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Vintage Tach Collectors Show and Tell

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by scottrod2, Nov 25, 2007.

  1. Ft.ValloniaStreaker
    Joined: Nov 22, 2011
    Posts: 69

    Ft.ValloniaStreaker
    Member

    Nothing special but I had not seen one before....any information would be appreciated B2F2F140-BF98-4B6E-9501-6DFDA997E59E.jpeg 6FFBD851-E233-4783-BE54-A3767EC2BF8C.jpeg
     
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  2. mcbay
    Joined: Aug 20, 2007
    Posts: 512

    mcbay
    Member

    These are real cool... I happen to have one... will be mounting on the column...
     
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  3. I just picked up these two. 8K tachs. I've seen the Dixco's before, but the other looks like it says Pennys Foremost. They look a lot alike. Did Dixco make the Pennys one also? Do these need a transmitter box or are they stand alone?
    dixco tachs.jpg
     
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  4. Just picked up a couple of more tachs. First another SUN RC85 with Chrome cup. I think it will clean up. The other looks like a SW 2-5/8" 12K RPM motorcycle tach.
    RC85 and cup rear.jpg Sun RC85 and cup.jpg SUN RC85 with cup.jpg SW 12K bike tach 2-5-8 inch.jpg
     

    Attached Files:

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  5. KFC
    Joined: Jul 17, 2008
    Posts: 445

    KFC
    Member
    from UK

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  6. ROADSTER1927
    Joined: Feb 14, 2009
    Posts: 3,127

    ROADSTER1927
    Member

    You are missing a few parts to make that work. It works off a unit that goes under the distributor cap and you also need the connector cable. All pretty rare. Gary P9010006.JPG
     
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  7. KFC
    Joined: Jul 17, 2008
    Posts: 445

    KFC
    Member
    from UK

    Thanks. That’s a pain I think it’ll just get modern internals
     
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  8. fleetside66
    Joined: Nov 20, 2006
    Posts: 3,003

    fleetside66
    Member

    Here's a couple of interesting Stewart-Warner mechanical tachs. The first one is a old 5K one that was designed to attach to the steering column. The second one is an 8K one that was one of the "compact" tachs that S/W came out with in the late 1960's. It fits into a hole about a half inch smaller than the standard tach, but was exactly the same, looks wise. The third one is a late 1940's 4.5K (5") Vac-Tach that had a little vacuum gauge included.
    IMG_4068.JPG 2SWTach5KorigFordJuly34pg1,300p3b+contr600p .jpg 3 SW Tach 5k Drive Joint for Crank fig4b 600p .jpg IMG_4111.JPG IMG_4016.JPG
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2018
  9. kursplat
    Joined: Apr 22, 2013
    Posts: 296

    kursplat
    Member

    wow there's a lot of cool tachs here.

    the Moroso is a mechanical. the SW came out of motor home with a 440 i gutted, 9 grand seemed a little optimistic
     

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  10. enloe
    Joined: May 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,534

    enloe
    Member
    from east , tn.

    Man there were a bunch of Tachs in the swap meet at the Meltdown this past weekend. I don’t know why I didn’t take any pics.
     
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  11. Garpo
    Joined: Jul 16, 2016
    Posts: 292

    Garpo

    I know I am late to the party, but for what it's worth, this was made by Arrow. All Arrow gauges have the arrow head logo. Probably 1970's.
    Garpo
     
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  12. c322348
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 343

    c322348
    Member

    Anyone have any extra metal extender clips for the Stewart Warner distributor switch (the tan tach generator thing in the photo)?


    Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  13. Chebby belair
    Joined: Apr 17, 2006
    Posts: 849

    Chebby belair
    Member
    from Australia

    I put the guts from a small Bosch Tach (FST7911) in one just recently. It was an easy fit.
     
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  14. camchuck
    Joined: Aug 24, 2010
    Posts: 28

    camchuck
    Member

    Have this tach. seems not common. any idea of usage, time. has 1960 in display. don't know if this helps? Offy tach
    Friend asked about tach for use on a 64 thunderbolt?. Got me to get it out
     

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    Last edited: Dec 3, 2018
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  15. Gman0046
    Joined: Jul 24, 2005
    Posts: 6,256

    Gman0046
    Member

    I've bought several of these vintage Sun Tachs Model CP IMG_0832.JPG 7901 off of eBay that do not require a sender and have a simple 4 wire hook up.

    Gary
     
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  16. Cabbie
    Joined: Aug 26, 2003
    Posts: 198

    Cabbie
    Member
    from DeLand, FL

    I just picked this tach up from a swap today. Im guessing its a marine, or stationary motor tach, but cant figure out the year, or what it might have come on originally.

    The front glass is flat, but has a SW wings logo. It also requires a mechanical cable, spinning counter clockwise, and only goes to 5k. The case doesn't have any lighting. Does anyone have more information on this?

    SW_Wings_Tach2.jpg SW_Wings_Tach1.jpg
     
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  17. alchemy
    Joined: Sep 27, 2002
    Posts: 20,407

    alchemy
    Member

    Dan, do the last two digits stamped on the case read K9? If so, that deciphers to September of 1942. But that couldn't be correct, as I don't think SW didn't start using the winged logo that early. I always thought the winged era was 1948 through 1954. Is there another letter after the 9?
     
  18. Cabbie
    Joined: Aug 26, 2003
    Posts: 198

    Cabbie
    Member
    from DeLand, FL

    There are no other letters or numbers after the 9. I agree that the logo and flat glass goes against all the known information. The mystery goes on....

    Sent from my moto x4 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
     
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  19. ROADSTER1927
    Joined: Feb 14, 2009
    Posts: 3,127

    ROADSTER1927
    Member

    IMG_0856.JPG IMG_0857.JPG I cleaned up the tac that came in my ramp truck project yesterday. It is an in dash model but is clamped to the steering colum with one of the brackets. Looks pretty good, Gary
     
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  20. rusty valley
    Joined: Oct 25, 2014
    Posts: 3,883

    rusty valley
    Member

    some good looking old tac's here guys, so what would i be lookin for to sit on the column of my 34 coupe and be of about 1950 ish era correct? mild flathead v8
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2019
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  21. 4dFord/SC
    Joined: Sep 12, 2004
    Posts: 837

    4dFord/SC
    Member

    5k Sun "Football" tach would be appropriate.
     
  22. rusty valley
    Joined: Oct 25, 2014
    Posts: 3,883

    rusty valley
    Member

    thank you sir. what year did the sun football start? i see they are some what common, and you then send it to williams for the upgrade, thanks
     
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  23. Johnny99
    Joined: Nov 5, 2006
    Posts: 1,068

    Johnny99
    Member

    Part of my collection lives on the dash of the Willys. Jones Motorola.

    DSC01436.JPG
     
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  24. Limey Kid
    Joined: Mar 5, 2006
    Posts: 1,024

    Limey Kid
    Member

    I have just bought these. They were in a home made wooden box with 2 wires coming out with crocodile clips marked ground and distributor. So they must have used it to test 8 cylinder engines that used a distributor and was 6 volts. They are in very good condition having been in the box all this time. The transmitter casing is cast aluminum, which I have never seen before. I have just ordered the Technoversions "black box" because I need 12 volts on 6 cylinder, for my Dodge flathead 6.
    Cheers,
    Stewart. 000000000001.jpg 0000000000002.jpg
     
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  25. 4dFord/SC
    Joined: Sep 12, 2004
    Posts: 837

    4dFord/SC
    Member

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  26. fleetside66
    Joined: Nov 20, 2006
    Posts: 3,003

    fleetside66
    Member

    I used the "football" Sun version to get that same era vibe (not a strict interpretation), but the S/W Wings tach would be appropriate, as well as the later Large Logo version. Both were produced in the 1950's, the Wings being earlier. Both tachs were the same, aside from the logo, featuring curved glass, the Coke bottle pointer & teal colored side light windows. When I read the threads on the quality of the modern stuff, it's apparent that you can't & will never get the beauty & functionality of these gauges.

    IMG_0957 2.jpg IMG_4143.jpg
     
  27. Kev Bishop
    Joined: Dec 25, 2016
    Posts: 4

    Kev Bishop

    Got to love Smiths chronometric tell tales
     

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  28. jnaki
    Joined: Jan 1, 2015
    Posts: 9,293

    jnaki

    Hello,

    When my brother started racing his new 58 Impala, he wanted a tachometer. We tried several chrome Sun Brand models and they all required mounting on the dash board top or clamping around the steering column. Number 1, my brother did not want anything blocking his vision in front. Plus, he did not want to drill and mount a chrome tach on top of the dash.

    We tried to put it on the column, but the moving three speed column was not going to work. Below the dash was ok, but it meant taking your eyes off of the road ahead while shifting, not good for coordination. We even considered mounting it along the roof support above the wind wings facing the driver, but it blocked the front vision with a blob sticking right into your peripheral vision.

    We were at our wits end, until one day we were wandering around the Douglas Aircraft Surplus Yard and saw some gauges that had just been thrown in a box. They were black and about 3 inches across. There was no tachometer, but the size of the gauges told us that it was possible to get a smaller tach. Most of the standard chrome ones for sale at Reath Automotive and all of the other speed/accessory shops were the large chrome ones from various makers. In this case, size matters.

    One of the sales guys at the aircraft surplus yard said we should check out army surplus stores. On the way home, we stopped at the big army surplus store in lower Bixby Knolls. They had everything from clothes to camping belts, but we had never looked for instruments.

    upload_2020-12-14_5-38-38.png

    Jnaki


    The guy behind the Bixby Knolls-Long Beach Army Surplus Store counter said he had just what we were looking for and that it should fit nicely. He brought out a small black tachometer and sending unit. Everything worked and it even had a small light to light it up at night. It fit inside the palm of our hands and we could clearly see the lettering and numbers. My brother bought it on the spot.
    upload_2020-12-14_5-39-12.png
    When we got home, we tried to see where the insight viewing line was going to be the best for this small tach. On the left of the Impala dash was covering up too much of the lower mph dash readings. So, the only place was the upper right of the Impala dash pop up. There were screws already in place to keep the shiny trim part in place, so that was the mounting point. The sightline for looking straight had the tach numbers in the direct sight and there was no need to glance over when the numbers and pointer were clearly visible.

    The wires were neatly tucked away and all anyone could see was the small black tachometer with bright yellow numbers. It definitely was “one of a kind” as no other cars had a small black tach that had a cool yellow glow as we drove it at night. No sight lines blocked, no gargantuan chrome Sun Tach on the dash, etc…It was all custom and it made the Impala stand out even more.

    P.S. In 1963-64, I had some machining done on the axles to accommodate some pristine Buick Skylark wire wheels. That made the Impala a true custom car and it was still fast. We had fun all over So Cal with this look. But, as luck would have it, the summer late night Belmont Shore tragedy struck. Parked in a virtual locked in place spot on a busy street with the front so close to the forward car would be best. We knew that that front car would roll forward in the morning commute. We parked a friend’s car behind to get a tight fit and virtually lock the whole car down.
    upload_2020-12-14_5-40-17.png Thanks, @themoose
    The mystery was never solved, except that we think we knew who did the theft. No, break in as a key was used for access. We found the Impala around 2:30 a.m. in a dark deserted park sitting on milk crates. All of the Skylark Wire Wheels were gone and whoever took them, neatly cut the wires off and unscrewed the small black tachometer from the dash. No scratches, no marks and the police did not get any fingerprints anywhere.

    But, the dumb clods who stole the wire wheels and small tach forgot to open the trunk, where a pristine 5th Buick Skylark Wire Wheel was sitting in the spare tire wheel well space. Later, selling that one Skylark wheel paid for the original cost of the set. It also paid for 5 new black Buick steel wheels, tires, balancing and alignment. The Impala was sold with the black on black look in the late fall of 1964 to a friend.
     
  29. Paul
    Joined: Aug 29, 2002
    Posts: 16,389

    Paul
    Editor

    Digging through my pile of gauges today trying to piece together a set for my current build and found this little 2-1/16" tach.
    I had planned on putting it in the firewall of my '27 but it's electronic and the car is running a magneto. Not wanting to use a signal converter it sits on the shelf,
    for now anyway..

    PXL_20201215_185446264.jpg
     
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  30. the oil soup
    Joined: May 19, 2013
    Posts: 277

    the oil soup
    Member
    from Tucson,AZ

    I have a surplus military tach that was used on my Dodge flathead 6 for a while I believe it is a Weston.
    image.jpeg
     
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