Vintage Brand Tachometer

[dggrant]

Hi Guys:

I accidently “blew” my tach when I was putting back the dashboard. It is now stuck in the “fully on” position.

I don’t think that they make the vintage brand anymore but I’m looking for one with a beige face.

Thx

 

[Toller]

Are these the ones you are looking for
https://www.summitracing.com/int/search/brand/new-vintage-usa/part-type/tachometer-gauges

David B Dixon
Port Perry ON CA
Sabine

[crash55]

hello Dan nice to see you still have your car. you might be able to have that 1 repaired or have the face & needle moved to another brand gauge, I’ll give you a vdo tach if the latter is an option

[dggrant]

Hi David:

Thx for the link. Unfortunately “New Vintage” is another company. I’m pretty sure that the original Vintage is out of business.

I was hoping to find a used one out of an old Fiberfab?

I’m also not convinced (probably due to my lack of knowledge) that she is actually blown as the needle still seems to want to move it is just stuck in the”fully on” position.

Regs

Dan

[dggrant]

Hi Crash55:

Thx for the reply. Moving old face and needle is an interesting solution. I wonder how much that would be, particularly as I don’t need a brand new tach to do it. I know that the current tach is “manual” as opposed to electronic.

Regs

Dan

 

[dggrant]

Hi Guys:

I think my gauges are just old and giving up.

Apart from the stuck tach problem mentioned (needle stuck on high ‘5 o clock), my speedo is bouncing, my gas gauge is sticking (just cleaned the contacts to see if that works) and my oil press and oil heat have never worked.

So while I was reasonably comfortable with a few not working they all seem on their way out ;-(

Regs

dan

 

[edward ericson]

Bouncing speedometer is usually the cable. Unscrew it from the back of the gauge and drip a couple drops of oil down in the cable sheath, see if that hurts it.

If that works, buy a new cable (VW Bus length seems to work best in our cars) and stand by; next time it starts snagging like that, just change it out.

Gauges generally, though: Yeah, you tend to have to get new ones every three or four decades or so. Your old ones are no longer made, but newer ones might be a lot better and several companies make a pretty close match for what’s there.

Dolphin Gauges comes highly recommended by a Speedster builder I know of.

I used VDO and Classic Instruments on mine. Recommend those both.

[dggrant]

Hi Ed

Thanks for the info. I tried tightening the cable (which I read somewhere) and I have also been told that the angle of the cable could be an issue. I will try the oil and see.

My mechanic thinks there might be an “adapter” missing from the speedo (never heard of this before).

Maybe I’ll put a new set of gauges on my Christmas list 🙂

 

[edward ericson]

Mine was supposed to have an adaptor and didn’t. When it read 40 you were doing about 55, something I didn’t discover until about four or five months after I started driving her. That was a big part of the reason I went with all new gauges and build the dash around a ’73 Bug speedometer.

[dggrant]

Settled then. Ordering a new set today. Thx for the referral to Dolphin, I think I’ll try those.

[Author]

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