Technical Does anyone use boat gauges in your hotrod?

I just picked this up tonight at an auction and was wondering if anyone uses boat gauges in their hotrod. Looks like it could work unless there's something I'm missing.

 

I'm running Faria gauges which primarily makes marine gauges but I think my set was a short lived auto series. Have yours restored and use them

 

That tach might be OK with a Model "A" engine, but probably would be a big fail on a SBC. The amp gauge also has some shortcomings.

 

Don't forget a depth gauge and a "fish finder"...

 

I recently bought some SW boat gauges for my off topic 70's hot rod. They are blue on black. Kinda go with my old Sun tach, but if you're not familiar, a boat speedometer is not cable driven, so that one goes on a shelf to look at...

 

an episode of ITG showed some nautical accoutrements

 

Picked up this marine tach a few years ago. Issue will be trying to get it to work. A buddy is supposed to build me a circuit board to make it work. The 4K limit will be good enough for my flathead.

 

Gray Marine converted 6-71 GM, two stroke, diesels for marine applications likely why the 4500 RPM max scale
Cool gauge cluster and has that late 40's early 50's look
234 hours isn't much

 

I have a mechanical "backwards" swing marine tach. It is driven off of the front of the cam. You need the matching timing cover (with a hole in it for the drive to pass through and an adapter that replaces the thrust button) to go with it. The cam in the application is chain driven. Gear (with no idlers) would go around the opposite way. I'm curious how your tach was driven in it's original application. Mine also uses a 90 degree adapter that screws into the timing cover (I don't know if it changes rotation). You'll probably need to know when you make your drive system.

Nice piece, when you get it figured out. Mike

Edit: Gray also converted flatheads (Continentals and Mopars, I think). I have some old boat plans showing the Gray 4/45, it looks like it is a little Continental.

 

After you make your boat gauges work, you can try airplane gauges next. Figure out a way to hook a pitot tube speedo into your car.

 

Grey also made str8 6s pretty much identical to the Chris Craft Hercules engines. Can be found in many early Centuries...

 

be great in a big "boat", like a Lincoln or Cadillac

 

The front is 6 inches in diameter. Here's some info on the back

 

The reverse swing tach is interesting. Could it be for a reverse rotation engine since it's a marine application?

 

I used an abandoned Chris Craft boat dash insert in my Model A pickup, later I learned that the insert was a Stewart Warner piece, someone had already removed the gauges.

This part has been used in many hot rods over the years, it's known as an Ensign panel. HRP

 

oh....I'm only going 22 mph....must be that 40 mph tailwind....I digress...

 

It is GMC so you might be on to something.

 

Finally got this picture to load. The back of the temp reads SENDER on the left pole and IGN on the right

 

At the turn of this century when a family friend built a Bonneville streamliner he installed a air speed gauge with the tube right on the nose. At 300 mph measuring by the wheels would include wheel spin, air speed doesn't.

 

Did Gray Marine used a Y block Ford also?

 

boy THOSE manifolds(all of 'em) must be RARE!

 

Intakes are pretty readily available with very little looking….exhaust not so much as the rusted out..

 

I have a neighbor with that Y-Block setup, it has a finned timing chain cover with the word "Interceptor" cast into it. The water inlets are individual on each side and the carbs are a Carter side drafts much like what was on the 1953 6 cylinder Corvettes. The whole setup was in a wooden boat made sometime around 55-56 but I don't know the brand. He has been saving it for decades but doesn't have a Y-Block right now, and he says it won't fit his flathead or his 413!

 

I had the induction setup during my swap meet days. The YH carburetors always intrigued me.

 

That would be the only way I could get to 100 knots in my car- just by facing it into a cyclone!

 

Never heard of Gray Marine, and just the other day came across an ad on YT Marketplace for three wooden boats, one having a Gray engine. If I had the time I would love to restore the first one

 

^ He'd probably have better luck if he was offering to pay to haul those boats away. I see an insane amount of restoration work required, there probably won't be very much original wood left by the time you were done. It's too bad, they were really something in their day (especially the boat tail one.)

 

People into those boats are saying the same thing about that rusty, beat up '32 3 window you'd love to get your hands on.

 

Doesn't matter. As long as you have the the tag off it, every splinter can be rebuilt, and it's whatever the tag says it is. It's called a 'gray boat, and guys do it all the time. Takes a serious amount of time, work, and knowledge to do it.

 

Yeah, that first one is a rarity, very cool. You don't see a ton of Shepard boats around either. Dad always wanted one of those...