I miss the OLD Stewart Warner! BOOO!

Recently Stewart Warner came out with a new line of gauges that are 5" big face gauges. The pictures on the website were limited, but they looked to be the traditional stepped style bezels that are used in all their "big block" and "small block" series gauges. Out of curiosity, I called them a couple times JUST TO MAKE SURE and was told that they are indeed that style of stepped bezel.

Here's the link... (the small block gauge is not shown)
http://www.stewartwarner.com/Products/feat1.html

I've been looking for a BIG tachometer for my dashboard for awhile so I decided to go for it, thinking "how bad could it be". Well kids.... it's BAAAAAD!! Summit Racing placed the order for me, since they were a vendor, and it was dropped shipped to me. I won't even tell you what I paid for this thing. All I have to say is, this thing is the biggest pile of S*&T I have ever seen! They didn't even pack it well. Just threw it in a small box with a piece of foam paper around it. I waited 5-weeks for this?????!!!

It's tough to see in the picture, but the bezel isn't even ROUND! It's wavy!!





Bezel looks like chromed plastic or very cheap post metal and OBVIOUSLY it's nothing like the stepped bezels they TOLD ME it would be!





Needless to say, this thing will NOT find it's way into my dash.

Too bad! Maybe if someone here is a rep for SW they can give them a clue. I learned my lesson, that's for sure! I'll stick with the old stuff, thanks.

I'm going to check with Classic Instruments and see if they can make me a gauge or see about maybe refacing a 5" tach with the correct bezel to look like the originals.

Mostly just wanted to give you the heads up. Nothing has changed with SW... just taking custom orders on custom crap, now.

 

It just FEELS like plastic! Terrible! Soooo sad!

 

Ryan, do you have any Classic Instruments products? What do their stepped bezels look like??

 

Thanks for the heads-up, It even looks chinsy.

 

Aye Caramba. That is terrible.

We all know the bread and butter of the automotive aftermarket is cheap crap, because people go for the cheap crap nearly every time. You said yourself you went through Summit. Would be nice if they offered a premium product line for all the nice "retro" builds that are being done, but frankly - they already missed the boat on that. There are a lot of 40s styled cars that could have used a nice new well-built gauge but went a different direction instead.


Look on the bright side scooter, finding out SW is building junk didn't cost me a dime! (sorry man)

 

Getting good gauges has become one of the hardest and most expensive things on a hotrod. Try filling an Auburn panel even adequately sometime...

 

Thats sad.

 

Maybe you should forward this thread to their corporate office. I'm sure someone there will be disappointed to hear that this is the kind of response their product is generating.

Especially when they should know that the right set of gauges is critical in a proper hot rod.

 

Damn. Sorry to see this Scooter. Let me check my stock and see if I have what you need. Not sure if I have any Large tachs.

 

Yeah! Totally! That's why I posted! I think anyone who is considering it, needs to know. I know those Wings Gauges get very mixed reviews and frankly I think they are very nice looking, but if the quality is anything like this POS, then I'm not surprised there have been reports of issues.

About the Summit thing. I honestly didn't really want to buy it through them. I checked all my local reps, here in So.Cal. and none of them could get CLOSE to the price that Summit charged me. A STAGGERING differance. A differance I don't really understand, for that matter! I seriously paid $180 LESS because I bought it through them!

I'm greatly dissappointed. Back to the drawing board...

Time to call Summit and tell them what happened...

 

Thanks Nate! Pretty hard to come by a tach this large, but if you have one, let me know.

 

That sucks Scoot.
My uncle has a full set of Classic Instruments in his '68 Dodge PU. He picked them up from the factory (when it was in OR, not sure if still in same location?) and even took a tour with the founder. Good company with high quality stuff.
The only other gauges that I feel is good quality these days are VDO and Autometer. But have noticed AM quality slipping as well.

 

I had thought about that, but it just doesn't seem like quality is really an issue anymore to the big names. Classic Instruments seems to be the only one REALLY fighting for quality.

I wish there would be a thread like the Optima batter thread where S/W would actually LIKE to get feedback on the quality and experiences people have had/are having with their gauges.

 

Scott can you bring it tonight, I'd like to see it.
Rob

 

Yep! I noticed this too. Was considering maybe re-facing some Autometer gauges, at one point.

 

I will bring it! That means you have to be there though!

 

Try calling John Wolf, he's from up around the Cleveland area. He builds/restores/refurbishes all kinds of auto gauges (from everyday stuff to Pebble Beach Bugattis) and does a GREAT job. He's also got some stock of old stuff.
John Wolf- 440.942.0083

And I agree, that new one does suck. What a let down

 

"Quality is king, but price is God"-what a shame.

 

Scooter do you need to take mine on loan until you find one???? That sucks about the quality and it's probably worse first hand. Send that fucking thing back and leave a space open until you can get the one you want.

 

Classic Instruments does made a gauge with a like styled bezel, but the backs of the gauges are made of plastic ( thought you should know ).

Here are some, never mind the O/T dash.

 

Not to be picky but I don't even like how the needle is not counter weighted and that the center is so big. What the fuck? It looks like it came out of an mid70's AMC car.

Redo the needle and the bezel and you might be in business. I would take it to Seller's and see if he can whip you up a bezel for that thing to match the others. Then contact the wolf feller and see if he can throw in a old type needle for you to bring this thing back to life!!!

 

Scoot....hit up swapmeets....but not automotive. Go to farm sales, auctions, etc...that is if you have that sort of thing in your area. Alot of old farm equipment used S-W gauges and if ya talk to the old farmers, they always have junk laying around their places....
I've scored alot of stuff this way at no cost....just "git 'er outta here"....ya know?

 

Thanks Megs!!

I usually don't start ranting about this stuff because it's an endless battle with no winner, but I have to say that I REEEEALY see the reality of what things have become while building my car. (please do not turn this into a thread about buying US stuff) I definitely like to buy quality for my car when I can afford it. It's taken me three years to get this far because I had to come up with money for quality parts. This is the first time I can say that I blew a HUGE some of money on a part that was not only over-priced (for an advertised "standard product") but also a HUGE pile of crap. In other words... you don't ALWAYS get what you pay for!

So frustrating! I can't believe how difficult it has been to find a large-faced tachometer for my dash! This is the one thing I was willing to pay some money for because I think gauges can really make or break the interior of a car. I thought this would be a great center-piece for the dash. I wouldn't even mount this thing BEHIND the dash.

 

Here is a picture of the back,

 

Yeah! I know exactly what you mean! Hard to find that stuff in So.Cal. anymore though. Have to get out of town a little, ya' know?

 

Thanks CBB! Those bezels are nice looking!!

 

While we are on gauges. Has anybody used the New Vintage gauges? Are they worth looking at?

 

I thought about redoing it, but if the outside is this bad, I can only IMAGINE what kind of scary chincy crap is on the INSIDE!