Projects Updated: Grey Ghost

Well, I would like to start by saying that I always start these projects with good intentions of documenting my work to share on the HAMB and respond to that friendly automated "nag" at the top of my HAMB web page telling me that I haven't done anything to contribute for "several weeks". So here goes:

Over the last couple of years I have gone to some swap meets and for whatever reason I have been attracted to buying some of the old gauges that junk vendors had laying in their booth. In doing so, I ended up with a vintage Sun tachometer that has a max RPM reading of 3500 rpm and an old air speed indicator. I just liked how they looked and thought they would be interesting to include in the right car.

So I recently decided the "Grey Ghost", my '31 Model A jalopy, would make a great home for these old instruments. I wanted to make sure the instruments were "functional" in the car so I managed to find the appropriate sending unit for the tachometer, a 12v 4cylinder unit I found by dumb luck. I also found the appropriate fittings to add an air intake and plumb it to the air speed indicator.

The results are in the photos below.

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Dv165bxITOQW04EnBPQ3c9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-MdeEKCDXt0o/T89xwHK5bBI/AAAAAAAAAH8/a25Rs4UY8Ic/s640/IMG_2328.JPG" height="464" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From Grey Ghost</td></tr></table>
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/4iA3tECByaIRMF9tPQnpuNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-SdTHzphMyak/T89xwHsWTDI/AAAAAAAAAH8/9fJ1d1mxY5Y/s640/IMG_2258.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From Grey Ghost</td></tr></table>
The tachometer actually works and with some minor tweaking is fairly accurate. I believe the red line on my 4 banger is well within the 3500 rpm maximum.
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/CWbZMiELg44WXHQJLggiDtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xG48ALpQm1M/T894lYEEfoI/AAAAAAAAAJc/SI4Q2rrdFbs/s640/IMG_2253.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From Grey Ghost</td></tr></table>

The airspeed indicator starts at 40mph, so it would have to be a very windy day to show a real airspeed. I wasn't too worried about the accuracy, so I made sure the air had a bigger opening than a real pitot tube. I managed to get it to read 60 mph at top speed. Well, at least, it feels like 60mph. I would like to get a bigger air intake for the gauge at some point so it can feel even faster.
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0hUQ2DELR2MHy4E7AmvK-9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ly_MYfORjnI/T89xwG_73RI/AAAAAAAAAH8/00ot_hTLQLQ/s640/IMG_2293.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From Grey Ghost</td></tr></table>
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/9_MG0dPbttBHeyRnS6QeZ9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-zEC_MJlVPmI/T89xwOdaaHI/AAAAAAAAAH8/7c4NFo2IVE0/s640/IMG_2256.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From Grey Ghost</td></tr></table>
I was pretty happy with how the little copper air scoop turned out.
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/030-TZGZsoof8Q6AZpkhUtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ICQk499G08w/T89xwCGLSNI/AAAAAAAAAH8/sRPhXFC27Yg/s640/IMG_2308.JPG" height="322" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From Grey Ghost</td></tr></table>
<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/0IL5XNdBpkF0ElORe-HFwtMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Nw47r_kH_YU/T89xwDN2WZI/AAAAAAAAAH8/d1Vbb1X_aL4/s640/IMG_2284.JPG" height="292" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From Grey Ghost</td></tr></table>
Enjoy. Let me know what you think.

 

I'll just about bet that 40 in that old roadster feels like 100 in a modent enclosed car. That is not a put down by the way.

I love the old car, I'll bet cruising it is a scream.

 

Outside of the obviously newer pieces that car looks like something my dad and his buddy Lyle Browning would have put together in the late 30's when they were still in high school.

The name got my attention as the guys at Fort Hood gave my Cutlass that nick name in 1969 when I was stationed there. It works good on the A bone.

After seeing FlynBrian's post below, my dad would have loved that airspeed indicator.

 

Very Cool! Airspeed indicator is a nice touch.

 

It sure does feel faster than 40! Maybe instead of airspeed it should say perceived speed.

 

Ha, I hooked up the speedo on an old flathead harley I had when I was young and discovered that 80 was actually 50. I didn't tell anyone though.

 

That is freeking incredible. Hope to have the means to build something that cool one day!

 

Very neat ideas. If you fill in the light hole in front of the air speed scoop, I bet the speed reading will increase.

 

You might be right. I will have to try it.

 

Very nice! Love the rev counter!

Speed is relative

 

pretty cool