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Vintage Tach Collectors Show and Tell

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

  1. Here's a couple from the collection. The first is an unknown Stewart-Warner. It is a really different blue color in person. The second is a set of SW knockoffs that were under the dash of the coupe when I bought it. They will probably find their way back into the car eventually.
     
  2. Elrod
    Joined: Aug 7, 2002
    Posts: 3,566

    Elrod
    Member

  3. joeybsyc
    Joined: Nov 8, 2006
    Posts: 812

    joeybsyc
    Member
    from PA

    Not sure when Dixco originated, but I know they date back to the mid 50's at least in farm equipment applications... the factory gauges on my grandfather's 1956 Farmall 460 are Dixcos. Dixco was always sort of a "cheaper" version of gauges, less expensive than either Sun or SW. Not that anyone here cares, but Don Yenko used Dixco gauges in 1970 on the Yenko Deuce Nova for both the underdash gauges as well as the hood tach, mainly because they were cheaper than the SW stuff he used in previous years. Alot of the "no-name" gauges sold in JC Whitney catalogs throughout the 70s and early 80s were actually made by Dixco. The chrome Dixco tach "Rewired" asked about on page one dates to about 1962 or 63, and was a copy of a similar tach made by Sun and used in the 62 409 Bel Airs.
     
  4. While we are on the subject of tachs, I have a question. I have a vintage 1964 black face SW tach in my 62 Biscayne. It uses the red round sending unit under the hood. Who can convert this to a modern battery set up?
     
  5. Muttley
    Joined: Nov 30, 2003
    Posts: 18,501

    Muttley
    Member

    Williamson's Instrument Service
     
  6. lonewolf
    Joined: Sep 2, 2006
    Posts: 393

    lonewolf
    Member

    someone has to have an older tach they want to sell? i had an ad in the wanted section for months with 1 reply............looking for an older 12v cup mount tach (that doesnt need a sender preferably) for a 50 merc project with a flatty a stewart warner would be a plus but open to ?????????? pm me
     
    Last edited: Jul 1, 2010
  7. Here are mine. Big ones are L-R Jones mech', Dixco elec' and SW mech'.

    [​IMG]
     
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  8. ray
    Joined: Jun 25, 2001
    Posts: 3,798

    ray
    Member
    from colorado

    joey, you don't by chance need an extra left(or right) nut do ya? i needs me one of them 960 greenline pedastal mouted tachs! heck, i'd even let ya keep the display board...maybe!:D haha, no way a musclecar guy would let a hot rodder like me devalue that stuff by putting it in a hot rod! nice collection, i think i only have enough SW gauges for 5 or 6 cars.

    wrong instrument!;)
     
  9. wishihad147
    Joined: Feb 18, 2007
    Posts: 94

    wishihad147
    Member
    from delaware

    please school me. i am confused as to how the cable driven tachs. work. is there a separate drive cable coming from the distributor or the cam somewhere? i mean obviously they are driven by a cable but i have never seen a cable running to a tach before??
     
  10. Sealed Power
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 627

    Sealed Power
    Member
    from TN

    There is a cable that runs from the distributor to the tach.


     
  11. joeybsyc
    Joined: Nov 8, 2006
    Posts: 812

    joeybsyc
    Member
    from PA

    To add to this, you need a special distributor with a provision to attach a cable. I think some early Corvettes used these from the factory, not sure who made aftermarket distributors with a provision for a tach drive.
     
  12. I was always under the impression that the mechanical drive tachs in the Corvette were driven off the back of the generator(special back plate).
     
  13. I shudda known that other people, besides myself, would collect old tachs. The only 2 that I think are interesting are:
    my pride and joy, a factory tach from my old 67 Block Chevelle. I have been offered $350 for it and can't bring myself to part with it. The other is a 6000 rpm tach with the Chrysler name on it. It is a large, 3 3/4 inch face with no other identification. My guess is that it is also from a 60's super car.
    I have many others, and even have a new in the box Westach similar to the one pictured in one of the above postings. I will look to see if there is an instruction sheet.
    Bob
     
  14. Sealed Power
    Joined: Mar 11, 2005
    Posts: 627

    Sealed Power
    Member
    from TN


    Yes Corvettes and several others had factory tach drive distributors. Mallory and Accell both come to mind right off the bat for after market tach drive distributors along with Grant and DC. I believe most magnetos used a cable driven tach?
     
  15. tommy
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 14,757

    tommy
    Member Emeritus

    [​IMG]

    mechanical SW

    [​IMG]

    Early electrical that required a device that mounted between the dizzy and the cap spacing the cap and rotor up about 3/4" or so.

    [​IMG]

    These old SWs are cheap on Ebay. People think they can't be made to work.

    [​IMG]

    But it's not too hard to replace the guts with cheap new tach innards. I paid 40 bucks for a new ugly tach and then mounted it in the old case and epoxied the old needle on. Will it read right???no who cares. For me a tach is decoration anyway.:D

    [​IMG]

    You can see the tach drive coming off the back of the generator in this 58 Corvette. I don't know when they changed to a dizzy drive but my 63 Corvette tach came off the dizzy. Anybody that made distributors in the early sixties had to make a model for the Corvette. Mallory made a completely different housing. (which can be turned down to fit the 8BA flatty eliminating the very costly flat motor cable mount that drives off of the front crank pulley)

    [​IMG]

    Spalding made one Chevrolet bottom like this. The hole in the bottom is threaded for a cable connector to screw into. All the shafts had teeth for a gear. If you bought it for a Corvette they screwed in the adapter. For the rest of the Chevy's they just had a push in plug. Mine fell out.:D

    55-57 T birds had tach drive dizzys and some rare Mercury's used the same dizzy. If you find a Y block tach drive dizzy it was made for a 55-57 Bird and the bird people thing they are solid gold.:D
     
  16. Joe Grippo
    Joined: Dec 28, 2005
    Posts: 295

    Joe Grippo
    Member

    Cool thread. Here is a cool Gas Ronda edition RAC I picked up a few years ago...

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  17. john56h
    Joined: Jan 28, 2007
    Posts: 1,760

    john56h
    Member

    I have both a Mallory and an Accel tach drive distributors for SBC. I was planning on using the Mallory in my coupe with a Moroso mechanical tach....but I'm not sure if I can still get caps, rotors, etc...for that old unit.
     
  18. Drive Em
    Joined: Aug 25, 2006
    Posts: 1,748

    Drive Em
    Member

    I have a problem collecting old dual point tach drive distibutors, and tachs. I have Accel and Mallory tach drive dual point distributors for small block Chevy, 289-302-351W-351C Ford, and FE Ford. I have some cool old Mallory double life dual point distibutors for Ford and Chevy, as well as a tach drive Weber distributor for a Chevy. I also have a Cragar tach drive distributor for a small block Ford, and several Echlin dual points for Ford and Chevy. Every one of my vehicles has an old dual point or tach drive dual point distributor on it.
     
  19. joeybsyc
    Joined: Nov 8, 2006
    Posts: 812

    joeybsyc
    Member
    from PA

    Almost forgot the 2 tachs I actually have installed, instead of just displayed in their original boxes... ironically, my 32 doesn't even have a tach!:rolleyes:
     

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  20. GARY?
    Joined: Aug 15, 2005
    Posts: 1,631

    GARY?
    Member

    Here's a couple for the "HAMB collection"
    The chrome one came out of a school bus, and the other I found on the Ebays. I don't know if it works?
    I would love to put it in my future early T Roadster that I've been gathering parts for.
    The chrome one will go into my pickup this winter when the banger gets swapped for the flatty.
     

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  21. I pulled this out of a Customline at the local Tip, it houses smiths tach. The surround originally held a clock?
    [​IMG]
    This is a 2-1/16" no name tach.
    [​IMG]
    lastly a VDO tach from a Volvo truck. about 3-3/8"
    [​IMG]
     
  22. 32v
    Joined: May 20, 2007
    Posts: 952

    32v
    Member
    from v.i.

    here is a 57 vet race car mech tach nos
     

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  23. alsancle
    Joined: Nov 30, 2005
    Posts: 1,573

    alsancle
    Member

    These Barrel style ones were put in the early J Duesenbergs. Later ones were swept needle and look alot better.
     

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  24. Here is an old Sun tach that has been sitting on my computer desk for a year or so. It came out of an old bus that happens to have a 62 Chevy passenger car 409 in it.It says Model RC 50 and needs a WPA or EB transmitter. I doubt that it works as the needle doesn,t bounce freely. I have several more Sun tachs out in the car but its put away....
     

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  25. enloe
    Joined: May 10, 2006
    Posts: 9,784

    enloe
    Member
    from east , tn.

    Got a Dixco for sale or trade in the classifieds
     
  26. john56h
    Joined: Jan 28, 2007
    Posts: 1,760

    john56h
    Member

  27. weemark
    Joined: Sep 1, 2002
    Posts: 830

    weemark
    Member
    from scotland


    ive got one of the blue SW gauges but its in mint condition - i think they were made in early 60s, ive never seen another one apart from this one.
     
  28. maddog
    Joined: Sep 3, 2006
    Posts: 695

    maddog
    Member
    from So Cal

    I have these.
    32 Studebaker.
     

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  29. 327-365hp
    Joined: Feb 5, 2006
    Posts: 5,434

    327-365hp
    Member
    from Mass

    Here's a Mack tach, I looks like a SW
    [​IMG]
     
  30. John B
    Joined: Mar 9, 2001
    Posts: 1,495

    John B
    Member

    Here's a tach that I saw on Ebay and bought just because I was a NAPA parts guy at one time.

    It's a Balkamp brand with a small NAPA emblem on the face.


    [​IMG]
     
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