DIY 1951 Chevy Tachometer (for very cheap)

First off- Sorry if this is totally off topic for this forum. This is some pretty simple tech stuff, and I hope folks will find it useful. However, if it doesn't belong here, mods please accept my apologies.

Part One

So- I've been looking around for gauges. Damn, they're expensive. Some of them are really nice, but they don't quite fit the dashes of our ('51 / '52) cars, do they? And.. what? How much? No way am I spending hundreds of dollars on ****py instruments, and upwards of a thousand on good ones. That's too much money.

A couple of years ago, while surfing around I came across a posting - I think it was by Chevytalk's DZAUTO - where he had a second speedo recalibrated and connected it to a tachdrive distributor.

Shortly after, thinking I would just use the 'factory gauges'- I picked up a second speedometer which was used along with the speedometer I had to make one good one. Now, I have a working speedometer, and the hulked remains of a dead speedometer.

I could do the same and restore the 4-in-one that would normally sit right next to it, but...

I want a tachometer there instead.

Starting with a very cheap and simple Princess Auto Tachometer



and the remains of the speedometer I parted out...



I set out to combine the two for a 'vintage' looking electronic tach.

Started out by pulling the tachometer apart...



It's really only held in the case by 2 screws - it's a pretty cheap unit...



There are 2 tiny screws holding the faceplate onto the tachometer unit. Again, it's pretty cheap.



and then the whole thing just sort of 'falls' out of the cheap plastic housing.



Sure looks like It's thin enough to fit into the speedo housing from the '51 without binding on anything... so let's place it and be sure.



Now, let's get the centre part of the gauge from the 4-in-one... the one for the speedo has been punched out for the odometer, and it won't do. The centre piece from the 4/1 doesn't have this punch out and fits / looks beautiful.



Next, we'll take the original gauge face and punch a couple of holes through it using the chrome centre piece above as a template. We need something to attach the tach to... like so:



You can see above the holes I punched into the original tach face are 90* from the original holes. This is for clearance of the mounting bolts.

Now we can attach the tach, including it's original faceplate, to the '51's speedometer face.



And here's the final mockup:



I need now to make a pair of matching needles and repaint the gauge faces... more on that soon...

 

wow..cool..how does the needle come off..just pull it? is it force fit or glued? neat idea...cheep too..

 

Just pull on it, yeah- it's just snug fit to the pin... Most "modern" gauges are this way...

 

Cool. The kind of balls that it takes to discover something new that will become the new "trick of the month".

 

That's cool. But I really want to how your going to repaint the gauge faces. Mine look the same as that one does.

 

Here's the "finished" product...



I stripped the gauge face (which is easy, the old paint came off with just a good rubbing of acetone), and rattle can primed it, gave it a few coats of ivory white, and then a coat of clear.

Then I used these



to lay out the numbers. (I used the old 2" gauge face as the template, it fits right in the centre and I just placed the numbers in the appropriate spots. I had to redo a couple as I went, but the clear coat did it's job and I was able to c a r e f u l l y peel them off and redo.

The dots are done with a sharpie.

I want to make one change- but I need to head up to Sayal to pick up some circuit board standoffs... and I'll mount the gauge from behind as well as on top as shown.

But there you have it, a tachometer made-to-fit a '51 chevy.

 

... and yes, I'll be re-facing the speedometer to match this one

 

non of your pics are working.

and were on ontario ya hail from?

 

Whoops- pictures should be online now...

(I'm just west of ya in Brant County.... follow Dundas until it ends and I'n the last town you come to)

 

Pics work fine for me and NICE work!

 

Looks great.

 

I just bookmarked this. Great idea, and thanks for the great tutorial. I've got an extra non working speedometer for my 51 truck that might just end up a tach.

 

Thanks guys

Going to tackle the speedo 'reface' this week... And then hopefully install them to see how they look in the dash. I'll update this thread as I go

 

Nice work!

 

Part Two:

Got the speedometer done tonight. Not really much to show, same 'sticker letters' as on the tach, same bc/cc on the face.



The only thing I'm really wanting now is another needle - or a pair that match and look vintage. Anybody have a haystack I can look through?

 

awesome..i love low buck stuff...good job..i have a ton of old speedosand could probably get a matching pair of needles, but nothing that old looking...

 

Those turned out great. I'm seriously considering doing the same thing to my gauges. I might even change the speedo from miles to KMs.

 

If you do, scan the speedo face for me please

 

Sure I can do that. But it probably won't be anytime soon.