[steve]

There seems to be a lot of wiring under the dash that is turbo related. wondering if any members have had to deal with that or if that have just swapped to a different harness ?

Mine will be kind of a resto mod trans am. a custom look with EFI but the turbo is history.

[MarkS57]

Didn't 81's have a computer ECM? That would account for the wires perhaps.

[steve]

yeah it was like an early calculator ! that was unhooked and non functional on this car for years. It had a 350 swap when i got it.

['ol Pinion head]

Not turbo related, but the Federal Emission equipped 81 T/A's dash harness is different from the same engine '80 T/A dash harness. Going to the small Electronic Spark Control box is a 7 wire jumper harness, same deal was used on the W72 301 engine cars. Easy to spot as both engined cars have a large rubber grommet where the ESC harness comes through the face of the cowl. This 7 wire set can be unravelled from the main '81 dash harness. The ESC box & C4 computer box are both mounted in the very front of the console.

In the mid eighties, I converted several '81 Turbo cars over to a minimal form of '80 emissions by eliminating the 81 turbo's C4 computer, continuing the use of the stand alone ESC box, removing all the electrical wiring & components under the hood for MAP, BMAP, smog pump divertor valve, the E4ME Qjet, & the oxygen sensor. On each, I substituted a nice used '80 turbo Qjet & matching "444" turbo distributor.

[steve]

Thanks that helps explain some of whats been done to this car. I think its going to be easier in the end (easy being relative) to pull the dash and replace the whole harness with something like a 79 harness. would love to hear from someone who has replaced the whole thing....The 81 was maybe not the most simple choice for resto because of these ECU and turbo issues maybe should have done a 79.