Installing a tachometer on a '62 Le Mans

[Larry_Rarus]

My very simple 4-cylinder, 1-bbl 110HP, 3-speed stick LeMans has the most utilitarian dashboard. The only gauges are the speedometer and gasoline gauge. I've always wanted to install a tach but didn't want to install something anachronistic. Most tachs today read from 0-10,000RPM, have flashy neon colors and all sorts of silly lights. That would stand out like a sore thumb against the original equipment. Besides, there's no way the stock 4-banger was going to safely see the high end of that RPM range.

I kept my eye out for a tach with the following features:
1. The display needed to be large enough for my middle-aged eyes to read.
2. The "look" of the unit had to resemble something that could've come from the early 1960s.
3. It had to have a 270-degree sweep.
4. The RPM range had to be significantly low.

I located one from Datcon [ http://www.datcon.com/products/2hdauto.htm ]. It has a 3-3/8” face, 270-degree sweep and reads from 0-4000RPM. Even under “spirited driving” my Trophy-4 barely pushes the 4000RPM mark since maximum torque is delivered at just around 2000RPM. Consequently I have an easy to read tach that exhibits plenty of movement due to the scale. It is nicely backlit. Best of all, the print face and chrome bezel make it look like an option from Pontiac. I didn’t want to hack my dashboard to install the tach so I took the old school approach. I mounted it to the steering column at about the 9-10 o’clock position. That way it doesn’t obstruct the view of the speedo. I do have to reach behind it however to turn the windshield wipers on/off.

Now I can rip through the gears (tongue slightly in cheek) and watch that tach sweep quickly like a high-performance race engine. Ah, simple pleasures. Best of all, it cost a little under $70 but the optional canister (necessary if you’re not installing it directly into your dash) adds another $25 or so.