
I just got an 86gt with a beat red interior and happen to have a 90 4 banger parts car with a good grey interior. You guys have definately convinced me to leave the dash alone (I'll probably just paint it at this point)and I know the seats will work, but how about the trim, door panels, etc?

*didn't mean to jack your thread, but it kinda applies

Not sure what you mean by trim. If you don't do the dash, you can't do the center console. You also can't change the A pillars unless you change the dash. You can still do the door panels. But you'll have to do some wiring work to make power windows and doorlocks work if you have them. The rear quarter panel stuff won't work unless you change the 3/4 windows too.

Anyone do an 86 to 87+ interior swap?

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