BE dash swap into BG

[shoguy]

has anyone ever tried to swap a BE dash, console and door cards into a BG? I know some of you may think I'm nuts, but I really like the layout and ergonomics of the BE dash. We also have 3 kids, so those crappy little cupholders suck, lost a couple stereos over the years to them dripping on the faceplates. We need more cupholders! I realize it would be quite a bit of wiring, and I am fine with it, I love to do automotive electrical work.

[Dead91silvia]

Umm... I would say get a BH. The console might be doable, but the others would be a mass of work you might not want to do. Plus the BH is a much bigger car inside anyway.

The work is not so much the wiring, someone on here did do a cluster swap that turned out pretty cool, but the work to make it physically work in harmony I just dont see.

[shoguy]

the thing is, I have been completely disappointed driving BH's, had an 01 H6 VDC wagon, driving it around was horrible. the transmission tuning was probably the worst car I have ever driven, 2nd gear starts wide open, shifting up at 3500 rpm with your foot an the floor and feeling the extra weight of the car. I swapped suspension over to LGT wagon springs and struts plus went to 225/55-16s to try to make up for the marshmallowness, nope, didn't do it for me, 500lb difference from my 98 BG, rolled them both across the scales back to back. meanwhile, the 98 shifts awesome, almost tachs out on WOT runs through the gears, handles great, neutral around corners and is everything I want except for the dash. drove my mother in laws 03 leggy L-SE wagon, shifted similar to the H6, drove my bro in laws h6 non vdc sedan, drove slightly better, shifted a little better. Unfortunately I have to have automajical transmissions, so this is why I am asking. ok....rant is done

[Dead91silvia]

Ahh... I see... I had a BH 5 speed GT but it was a blast to drive! They changed the shifting for the auto's in 99 so they where 'softer' and not as 'hard' shifting. I like knowing when my car shifts as well.

Having said that, the BH's are a bit heavier, however a lot of it is from them being more plush. Before I lowed my BD, no joke the BH would corner better even though it was a bit heavier.

If you are stuck with having an auto, I can see wanting to stick with old school, but having had the BH, I didnt really like the cup holder in the dash. I used it for my cell phone more then anything. You might be able to make a BH/BE console fit though and if it's the later one, I think they have 2 cup holders just in front of the E-brake handle.

[shoguy]

yeah, the H6 was the 01, with 1 cupholder in dash and 1 in the console, I swapped the console with an 02 so I had 3 in the front and 2 in the back. When we traded it is I kept the 02 console and still have it, yeah, maybe I could see if I could fit that up. I like the layout of the HVAC controls and stereo too, just seems more open and easy to access. If the money was there and 5 speed worked for us, yeah, a 5 speed BH wagon would be awesome, especially seeing some of the amazing machines on this forum. I tried the Freessm software and cable to try to get into the TCU and change shift points or see if there was anything I could do to it, but being early VDC, it was still before they were able to be accessed, a non VDC H6 TCU should have been modifiable of the same year, so I guess you just have to work with what you have at the time, right?