• The site migration is complete! Hopefully everything transferred properly from the multiple decades old software we were using before. If you notice any issues please let me know, thanks! Also, I'm still working on things like chatbox, etc so hopefully those will be working in the next week or two.

Pic Request

outonthetiles

outonthetiles

New member
I'm going to retrofit a GP HUD into my '00 Impala. Does anyone have any pictures of how the HUD unit mounts in the dash? Thanks.
 


Billboost is your man when it comes to adding HUDs to cars that were never mean to have them. He should have pictures and know the general wiring you need to do.
 
Yep, that's the thread I was looking for. In the Impala the HVAC ducts are right under the dash pad where the HUD would be, not really a big deal because I don't drive the car in the winter and it doesn't have AC, but I'm going to have to do a lot more cutting. Also, it looks like the Impala doesn't have a VSS signal at the cluster, I believe it uses a Class2 Serial Data wire. I'm thinking this means I may have to use the 04+ HUD. I can tap into the VSS elsewhere, but does anyone know if the serial data wire will work?

According to my service manual the cluster the Impala has:
-Fuse Output-Battery
-Ground
-Low Coolant Level Indicator Lamp Output
-Ground-Clean
-Brake Fluid level Indicator Lamp Output
-Turn Signal Lamp Feed-RF
-Class2 Serial Data
-Fuse Output-Accessory
-Instrument Panel Lamp Feed
-Check Engine Indicator Lamp Output
-Windshield Wiper Fluid Level Return
-Turn Signal Lamp Feed-LF
 
For the VSS, look at the connector for the cruise module. An 04 Regal buddy found that one to be missing as well and we located it there for him. Go with whatever you have that the vehicle has that could/was on the GP. Because the cars I've done this to so far have been 03 or earlier, it's mostly been a straightforward to follow this write up.

On the ducts. The regal also doesn't line up perfectly, however it's close enough that it's not a problem in the defog/defrost arena. Ideally you'd pull the dash and replace the ductwork at the top with the GTP ducting.
 


I don't believe the GP ducts will work, the under dash structure is completely different on an Impala. It's made of steel on a GP, and magnesium on an Impala. I may even have to cut into the magnesium to get it to fit. There's very little space between the dash pad and the dash structure.

P6277052.jpg

P8057213.jpg

379660_10202398123979233_1387039679_n.jpg
 
Cool, but I'd like to keep my obd2 port free for my aeroforce. Plus I want something that looks factory, otherwise I'd just use the app on my phone..
 


the dash structure is glass reinforced plastic much like our valve covers.

there is no magnesium as stated in a prior post, aluminum, yes, but mostly plastic with stuff like the knee deflector/etc being alum
 
That's actually not true. It's made of metal, not plastic. It may not be magnesium, although when I modified mine to make a bracket for a clutch pedal, was welding near some of its shavings and they flared up. It was advertised as having "Mag-Beam" construction. I've had my Impala down to the unibody twice now, and I can tell you the dash structure is not made of plastic. Look at the first picture I posted.
 
that first picture shows the large glass reinforced ABS plastic dash structure.

its molded around a thin steel frame that contains the nutserts that all the fasteners thread into.

ive see burned impala's and that blackish/dark grey piece turns into a large sheet of glass fibers just like our valvecovers do

there is a cast aluminum bracket near the colum pedestal/pedal assembly...aluminum flares up and is just as flammable as magnesium...but there is no way they made the plastic crash structure out of magnesium, no way they would spend more $ on metal than necessary...plastic is easier to injecton mold than it is to die cast aluminum or much more flammable magnesium parts....

plus its lighter....sooo we have cheaper, cheaper, cheaper, lighter vs heavier, $ materials, $$ manufacture process, weight

what do you think GM went with

your car may have "mag beam" construction but that would likely just be the cross dash support bar...but then again it could just be sales jargon

like PM "forged" rods....sounds good....but amazing how brittle, and cheaper to make....but no real strength unlike the older/more expensive cast rods that bend and dont break/shatter.

in reality, they did it cause it was cheaper/faster for the grunts on the line to snap **** together and shave 3 minutes of assembly time....

sorry bud but that piece going across the dash is the newer style glass reinforced ABS plastic dash module, GM is using them nowadays over steel/alum...its cheaper and faster and lighter...

URL]
 
If you are so sure, I'll take another look. I have a spare one at my dad's house that I can dig out next weekend. It makes sense that gm would want to save money and weight, but when I cut mine up it did not seem plastic at all, it was solid metal. I will find out what it is for sure.
 


that would end up being an extruded magnesium tube/beam (probably a mag/alum alloy more than anything) more than anything complicated just prom a production standpoint
that front panel is plastic, around the opening molded into it youll likely see the fiberglass hairs

it has metal in it...but it is a thin steel frame with the plastic injected around it
 
There is no beam underneath the gray metal piece in the first picture. There is a molded plastic piece that bolts to it that the radio, cluster, etc bolts to, pictured in the other photos, but that black and not what I am referring to.

The medal piece I'm talking about actually seconds as the brake pedal bracket, its what made it so much more work to fabricate a clutch pedal mount. I had to take the entire dash apart, unlike a grand prix where you can remove the brake pedal mount from the steel dash structure.

P7037070.jpg
This is what it looks like when you take the metal piece off, there's nothing underneath.

P7177152.jpg
This is the closest picture I have of the metal piece, you can clearly see that it is solid metal and there are no "hairs". Not talking about the cage that bolts to the firewall plate, talking about the very bottom solid metal piece in the picture. You can see where the steering column bolts to it.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top