Aceshigh

Hey guys,

1970 442 clone with the stock triple gauge bezel.
I want a tach. I have that broke clock in there that doesn't work.
I'm not spending $100 for a stupid quartz conversion for something I'll never care to look at either.

I want a tach!!!!
I'm curious what some of you have used in there to install a tach, and my PRIMARY concern is to get
it as close to the stock style gauges as possble with the illumination. I know The Parts Place repops tachs,
(even though I can't find them on their website )
but I don't want to spend $500 on a repop. Just looking for pictures and options to go with them so I can decide.

BTW this is before I added 194 SMT LED's to the left two gauges.

OldsGaugeLEDChanges3.jpg

Thanks.

Aceshigh

Bump - no answers???

Olds64

I have considered a similar conversion in my 71 98. I haven't gotten around to it though. I think you can order custom size gauges/tachs from companies like Dolphin. The problem is finding a tach that is small enough to fit in the opening for the clock. I think you would have to custom fabricate a mount to put it in the space for the clock. FWIW, right now I have an Autometer tach I got from O'Reilly. It works great.

silverriff

There is a company on Ebay called GM Sports that sells a repo tach that looks and fits just like the old gauges. I believe they are $195.00 with free shipping. It looks like a nice piece. They have been sellig them for years and the price has been steadly going up. If I remember when they first started selling them they were about $50 bucks cheaper. I plan on getig one eventually, just have had more pressing things to spend my dough on. My old Sunpro 2 is working fine for the moment. I can't post a link, just search on eBay for 1972 Oldmobile tachometer, it is the one and only return.

bccan

3 3/8" aftermarket tachs work on the opening nicely & are pretty easy to mount. I have a Summit w/ adjustable shift light in one car, looks pretty natural.

In the other car I have the "stealth tic toc" tach. It is an after market tach mounted behind the stock clock face. The minute hand is @ 12, hour hand @ half past 5 representing top of power band for that engine(5500rpm). The tack needle is reinstalled @ sweeps between 12 & 6 (180 degrees) w/ the hours representing 1000 rpm intervals. It works about 90% of the time properly but occasionally gets obstinate or a little lost. Seems pretty accurate too. This was a biotch to do since tach movement is small & fragile.

Got the idea from someone who posted some procedures & pics years ago - maybe on ROP.

It is cool though. Olds buddy drove car & didn't realize it was there until it finally caught his eye, he was surprised & impressed.

I have never posted pics on a board but if I get a chance, I'll try.

Eddie Hansen

I installed a vintage stewart warner that was roughly the same size, I didn't even have a clock!! LOL...

I think I will get the repos fpr the 69, after you figure the cost of the new tach, then gauges your not saving much if anything and it isn't stock looking but I was also debating getting these, and have the autometer removed or painted over, perhaps make an oldsmobile water slide decal, or see how much it would be to have something silkscreened
they would probably perform better and they look the rally pack part

defiant1

I picked up a SW 6K tach from FleaBay and am going to cut out the back of the clock delete and install it to the back of the clock delete

This way I can still use the mounting tabs of the clock delete to mount to dash.

Cutting out the hole in the back will be a little time consuming as I can't make it too big and I want to make sure the tach is still centered.

I will post pics of my progress and install. Right now I need to post another thread so someone can help me install the tach. It has 4 wires (red, yellow, green, and black). The tach did not come with installation instructions so I am going to need some assistance on that front.

d1

Eddie Hansen

Thats how I mounted my tach, the stewart warner is nice!!

the autometers are nice but pricey!!

defiant1

How is your tach setup holding up? Any issues I might need to be aware of?

Eddie Hansen

well since my car has been in the garage for now since '94 LOL the only problem is dust, actually it had been in the car for a long time before that and I had no issues with it, worked great.


I can not believe my car has been in the garage for 16 years???????????? Holy Sh#t!!

mv213

I like the looks of this one, it replaces the clock and looks stock. I might get one myself.

http://www.gmsportssalvage.com/?q=node/864

I think this is the way to go if you want a stock look.

silverriff

Yeah that's the GM Sports one I saw on eBay. Very nice looking, apparently fits right in the stock location, and is fairly cheap too, less than $200 bucks with free shipping. I am going to get one when money permits.

defiant1

I got the hole cut in the back panel of clock delete. Used a roto-zip type bit to make the general hole and then a dremel sanding drum to shape the hole and get the tach to fit.

I sprayed black "plastic" paint on then panel to hide any scuff marks from my sanding (dremel got away from me a couple of times)

Inserted tach and tightened up the holding bracket on the back of tach so it was firmly against back panel.

Installed assembly and I don't think it looks to bad for an eBay purchase.

Now I just need to figure out what wire I can tap into for the "lamp source" and then the best connectors to use.


d1

Aceshigh

I found it!!! Thanks.
No idea why the hell they made it up to 8000 rpm though.

One of THE MOST IMPORTANT factors for me with gauges is the night time lighting.
So Sunpro's suck for the most part IMHO in that regard. I have 2 extra Sunpro's in there now that are wretched Kmart gauges.

Actually it's not bad at all. Slightly smaller but doesn't look out of place.
If the night time illumination matches, it's a winner.

Aceshigh

BTW - Anyone know if a 5" gauge is the size or is it 3 3/8" that only will work ??
I was thinking it's 3 3/8" but not sure yet. ....

I really really dig the MCX guages for the classic look, but they don't offer a separate Tach + Speedo.
It's combined and defeats the purpose of trying to fill 3 holes. Too bad too , cuz they are LED backlit!!!!!

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ATM-1103/?rtype=10

Williameoleary

Do you recall what Tach you bought to do this? I was rebuilding my 68 clock, was going well - just small adjustment needed and BAM... pull the pendulum out... GRRRRRRR.... anyhow, so I was thinking about going this route and keeping the faceplate/body of the clock.

Boldsmobile

I did the same as the guys above with the clock delete plate. I used a run of the mill tach. Fit nicely in there.

Wow, that GM sports tach is pretty nice looking. But the wrong font for 70-71.
CIMG0307.jpg


I own one of the below but would buy thats sports tach if the font was the same. Does it match earlier years?

CIMG0335.jpg

TripDeuces

There are a couple nice looking tachs from several manufacturers that I like. There is also this company but they look expensive http://www.redlinegaugeworks.com/default.asp. I actually stuck a Monster tach into the face of a 1970 cluster. The back end fits right in just need to pad it out a bit and secure it from the back. Big radiator clamp worked for me.

ddd777

Is it possible (easy) to replace a regular quartz clock with an original (used) Tick Tock Tach?

Or with a reproduction like this?

http://www.thepartsplaceinc.com/newp...Tock+Tach+Only

jpc647

Doesn't every SB and BB Olds wind up to 8000k on a regular basis? haha.


It looks good, I just can't figure out how you plan to read the clock. Obviously 12, 3, 6, and 9 are okay, but none of the other tick marks seem to line up.

Please do. This sounds very interesting. Shame about the ROP crash, It'd be scouring it for the writeup right now. Any idea who it was?

For $30 more, I think it would spring for the repro rally pack, and have the original type with a clock. I dunno.

jpc647

double post.