GSX Hood Tach - Which repro is closest to original?

I need a new hood tach for a 70 GSX, and was wondering who sells the best reproduction? I know Year One & The Parts Place has them, but couldn't find one on OPGI's website.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

Has anyone ever bought one and compared it to the original?

 

OPG had them for the best price of about $170. They have an Oct . sale going. I have some OEM and I bought one there. Looked OK to me.

 

Thanks, Jim. I saw your comments in another thread, and went to the website for OPG, and they didn't have it listed. I will call them tomorrow to see if they still carry it.

Do you know anything about a vent tube that is hooked up to a vacum line to try and reduce the condensation inside the tach glass? Does the repro have that also?

Thanks again.

 

I recall that being a later mod by Buick to the orignals. Most I have owned will show condensation on the inside of rthe glass under certain conditions. It goes away with heat or sunnlight.


OPG part # = S220030

 

James,

FYI. I don't know about the repo's but all of the original Buick hood tachs I have seen have the vent tube but it is almost always blocked off (plastic covering the end of the tube by the factory). Only the 1972 GSX's used the vent tube.

Brian

 

I have a Year One repo and compared to my original you can't tell the difference on the upper (top of hood) side of the tach. The underside is slightly different. It does not have the vent tube. It lights up much better than the original and I really like mine.

 

Thanks everyone for the info. My original has what looks like a nipple for a small vacum line, but it is blocked off with a plastic plug. It is shot anyway, so a repro is in the plans for the resto.

Duane - FYI, I saw your replied to this thread in my email, but it is not in the thread for some strange reason.

Thanks again.

 

James,

Tach's are not that hard to fix. Of course it depends on exactly what is wrong. Have you examined it carefully? The zener diode is the most common failure and, of course, the meter can corrode over time but it is easy to check. I can post a schematic if you need it.

Brian

 

Hey Brian!

I wish it was nice enough to even test, but the housing is missing the lip under "BUICK", and the face is faded and rusted. Thanks anyway, but I am shopping for the best repro, and it sounds like they are pretty nice.

 

Hey James, if you could post the schematic that would be great. I would like to try and fix my original even though I will leave the repo on the car.

 

Gregg,

I don't have the schematic, but Brian does. Maybe he can post it for you. I can tell you that in order to get the housing off, you are going to need a very thin walled socket or nutdriver to remove the four screws that hold it together (none of my Craftsman sockets would fit). Good luck!!

 

Oops! Sorry James, I meant to type Brians name. You are correct on the thin wall socket as I bought one and ground down the outside edge just for that purpose many years ago. All my mechanicals are fine inside my tach, But I'va soldered so many times on the circuit board I must have burned one of the electronics out. With the schematic hopefully I can find the right diode and such to replace. By the way, I highly recommend the Year One piece. Here's a pic:

 

I too am in the market for a reproduction Hood Tach for my 1970 GSX Project.

I read the previous postings, but I was wondering if Year One, OPGI or The Parts Place sold the same tach or if they sell tachs made by different companies.

Does anyone have a clue?

Thanks
Mark Mantooth

 

I thought about that. I think I have bought from YO and OPG and I presumed they were the same but I did not check that close.

 

FYI....

The Hood Tach Part Number at OPGI is #S220030.

Therefore if you do a Parts Search at "www.opgi.com", you should find it.

 

I called both Year One and OPGI on Monday, and here is what I found out:

Year One - Manufactured by R&C Tach Shop, priced at $247, and not in stock (as usual).

OPGI - Manufactured by Tach Tech, priced at $169, and they have them in stock.

Obviously, Year One is $80 more, which makes me wonder if there could possibly be any difference to could justify it (especially knowing Jim Lore has one he purchased from OPGI and is happy with it).

I'm going to get mine from OPGI, and not just because it's cheaper and available, but because I have not been very happy with Year One's service over the last year or two. Let's face it - parts may be parts, but a little customer service goes a long way.

In other words, :moonu: to Year One (that is until they have something I really, really need and no one else does!!).

 

Thanks for the feedback James!

I too have questioned Year One's quality of parts.

 

You know they come unpainted so you are dealing with the face comparisons.


At least that is how I always looked at it.

 

Jim,

I am interested in the face comparissons as well as the lighting and accuracy. Have you used the one you bought from OPGI yet, or did you buy it for your current GSX resto? Thanks.

 

I used it but that car was a convert. and was sold. The YO unit went on another stage 1 GSX now in Cal. ( It now belongs to another board member.) So I think all I have her are OEM units including the one on our other GSX.


I almost never drive ours at night so I really am not able to compare the lighting.