Cheers all! I have an '80 sport coupe that I am building. Well along with the car but I am wondering where is a good spot for the aftermarket Autometer Tach. It has no shift light. My car is very very stock appearing (runs 13.79) with an automatic. So steering column mounting is out. No depth in that spot anyways. So I'm asking for ideas. Tach is 8 grand model. I don't want to drill holes in my dash. Dash is mint! Silly car has a gas and speedo only plus the idiot lights. Thanks for opinions and help!

 

In my opinion, don't install it. It's an auto anyways. I always think cars look like crap with aftermarket tachs stuck on the dash/steering column or anywhere. I'd only do it if it was really needed, like it was strictly a drap car.

 

Well you have heard my opinion before but here goes again. A factory tach seems to be the way for you to go Charles. Who the hell needs a 4" gas guage anyhow? I have both guages here, but the tach is stuck at 7000rpm which usually means its toast. If you want the fuel guage though let me know.
CoryM

 

Cory do you have a spare "dummy plug" where the dash vent is supposed to be for the air conditioning? If I can get any kind of plug as a spare I'll modify that portion with the dremel and run a bracket from behind the dash. Then set up the quick disconnects for the wires and presto when I want a clean dash I got it!!

 

Id have to look but it should be there.... You could also take this entire cluster (if its decent) and make it easily removable so that you can do whatever you want with it and then undo the screws and swap for when you want the stock look? then you could mount your tach like mine or however.
Ill look tommorow Charles.
CoryM

 

Hey Charles, check out where I have my tach mounted. Click the link in my sig.

Dave

 

DAMNATION a guru has landed DAVE nice to see you here brother! Ok Cory thanks for your help on my car. I'd love to scrounge any parts I can especially dash stuff as I really want to keep my dash intact with no holes in it. Dave good to see you as well. Before you emailed me I couldn't find you. I guess your old addy was kaput. We need to get together for a coffee. I'd like to introduce you to Cory as well. Helluva a guy and now we have 3 gear heads interested in the second gen cars. Good stuff. Sorry to hear you sold the caprice though. What is the big boat in the background.

 

Heya Charles!!

The car is currently at another guys' place. That old boat is his grandfathers Olds.

Yep I miss the Caprice, but the GTA is a nice driver too. Don't worry, I'll either get the 9C1 back eventually or buy another.

Yep - we definitely must all get together for sure! Cant wait to cruise in to the JavaHut on the Bypass this spring.

Shoot me an email sometime, Charles!

Dave

 

Absolutely. I need your phone# too so we can hook up. Also Cory is working most Saturdays. Next weekend I was thinking we could get together at his place to help him out with his Camaro. We could alternate some Sundays. Work on yours another weekend if you needed extra hands. Can't work on mine until it is licensed again this summer. My plans include new body mount bushings, putting in the tach, installing a new shifter (Have both parts) and if my modest budget will allow installing subframe connectors. Will probably go for the south side machine connectors vs bolt ins. Plus, as Cory knows, I need to pass air care and I'm damn close on that. You should come out to Shauns today. I'll be there this afternoon with some beer, food and lawn chair hahaha. I plan to be lazy, talk and NOT work!

 

Charles. The push in deleteplates are there, but the dash is a Z28 dash so it has a metal surface to the cluster. I kinda like it so may end up in my car . But the delete plates are all yours if you need them. I gotta get this tranny together and decide what clutch to use before Ill need any help. Maybe Ill have the complete subframe ready to go in for sunday. God knows that is not easily a one man job.
CoryM

 

Thanks Cory! If you put that dash in your car maybe the delete plates from the other won will be leftover. No big deal. I'll help you next weekend if you want? Except Sunday I can't as I have to go to the airport. You working Saturday right?

 

Maybe try a Z28 dash - that way you get rid of the idiot lights. In place of the clock you can mount an autometer oil pressure gauge. Also, you can get rid of the stock speedo and get one from a slightly older car that goes up to 140km/h - just swap your original odometer into the 'new' speedo.

I've seen someone mount an aftermarket tach in the stock location, but the face of the gauge was not on the same plane as the rest of the gauges - it was a fair bit forward. Maybe you can find a dash cluster from the junkyard and experiment with ways to hack it up to make everything fit the way you want.

 

Nice car Dave; I like that style Z.

 

Erik thanks for the idea. The 85 mph speedo gets pinned with ease when I go for a run. It is hugely amusing though to see the speedo spin up though. So you are in Burnaby! Do you post much on the PacificNW forum? I am thinking of having a bracket made and then powder coated so it looks nice. It will also have a slight angle on the platform so the tach is staring at my face. I saw one similarly made for a Nova. This is going to take some work and creativity!

 

Thanks.

Dave