It’s no secret that many gearheads dread making precise electrical connections in their vehicle, and that’s particularly true when it comes to cutting, spicing, or soldering into the factory wiring harness.
In fact, that apprehension has often stopped folks from upgrading their factory gauges with modern ones.
So the gauge gurus over at New Vintage USA came up with the ingenious Snap-Adapt system.
The system essentially consists of a socket that you build into a custom adapter which allows you to plug your New Vintage USA gauge cluster into the factory harness without any modifications. The system requires no soldering, no cutting, and no splicing—if you can use a wire crimper tool, then you can build the Snap-Adapt connector in a handful of minutes.
Better still, New Vintage USA includes easy-to-follow pinout diagrams with each kit that explain which wire goes to which pin on the clearly-numbered connector terminal. The only other specialized tool you’ll need is a simple circuit tester or multimeter to check the pins—again, the NVU folks will show you exactly how to do that.
New Vintage USA makes these Snap-Adapt kits for a mix of vehicle applications (click here to see them all), including these popular rides.
- 1970-80 Camaro
- 1970-72 Chevelle
- 1978-82 Corvette
- 1967-86 Chevy/GMC truck
- 1992-98 Chevy/GMC truck
- 1969-73 Mustang
- 1979-86 Mustang (some may require two kits)
- 1973-96 Ford truck
- 1970-81 Firebird
- 1978-87 Buick Regal
- 1978-81 Malibu and Monte Carlo
Get a closer look at how the Snap-Adapt system works in this detailed video direct from NVU:
Nothing available for 1st gen Camaros
Call and ask or try to find a wire schematic for the first gen and cross it with the 67 up GMC – Chevy truck and the 2nd gen Camaro, also the Chevelle, there may be only simple differences because they didn’t change them very much and they still house the same gauges, if anything, different color wires or an added wire or 1 less… Chevy didn’t change the wiring harnesses very much through the carbureted and conventional type years… I use to swap factory harnesses, gauges, etc. all the time back in the 80s and 90s and use a mid 70s Corvette tilt and slide steering column in my 1st and 2nd gen Camaros, Chevelle, novas, as well as power seats, etc. also, I’d use the Cadillac column as well in Impala’s, etc. I was young, broke and ambitious… Also knowing a few car scrappers, they gave me all the parts at a cheap cost, free or work them off… I’ve built several 1st gen Camaro for free through those guys as well as tons of other cars, they’d pay 50 to 150 bucks for cars and they’d ask if I wanted it or parts from it, some needed front clips, others engines, body and paint, Easy stuff when you have the connections… I even had the mgr of maaco, he would paint my cars after hours for 100 bucks but I had to do all prep, in and out, he taught me how to paint, after a while, I just threw him 50 bucks to use the spray booth for a couple hours but it was only what they had in stock for single stage, I use to try my hand at blending and custom mixed colors, I did pretty good for an 17 – 19 year old just learning but I usually flipped every car, made clean money because everyone from my hood sold druggs, I didn’t even smoke or drink, still don’t almost 35 years later but now I’m handicap from a motorcycle accident 10 years ago and can’t run around a car and fix it like I could, I started at 9 helping my brother and father fixing cars, now I’m 54, have 12 vehicles that need simple things but can’t do it all by myself and wasting money on rent of a garage I don’t use… History repeats, but now I’m old and broke, lol… Sorry for rambling