I have a '28 A with a banger. 12V conversion FSI Electronic Ignition I'd like to run a period correct ('40's) tach. Can I get a recommendation? Anyone have one for sale? Thanks!
"period correct (40's) tach" and "FSI Electronic Ignition" are in direct conflict with each other. "period correct (40's)" would be a mechanical drive tachometer and I would doubt any electronic ignition distributor would have a mechanical tach drive. If you can settle for a "Vintage Look" tach, there are a number of "old style" tachs available. A Google search will yield units from Bosch, Mooneyes, and several others. eBay in particular has a selection.
Rabbit-hole alert: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/using-a-speedometer-as-a-tachometer.1284007/
I should have said Period correct looking.... I've seen the units on eBay but most say untested and/or do not specify 4-cyl vs. 6-cyl vs. 8- cyl engine. So that why I was looking for a recommendation. Regarding if I need a tach....I don't. I just think a period looking tach would look cool. That's all
The link below is the Tach I have on my banger and works great. Although it appears these are discontinued, you maybe a vendor out there still has a couple on the shelf. https://oemtechtools.com/products/bosch-fst-8050-retro-line-tach-bosfst8050
Can’t really recommend a tach but If you find a tach you like here’s an idea. check out www.technoversions.com I’ve got a 34 ford pu with a 59a flathead, efire distributor, 12v and a column mounted vintage Sun football tach. TechnoVersions sells a product TachMatch that uses a small circuit board to match any tach to any engine. Doesn’t matter if 4,6, or 8 cylinders. You can mount their small circuit board inside Sun transmitter or hide it under the dash (my preference). Works well.
I second the tach match. I put one on my 56, they eliminate the sending unit and you can choose the number of cylinders. I think they are less than 100 bucks
That's a Bosch "Sun Football" tach "look-a-like". I don't think they have been discontinued. I have one and like it, but I'm a sixties guy too.
This one is in the cl***ifieds right now. Not mine. https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1950s-sun-rc-40-football-tachometer.1343784/
seems cheap, one of the terminal nuts must have come off and the post fell inside the unit. It will have to be opened up before it can be used. The bezel is crimped on and this must be removed to repair it. I am sure this is why is is so cheap...
Why fake it, find a pedestal tach drive and an early mechanical tach. Tach drive in the photo is Stewart Warner and tach is Jaeger.
That's a great idea. Now, where do we find a Stewart-Warner tach drive for a FSI Electronic Ignition?
Hello, All of the tachometers for sale seem to be shiny, large and out of place in a older hot rod. Despite what motor you have, a shiny tach says out of place for the traditional 4 banger look. Look to surplus yards or shops and find one that is not shiny and chrome. Back when I had the 1958 Impala for my local cruising/racing mode, the tach was perfect. I also did not need to watch a big shiny chrome tach on the dash, or on the column. No need, as the C&O Stick Hydro took over at launch and it was hang on for the straight line driving. The motor/trans, shifts itself and did a great job of getting me off of the starting line first and in the lead. As far as aircraft gauges, again, all gauges are different from each manufacturer. When I was driving the Willys Coupe, the big shiny Sun Tach was front and center. I looked at it once at a stop light and that was it. No need to watch the needle as the sound of the motor told me when to shift. My brother told me that he looks at the tach at the starting line once and yes, that was it. No need to watch the tach, as long as the motor is running and one can hear how it sounds, you are in business. Even in the Impala it was the same thing. So, I decided to get a small tach. Good luck with the brand name tach makers. They were all shiny and all large. Jnaki I found a simple, smaller tachometer that would not have to be drilled on the dash, but bolted under neath the lip for a non destructive place, yet be seen, if needed. The local aircraft surplus yard had several, but they were not pristine. Almost half the size of a chrome Sun Tachometer... I found it at the Army Surplus Store in Bixby Knolls. It was a series of gauges taken out of an airplane. We did see similar ones in the old Douglas Aircraft Surplus Yard, too. But, no tach. So, this one was shiny black and the owner hooked up the appropriate power source and the built in light came on brightly. The small black tach that fit nicely under the lip of the dash, over to the right side of the speedometer. It covered the 120 mph mark, but at the drags, the 120 needle was pegged at the start and was useless. On the street, no one goes that fast... The built-in light was ok for night time cruising. On drag race days or nights, we never used the tach… too busy getting a two car lead at the start. 58 Impala dash placement The large Yellow arrow placement, was the first choice as it was directly in front of normal vision. But, it blocked the primary speedometer readings. The small arrow pointer location was an out of normal driving, front road vision at a glance, location. Nicely tucked under the dashboard lip. No harmful additional holes were added for the installation. Lit up dial inside at night, made a nice glow. YRMV
I wonder what kind of machining/etc., would be needed to add a mechanical drive on a distributor? I’ve never taken a mechanical drive one apart.
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