There was one of those huge autometer tach/shift light combo pieces at a local autozone dirt cheap. I never thought I would see myself contemplating such a thing but....

1. I have overlays on my gauges so I dont have a real good idea what RPM I am shifting at, especially with that fat needle above the 6000 RPM redzone.
2. I want a shift light anyway and this would kill two birds with one stone.

I have all the right reasons for getting it but I still think its rather big.

What is everyones taste on this? Is there any good way to mount it?

I ordered a Harlan but its taking forever and a day to get here....I tired of guessing!

 

Just get a shift lite...no need for the big tach . Trust me...when my shift light goes off, its obvious!

Even though you are the PDM, a big shift light screams ricer to me .

 

Unless you have a aftermarket ecu and are shifting above the 7k stock tach limit, then you dont need one.... unless of course you drive an import... in which case i say Go Nuts.

 

Listen to ken...please

 

I got one... I think it would be useful to have accurate RPM, that stock one isn't too good on accuracy. And you need a shift light right? Who the hell cares, if anybody wants to test you because you have a shift light let em, you're packing a 400+ rwhp 383, you have ***** to back it =) I mounted mine on top of the defroster ridges like Injuneer Fred has it. It's clean and right in my line of sight.

 

I have one.. but it is kinda hidden, can't really be seen by anybody else other than the person in the driver's seat. Can't really see from the passenger's side seat. I do have my shift light in a visible area though....

 

It's absolutely rediculous how off my stock one is.. my previous shift point of 5400, my tach would read 7000... so its a "lil off"

 

They look stupid.
VERY stupid.

 

Even if your tach is off all you need is a shift light. I dont look at my tach at all just wait for the light and slam its shifted

 

5" Tach, big ol' yellow shift light..... and the ***** to back it up

1. I redline at 7,400rpm with a solid roller 381, running off a MoTeC M48Pro computer. I only use the shift light for the 1->2 shift, which happens almost immediately on launch. My reaction time on the shift light is so low and the car is pulling so hard in 1st gear on a 300-shot , I set it for 400rpm below my nitrous cutoff (7,200rpm) so it will be in 2nd on time. Then I need to watch the tach for the 2->3 and 3->Gear Vendor shifts.

2. When you're as old as I am, that stock tach, buried in the dash is sort of hard to see in the bright sun, and seems to run out of numbers before it reaches 7,400...... .

"Stupid"...... I don't think so

 

Thanks Fred... People that NEED one, don't do it for looks, unlike what some of these people may think... Just because your stock motored car, with a flowmaster doesn't need a tach, doesn't mean others dont need it too. WTF would we put those big *** honky things on... Definately not for looks...

In this case.. form follows function

 

Exactly... a stock z-28 auto with 2.73's and a flowmaster muffler does not need to know the exact RPM. But when you are trying to precisely drive/tune the car and your car is fast enough to warrant having one, then by all means do it. Who cares what they look like, that's ridiculous, haven't you heard the old phrase "don't judge a book by it's cover." If you want to race me or Injuneer Fred or something because we have 5" tachs go right ahead and get whooped on, especially by Fred haha.

 

I see nothing wrong with big tachs and lights. It's stupid though when people put them in an auto....

 

Would that include people who put them in an auto..... with a manual valve body ?

 

The 5 inch tachs were used way before the ricer cars were out so I will argue that. Anyone with one is tring to be a ricer is BS. I think the ricers do it to add 10 hp to their car. And at least try to make it look fast I have one in my car but I have a TH400 trans in my car I need to see the road not look at my dash. But that is just me