Hello... I'm new to the forum and I have a question I thought some of you might be able to shed some ideas on. I currently have a tach mounted to the steering column with a large hose clamp. I am looking at adding in a new 5" AutoGuage Tach and I would like to mount it on top of the dash. Any tips or suggestions on the best way to mount it and run the wires? Thanks...
welcome to the board. where are you from. i too have a tach mounted on the steering column and just last week bought a new autogage recall tach. been thinking of mounting it higher, maybe on the dash, but haven't even looked at it yet. plan on getting to it next week, after the races this weekend. i'll be watching to see what shows up here too.
Welcome to the site, Robby. I know this idea sounds crude (because it is), but my car had a tach mounted to a bracket that was attached to the INSIDE of the ashtray. I'm glad the guy did it that way instead of putting holes in the dash. Currently, I have my Monster Tach mounted to where it is tucked into the left "socket" of the dash-panel. I use a hose clamp to hold it to the column. BTW, my car is (currently) built for use on the strip only and I have mechanical gauges (thus, no worries about covering any lights/other up). Good luck.
problem with mounting it on the dash is the holes... the exposed wires.. and the heat will be right on it ... but the fact that there isnt much space is another issue i have a 5 inch as well and i couldnt get it on the dash to fit right without it up in your face... because of the glass.. mine is on the column...i was thinking of welding a bracket to the front of the dash . but then decided that might look retarded and not to mention the fact that if i didnt like it, i would be limited on my options.. but i am interested in some ideas as welll so i will watch the thread
Dennis (Mavaholic) has his tach in a panel on his dash, slip him a pm and let him show you a pic of it...looks great.
Well, so far I'm thinking of fabricating some type of bracket and trying the mount inside of the ashtray. I believe there is enough room in a couple of spaces to run the wires through and I can cover them in some of the black plastic wire loom. I probably will just mount it on the column 1st. to play around with it and see how it looks there....
If you dont mind the work, you can remove the dash pad and make a bracket that will mount under it. Then reinstall the pad. That way there will be no visible holes if you decide to take it off later.
I've got mine bolted to the package tray: http://5hp.hill.cc/maverick/72Mav/11.jpg I like it there, easy to see and out of the way. My tach is an original late 60's Sun Super Tach, but it is the same size as the newer Super Tach II's. I've always thought haveing a tach on the steering colum or top of the dash looked a little strange/in the way. My dad had the tach in the left side of the gauge cluster on his Comet. We had to cut everything out on that side, if you could see behind the tach you could see clear through the gauge cluster. Have to get an aftermarket gas gauge if you do that though. http://5hp.hill.cc/hotrod/page 10/inside2.jpg
Mr Miles, That looks real nice/clean and I am sure it works great for a street cruiser, but that would not be the ideal placement for a car that would see any track time, definitely would not want to take my eyes that far away from the road to look for shift points. Now if you mounted it there and had a shift light that you could locate closer to line of sight Those pictures of your dad's car is ALWAYS impressive to me...super sharp car!
Yea, it's fine for a daily driver. Car has a 6 cylinder, dosen't really need a tach. I don't think the tach is really any good for any practical purpose, doubt it's that accurate after 37 years, I just like the vintage look of it. Reminds me of something you would see in an old muscle car. The fact that it still lights up and the needle moves is just iceing on the cake. Terry don't like it, but I didn't put it there to please anyone else. Footprint gas pedal is next on the list to get. For a race car I would put it like my dad had his or how Dennis' is. I like that.
Well, I changed my mind again after getting the tach in from FedEx. I first started out with it on the steering cloumn, but the old tach had been that way for years and just for something new, I decided to see what it would look like in other places. I set it up just above the ashtray on the dash and it just seemed to obtrusive. Sort of in the middle of everything and obstructive to driving view. I then had a thought, what about the driver's side piller at an angle just above the dash and sort of tucked into the lower corner? That is where it stayed! Great for viewing on the go without the obtrusiveness of dash mounting! The car is a street/strip type car and not a daily driver. Just a fun street car and I do like the way this works and looks... I'll get some photos up soon...
