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1gb to 1ga front end conversion?

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Sep 15, 2013
Govan, SK_Canada
So I know I'm gonna have some haters here, but how much work is it to get a 90-91 light set to work on a 92+? Physically swapping parts is no problem, but the wiring is my question mostly.
I have a 92 Laser RS turbo awd with front end damage (boss backed into my car with his truck...:ohdamn: ) and have found a pair of 90-91 Lasers for parts. So I'll be fixing my car on my boss's time (work at an autobody shop) and shouldn't be paying much out of my pocket, so I'm thinking I'll fo for it.
Any thoughts or advice on the backwards swap? No body seems to do it
 
Not sure on the wiring, I have seen it done though. It was on Craigslist not too long ago. It was a 94 eclipse 1.8l, that the guy did a 90-91 1ga swap on. Wish I would have gotten ahold of him about the wiring.
 
I did the swap the other way around years and years ago. For the overall conversion, if I were to rank the order of difficulty (from most difficult to least) the wiring would end up dead last on the list: easy-peasy. If the wiring is holding you back, the conversion isn't for you.
 
Haha I've done plenty of wiring, from stereos and lights to a bunch on my Soarer having to use two separate Japanese diagrams (HKS EVC-S and Turbo timer, timer needed to be spliced into the main engine harness) and everything has worked flawlessly. These were me warming up for doing all the guages, SAFC, fuel cut defencer, SupraStick and much more this spring on the Soarer.

I was mostly wondering if I would need to dig out different relays from 1ga car to control the up and down of the lights, etc. When I want to do something, and others tell me its not realistic or do-able, I get creative and make sure I show em wrong haha
 
IIRC you actually need to do some welding and fabricating. It's not a WHOLE lot, but it is there. But it's been years...and years since I've done it so take that with a grain of salt.
 
I briefly looked into this a long time ago, it did require some handy work for the center mounting brackets from what I can remember. If you have a donor 1ga car you can pull the necessary wiring and cut the brackets from it.
 
Now that you mention it, I do remember reading about having to do some fab work to make them bolt in , just as the 1ga → 1gb, you cut of 'this' tab kinda thing
That's not really an issue either for me

↑↑ I'll more than likely be getting one or both the cars I've found, so, parts galore!
 
Im a fan of the 1ga front even though i got a 1gb. If the light output the same between the two?
 
I've heard/read that the 1ga light output is the shits, and I have great bulbs in my housings now, So I'm definitely expecting to see less for a while. But I'm planning on tossing more spot lights on anyways
 
1GA light output > 1GB light output unless the 1GB uses crystal clear lenses. I hated driving my old 1GB Talon in the winter. IT was like trying to see with candles. As opposed to my 1GA which was great, especially with an H4 conversion kit and silverstars. :)
 
Really? Well game on then haha
My current lenses are (were) awesome, I had given them a full sand and polish and could actually see great
 
Having done this myself, it can be done but is a pain.
I moved over from a 91GST to a 92 GSX and HAD to keep my headlamps. I love the pop ups.
You can use the wiring for the highs and lows that is already there, but you will need to add the wiring for the motors to make the lights go up and down. If you use stock wiring, you need basically every bit of wiring from the 1ga: the engine bay harness(goes to the fuseblock under the driver side and over to the fuseblock on the passenger side), the wires in the dash(stay with dash when removed) and the body harness itself(runs under the dash to the passenger side and all the way down the driver side).
I was doing a complete front end swap from a 1gb to a 1ga so I had everything and swapped EVERYTHING. I spliced the body harness into the rear taillamps over the rear wheel as I wanted to keep the 1gb rear end. You need the headlamp support brackets and fender brackets from the 1ga. This will require cutting spot welds and rewelding them in. Need the headlamps, markers, turn housings, grill, fenders, hood, headlamp motors, bumper as well. Basically what this comes down to is a Firewall forward swap and all the wiring in the car.

If you didn't want OE wiring, I'm sure you could wire up some relays that would be powered from the low and high beam power wire to make the motor go up, but you would need a timer so it wouldn't just keep going up and down, up and down.
 
Having done this myself, it can be done but is a pain.
I moved over from a 91GST to a 92 GSX and HAD to keep my headlamps. I love the pop ups.
You can use the wiring for the highs and lows that is already there, but you will need to add the wiring for the motors to make the lights go up and down. If you use stock wiring, you need basically every bit of wiring from the 1ga: the engine bay harness(goes to the fuseblock under the driver side and over to the fuseblock on the passenger side), the wires in the dash(stay with dash when removed) and the body harness itself(runs under the dash to the passenger side and all the way down the driver side).
I was doing a complete front end swap from a 1gb to a 1ga so I had everything and swapped EVERYTHING. I spliced the body harness into the rear taillamps over the rear wheel as I wanted to keep the 1gb rear end. You need the headlamp support brackets and fender brackets from the 1ga. This will require cutting spot welds and rewelding them in. Need the headlamps, markers, turn housings, grill, fenders, hood, headlamp motors, bumper as well. Basically what this comes down to is a Firewall forward swap and all the wiring in the car.

If you didn't want OE wiring, I'm sure you could wire up some relays that would be powered from the low and high beam power wire to make the motor go up, but you would need a timer so it wouldn't just keep going up and down, up and down.

I've never done the swap myself but considered it in case I ever found a suitable 1Gb GSX to replace my 1Ga GST. I am not sure I understand why you would need to splice in to the tail lights harness, I've removed a complete headlight harness from a 90-91 in preparation for an eventual swap and if I remember correctly it runs on the front of the car under the radiator, under the driver fender and to the driver side sidekick panel (to the fuse box). From there, there should be some wiring to the pop up button that is normally plugged in a 1Gb. Am I missing something? I would like to avoid surprised if the day comes I actually have a chance to do this.
 
I've never done the swap myself but considered it in case I ever found a suitable 1Gb GSX to replace my 1Ga GST. I am not sure I understand why you would need to splice in to the tail lights harness, I've removed a complete headlight harness from a 90-91 in preparation for an eventual swap and if I remember correctly it runs on the front of the car under the radiator, under the driver fender and to the driver side sidekick panel (to the fuse box). From there, there should be some wiring to the pop up button that is normally plugged in a 1Gb. Am I missing something? I would like to avoid surprised if the day comes I actually have a chance to do this.

The 1ga engine bay harness(the harness you have acquired) will not plug into the 1gb fuse block under the dash. Also, The 1gb body harness will not plug into the 1ga fuse block under the dash. The plugs at the end are different. This also means the 1gb body harness won't connect to the 1ga dash harness( has all the wiring that runs in the dash and is removed with it) either so no way to get the popup button in place. It also appeared(I could be wrong) that several of the light motor control wires run to the passenger side under the dash and are part of the body harness. I have no idea why they would do that but it sure looked like it.
You could keep the entire body harness from the 1ga but you would need to switch over to the 1ga rear end rather than splicing it as I did to keep the 1gb rear end
 
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