How Did You Mount Your Aftermarket Tach?

by relic7680 Sun Nov 12, 2023 11:09 pm

My '76 Sprint has the factory gauge dash, but of course...no tach. I've got a built 355 in it now and would like to watch the RPM, but am at a loss as to where to mount the tach. It's a column shift TH350 car with tilt, so I can't mount a tach without interfering with something on the column. Things that I'm not going to do are drilling holes in the dash (previous owner did that), get rid of the fuel economy gauge, put a tach on the hood, or convert to a floor shifter. I'd like to go with an 80's style tach in keeping with the rest of my build plans (Autometer, Sun Super Tach, Dixco Illuminator maybe). I like having the fuel economy gauge to keep an eye on vacuum, and also don't want to modify the cluster.

Anybody have a solution? Pics attached of my current situation.

How Did You Mount Your Aftermarket Tach? Img_7415

How Did You Mount Your Aftermarket Tach? Img_7416

How Did You Mount Your Aftermarket Tach? Img_7417

by zucchi Mon Nov 13, 2023 2:19 pm

relic7680 wrote:Things that I'm not going to do are drilling holes in the dash (previous owner did that), get rid of the fuel economy gauge, put a tach on the hood, or convert to a floor shifter. I'd like to go with an 80's style tach in keeping with the rest of my build plans (Autometer, Sun Super Tach, Dixco Illuminator maybe). I like having the fuel economy gauge to keep an eye on vacuum, and also don't want to modify the cluster.

That really limits your options. About the only thing left would be to mount a tach on the A-piller.

If you feel creative and ambitious, you could cannibalize an aftermarket universal rearview mirror for the mount and button, modify the mount so as to affix the tach, then glue the review-mirror mounting button on the windshield at a location where you could see the tach and not have it create a blind-spot, then attach the tach with the modified mirror mount onto the button.

by relic7680 Wed Nov 15, 2023 1:33 am

I may consider swapping to a non-tilt column when I restore the car....that may be the cleanest way to accomplish this.

by zucchi Wed Nov 15, 2023 9:37 am

relic7680 wrote:I may consider swapping to a non-tilt column when I restore the car....that may be the cleanest way to accomplish this.

In your photos, I see a gauge (oil press.?) in place of the clock.

I dig having gauges, so, thinking out loud, if you're doing a resto-mod rather than a NOS restoration and plan to keep the gauge where the clock was, a slick and clean approach would be to reconfigure the AC/heater control head to be oriented vertically (like the Nova) and mount it onto the transmission hump or keep it horizontal and mount it just under the radio. The space created in the dash could then be used for two gauges; for instance a vacuum gauge and transmission temperature. A tach could then go where the fuel economy gauge is. If you don't need, or can live without, the driver's side AC vent, you could put two gauges there. Doing both — reposition AC controls and delete vent — would give you space for four gauges; vac., fuel press., trans. temp., and oil temp.? scratch

by relic7680 Wed Nov 15, 2023 11:30 am

I've tried my best with this car to not cut or drill, while also being somewhat honest as to the original configuration/options on the car as best I can tell. The car will be a restomod "80s Street Machine", and I've collected many era parts/documents to accomplish this, while also trying keep in mind what was realistic back then. The oil pressure gauge is a circa 1990 Sunpro 1.5" unit that slipped directly in place of the (long gone) OE clock w/out any mods to the cluster. My goal with any mods is that they effectively be "bolt on" and possibly reversed w/out any underlying repair work. Now to find the right period correct tachometer....

by zucchi Wed Nov 15, 2023 11:51 am

I recall back in the day (I've got 20+ years on you) guys attaching a tach on the column using large hose clamps. You could avoid replacing the tilt-column by setting the steering wheel at the angle you want then unscrew the actuating lever to remove it from the mechanism, thus it wouldn't interfere with using a hose clamp on the column.

How Did You Mount Your Aftermarket Tach? ?u=http%3A%2F%2Fi1001.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Faf140%2Ftonyhemi63%2Ftonyhemi63044%2Ftachs029_zps1a088479

How Did You Mount Your Aftermarket Tach? ?u=http%3A%2F%2Fi1001.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Faf140%2Ftonyhemi63%2Ftonyhemi63044%2Ftachs029_zps1a088479

Here's an example where the guy mounted it on the shift collar rather than the fixed part of the column…
How Did You Mount Your Aftermarket Tach? ?u=http%3A%2F%2Fi1259.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fii560%2FGobblerK5%2F1991%2520K5%2520Blazer%2520-%2520Amelia%2FReduced%2520Pics%2520-%2520Movie%2FIMG_6172

How Did You Mount Your Aftermarket Tach? ?u=http%3A%2F%2Fi1259.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fii560%2FGobblerK5%2F1991%2520K5%2520Blazer%2520-%2520Amelia%2FReduced%2520Pics%2520-%2520Movie%2FIMG_6172

by relic7680 Wed Nov 15, 2023 2:15 pm

So by mounting it farther counterclockwise on the shift collar, it will come into line where you want it while in drive...?

by zucchi Wed Nov 15, 2023 2:18 pm

relic7680 wrote:So by mounting it farther counterclockwise on the shift collar, it will come into line where you want it while in drive...?

Correct.

by 1973GS Thu Nov 16, 2023 9:00 am

I used Autometer gauges in my 73 Gran Sport. They fit with no modifications to the bezel. I did remove the entire cluster so I used led's for ts, brake, and other lights that were in the cluster.

How Did You Mount Your Aftermarket Tach? Img_0011

by bracketchev1221 Thu Nov 16, 2023 9:18 am

zucchi wrote:I recall back in the day (I've got 20+ years on you) guys attaching a tach on the column using large hose clamps. You could avoid replacing the tilt-column by setting the steering wheel at the angle you want then unscrew the actuating lever to remove it from the mechanism, thus it wouldn't interfere with using a hose clamp on the column.

Here's an example where the guy mounted it on the shift collar rather than the fixed part of the column…

Yeah I remember this too. A guy I worked with in the 90's had it like that on his jeep. Yanking it back and forth did wind up breaking the wires eventually but he drove it every day.

by bracketchev1221 Thu Nov 16, 2023 9:21 am

If you don't mind me asking what exactly do you need a tach for? what is your goal? Are you racing it? A less obtrusive solution to that is buy a shift light. You can mount it out of the way under the dash and it only lights up at high rpm.

by relic7680 Thu Nov 16, 2023 12:44 pm

I have a mild 355 in the car now, and will eventually have a stout 406 in it, so I would like to see my RPMs. I just got through an issue with windage at full sustained throttle as well...having information like RPM would have made that easier to diagnose. The goal is to do this CLEANLY and maintain an 80s ERA CORRECT appearance in keeping with the rest of my build.

by zucchi Thu Nov 16, 2023 2:15 pm

relic7680 wrote:The goal is to do this CLEANLY and maintain an 80s ERA CORRECT appearance…

I lived the 80s. Graduated high school in 1982, got my Monte Carlo in 1984. I can appreciate a clean look. One of the first thing I did was to get a gauge cluster from a car in a wrecking yard to replace the idiot light cluster that was in my car. I had to rearrange some of the pins in the socket, add one for the tach., and reconfigure the wiring for the amp gauge. It turned out nice, clean and tidy. The one thing I wanted to do back then but didn't have the budget (I was in college) was to add oil press., volt, and vac. gauges onto the top of the dash directly over the instrument cluster using something like this…
How Did You Mount Your Aftermarket Tach? ?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn11.bigcommerce.com%2Fs-d99mgb%2Fimages%2Fstencil%2F1280x1280%2Fproducts%2F186%2F1814%2F18-MT-UD3_Lip_52mm-Main__52593.1527711799

How Did You Mount Your Aftermarket Tach? ?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn11.bigcommerce.com%2Fs-d99mgb%2Fimages%2Fstencil%2F1280x1280%2Fproducts%2F186%2F1814%2F18-MT-UD3_Lip_52mm-Main__52593.1527711799

I refused to ditch the clock. In fact, I put effort in to repair and clean it so it would work; by the way, it still works. Another reason I didn't get around to doing that is, like you, I was reluctant to drill a hole in the top of the dash pad for the wires.

That was my vision back then.

Now, nearly 40-years later, I've been asking myself why I was so reluctant to drill holes or make changes that would compromise the car's originality. This my car, after all, yet I was hung up on the thought that it would be less valuable if I made any "permanent" changes. Less valuable to who? I don't ever intend to sell it so, once again, less valuable to who? In the 90s, Yuppies criticized my "big ol' land yacht" – as if I cared. In the early 2000s, altruistic environmentalists equated my car's environmental impact to that of the Valdez – make your peace with it. In short, I love my car, I'm happy with her, and that's all that matters. As for everyone else, those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.

I'm eager to see your vision for your car come to life. Thumbs up

by Frenchy Thu Nov 16, 2023 2:49 pm

Keeping the vacuum guage? You build a 355 with great gas guzzling horsepower and now you're worried about gas mileage? C'mon man, ditch the vacuum guage and put a factory tach in it's place. You can always add a vac guage to the bottom of the dash or even put it in the pillar and it would fit much better than a big ole tach. You can get a 2 inch vacuum guage to put somewhere. Just my opinion...

Frenchy
76 Monte 406, 700r4, 383 gears. 550HP of whoopass.

by Finn Monte Fri Nov 17, 2023 1:51 pm

in the ex le mans, I put the tachometer in the steering column because I didn't want to make extra holes.

How Did You Mount Your Aftermarket Tach? P3295610

by relic7680 Fri Nov 17, 2023 2:27 pm

Installing an OE tach in these cars is not straightforward if the car wasn't so equipped originally; it requires a non-reproduced harness and the correct '75-'76 tach is not easy to come by. I don't use the Fuel Economy gauge for gas mileage, but it is a good way to spot a vacuum leak or other adverse drivability conditions.
I have determined at this point that there is no way for me to strap a tach to the column, even on the shift collar....just not enough room. I'll have to decide when I restore the car and put the 406 in it if I want to swap over to a non-tilt column for that.
Thanks to everyone for the input.

by zucchi Mon Nov 27, 2023 12:11 pm

If you don't already have them, these would be perfect for your 80s reso-mod…

https://www.ebay.com/itm/235315605760

by relic7680 Mon Nov 27, 2023 12:25 pm

Those are cool, just not looking to add any lighting. The exterior mods I'm doing are black single stage paint (was originally silver, previous owner resprayed to black), L88 fiberglass hood (have it), deleting the body side moldings/wide lower trim, blacked out grille, chromed side marker bezels (previous owner), gold paint inserts on door/gate handles (previous owner), and era wheels/tires (looking for the right combo).

by fasrnur Sat Dec 02, 2023 11:43 am

How Did You Mount Your Aftermarket Tach? Tach10

I've always liked mine mounted to the column.

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