88 - 94 dash style or 95 - 98??

[lilredchev]

I have a 93 gmc stepside and want to swich to a fleetside. I have the old dash style right now and can't decide which style I like more. If i decide on the dash style I have right now, then it would probably easier for me to just find a fleetside box and switch it over onto my truck. Otherwise I would look for a newer fleetside chevy with the newer dash.
Also I would say I like the newer dash style except the old ones look really good when their all smoothed out

http://images.sporttruck.com/featuredvehicles/p59693_large+1997_Chevrolet_C1500+****pit_View.jpg
http://images.sporttruck.com/featuredvehicles/gmc/0508st_03_z+1992_gmc_fullsize+custom_dashboard.jpg
http://images.truckinweb.com/features/0401_11z+1991_chevrolet_standard_cab+front_interior_view.jpg
http://images.truckinweb.com/features/0707tr_11_z+1996_chevrolet_c1500+custom_interior_dashboard.jpg

[Jaymez]

No thoughts on the dash, but, I want to thank you for posting those pics. I was thinking of doing my dash body color and clearly it would be WAY too much blue. Those pics saved me from making a HUGE mistake.

Thanks again.

On second thought, the newer style looks better. Oh, and I really want that steering wheel with the skull in the second pic.

[Redneck Rebel]

I prefer the square and rectangle shapes of the older dash, I find it to be more truck like and better suited to a off road vehicle. BUT... If I were building a lowered truck I would probably go with the more upscale look of a tastefully modified 95+ dash

[1ugly88]

i like the older dash but the newer door panels.

[SimpleGreen]

Newer dash hands down, IMO...

I have almost all the parts needed to convert mine.

[Low88]

steering column as well? Are all the connectors on the steering column the same. That would suck rewiring all of that ****.

[92 sierra slx]

i like the older dash but the newer door panels.
x2

[BlackBlazer92]

i like the older dash and it feels so much more roomy

[BHB]

steering column as well? Are all the connectors on the steering column the same. That would suck rewiring all of that ****.

I had all the parts to convert mine, then I sold them. I wanted to do it the right way (to me that means a new engine harness) I did not want to splice, not to mention the shifter is a cable on 95-99s, versus the mechanical linkage on 88-94. I decided that I would rather devote that time to my LT1 swap.
I guess I like the old style better then!?!?
I'm just gonna build a killer console that intergrates with the old dash,and looks like factory.

[cordatta]

i like the newer dash. i have the old dash but new panels in mine. bought the 96 dash and column but have yet to find the time to put it in. The connectors are not the same, time intensive in wiring.

[98[GMC]z71]

95-98 gets my vote

[CKTA]

I have both and the older style is much nicer/better. :read:

[chevysnbuicks]

95-98 for sure.

The older style isn't as functional in my opinion, plus if you have moonie gauges........ need I say more? lol. Hard to read and they hardly work.

The newer style has good curves, the instrument cluster looks good, everything is in the right place, and the vents are more durable. Not to mention the knob style AC controls work better than the digital IMHO.

[95z71_350]

Newer dash definately.

[LOWZ71]

I have both styles and I like the newer style in my blue truck better. I have nothing against the old style, but personally I would go with the 95-98.

[tylerj]

Newer dash is where its at. Getting mine done in seuade right now.

[Murf]

Newer Dash. I have had both. The newer is laid out better. The newer also seems to be designed better. It moves less on rough roads and has less rattles.

[1BAD9T7]

Newer by far!! I have both and think the older dash is terribly "dated". I have done the swap on a truck I recently sold...tons of time to do the wireing, but I plan to do it again on my 94'

Jason

[screamer25cc]

To be honest, I would like to see more pics of your dash...

[edman87k5]

I like both for different reasons. The older style feels more roomy and trucklike, but i hate the guage panel. The newer style is more classy looking, but make the cab feel smaller to me.
I guess my vote for best from factory would be the 97 up hd with no airbags and a storage area where the pass airbag would be.

[skater1107]

who has a real etailed how to on the swap i pulled a dah at work yesterday and now im ready to switch them iout but i wanna a detailed instructins before i pull my truck apart

[matt trakker]

Man, I could never have my dash painted that shiny if it wasn't made of metal, I would totally freak out! It's just too much. I would constantly be picking at the finish with my fingernail or something to see if it's soft or not. That's a safety hazard too, a shiny dash can blind you because the reflection from the top can block the view through the windshield.

I basically like both dashes, I can't really think about swapping them, but I'm a stickler for originality and I'd probably just buy a 95 truck with the dash already in it before going through all that mess..haha.

I agree with the points on what makes each dash better. I think the newer one might be better put together and rattle less, the radio set up on the old one is dumb, and the glovebox doors seem to break. The newer one seems to have stuff in the "right place"

But, there is no question the old dash goes better with the trucks design in general, that's what it was originally styled with and is meant to be in the truck. The new dash was tossed in there as an afterthought and something about it looks funny, just how the dual airbag version is an afterthought on the 97-99 trucks.
While the moonie gauges are a pain I think the 91?-94 tach dash looks nicer and the old dash is easier to mess with if you need to fix something, a lot of the parts are real simple to remove.

I like the old door panels too, they're easy to scrub if you have to clean them. I have a Blazer though, mine look slightly different than the pickups and have backlit window buttons...:aniteef: I do think the door panel armrests on the 91-or so to 94 are a little weak, I have to replace both of mine, they're loose and one has a rip. The old 88 style ones seem to have broken pull straps a lot.

[MATTMC]

I like the older dash better .... not just because I have an older truck , I just always have .
I like the newer dash , but only 95 - 96 ....those years look much better than when they added the passenger side airbag .
BUT..... I like the steering wheel beter in the 98 +

[kev2809]

either looks sick when its painted. just dont color match your carpet like that blue one up there, unless its black lol but i say do whichever one you already have, saves a big headache of converting everything plus they both look good when they are completely painted

[tatoodkelt]

I have a 94 and a 95 and I definitely like the dash in the 95 better.

[Midnight Rider2]

I have a 93 gmc stepside and want to swich to a fleetside. I have the old dash style right now and can't decide which style I like more. If i decide on the dash style I have right now, then it would probably easier for me to just find a fleetside box and switch it over onto my truck. Otherwise I would look for a newer fleetside chevy with the newer dash.
Also I would say I like the newer dash style except the old ones look really good when their all smoothed out

http://images.sporttruck.com/featuredvehicles/p59693_large+1997_Chevrolet_C1500+****pit_View.jpg
http://images.sporttruck.com/featuredvehicles/gmc/0508st_03_z+1992_gmc_fullsize+custom_dashboard.jpg
http://images.truckinweb.com/features/0401_11z+1991_chevrolet_standard_cab+front_interior_view.jpg
http://images.truckinweb.com/features/0707tr_11_z+1996_chevrolet_c1500+custom_interior_dashboard.jpg
To tell the truth, the newer style is a whole lot more convenient and looks a lot better smoothed and with some billet

[S/C Z71]

95+

[yukntukn22s]

Had both as well, both painted, just swapped to the newer one liking it so far.

[ufunnyguys]

In this order:

1. 95-96
2. 97-98
3. 91-94
4. 88-90

I bought a 1995 for this very reason, so I guess I'm biased!!

Greg

[S/C Z71]

Should of went 96 and got a Vortec but I guess I'm biased. Haha.