@#$#$ Wiring harness at the firewall.

[57chevy]

Man' I hate to be confusing everyone.

The 99 was purchased originally to be a street machine, big block powered and dumping all the fancy GM stuff like computers, air bags etc. Then we fell into the 94 LT1 car deal, and it made perfect since to do the swap instead of butchering the 99.

Our new plan was then to use whatever needed from the 94 so we could use the LT1 engine in the 99. At first we thought we'd just use the computer, engine, and harness firewall forward and the motor from the 94 and with some computer programming bypass or mod what we didn't need and be good to go.

At this point based on what I know are smart fbody guys here who've brought up issues we'd forgotten (OBD1 vs. OBD2 etc), we either have to swap the majority of the 94 harness into the 99 and still deal with the small items in the dash of the 99 not being changed, that are not the same as the 94 had -in essence just swapping the body / chassis between the two cars. Which is a huge amount of work to do properly.

The alternate plan to the above is to treat it like an old school car, utilizing the stock ignition switch as an old style ignition (start, run), replacing the instruments with electric aftermarkets and then reprogramming the computer to only run the fuel injections needs, the air bags needs, AC and possibly the ABS. Making the engine -other than the fuel injection completely independent of the computer. Which would also mean down the road we could change the engine out again for something other.

My question under this scenario is it feasible to do with the 94's computer what it would require? Or do I bite the bullet and do all the work to swap the stuff. I've only got like 3K total in the project to date, a stock v8 bird would have only been a couple grand more to start with.

Advice, thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks!
Chevy

[meissen]

Honestly, I would google and research the hell out of the connections on a 1999 that are on the right shock tower and if C210, C220, and C230 exist in the passenger side kick panel.

The difference between the 1999 engine bay harness (that runs around the entire engine bay on the shock towers and through the front bumper) where it connects to the engine harness might be rather mild - a few wire changes and your engine harness could work fine with the engine bay harness. Where the engine bay harness goes into the interior on the passenger side - I believe those connections are still there and if they are again it might only be a few wiring differences. If it is, then change those wires and you're good to go.

My dad and I ran in to this - everyone kept saying you had to replace all the harnesses in the car. It wasn't true, sure we're still working through a couple small issues but the bulk of the engine being able to run is all self contained in the engine harness itself.

[Derek]

so let me get this straight.. you have a 1994 TA that runs and a 1999 v6 that doesnt? why don't you just swap the better body pieces/interior and call it a day? If colors are different you could then have it painted and sell all the remaining parts. Its not like the car will ever have a normal resale value anyway because so many incorrect parts will be swapped regardless of which way you do the swap.

[57chevy]

Derek, Guys,

The 94 TA is a total with salvage only title, the previous owner who had just bought it, spun it out and hit a huge portable wooden sign backwards and flat killed the car. So it can never be titled for the road again.

Can anyone point me to a complete listing of what all the computer controls?

Thanks,
Chevy

[Phantom409]

That car is fixable!!!

My car was bought wrecked in the front end. (See my Garage)
Before I got it it was wrecked on the passenger side in the rear and it was all replaced and just by looking you would never know.


Like I said before, this may take a bunch of research but you might be able to make it work.
You would need the K-Memeber from the 94 to make the LT-1 work in the 99.
You would have to swap plugs so you can plug stuff in like the AC and what not.

Basically you would have to rewire the car so the 94 computer would work and you would want the gauge cluster from the 94 also.

I wish I had the money to buy that 94 off ya, I would fix it!