Hello! Since I have my instrument cluster pulled of my '71 Stage 1 out to fix the dash, I'm getting the gauges in order as well. The car has the factory gauge cluster (fuel, temp, oil pressure), and a clock. I was wondering...is there any way to tell by a car's VIN or maybe build sheet (which I haven't yet found) if it came with a factory dash tach? I ask because, well, I'd rather have a factory tach than a factory (non-working) clock, but I'd like to keep the car as original as I can. If there's no way to tell, was the wiring for the tach in place in the harness, or will I have to add the wiring as well? I'd imagine that an original tach would not be cheap or easy to find, correct me if I'm wrong. Anyone have one? Thanks.... Chris
Hi Chris. I am not one of the guys here with lots of knowledge about whether you can tell if your car came ordered with the tach option, so I will let them answer that definitively. But as a guess, if your harness is original and there used to be a tach, there should be wires going into the back of the dash that you can ID as being tach wires--at least the one coming in from the engine compartment that wouldn't go to any other instrument. If you're sure your car never came with the tach option and you're adding an OEM 0r repro tach so it looks like it originally came with one, you'd need the correct wiring if you want it to look original. I think I have seen factory tachs for sale that are in working condition, either rebuilt or survivors, for a reasonable price. It looks like there are also reproductions being made for around $200, if you do a search.
For '71 (at this point), no. There are tell-tale wiring signs of the clock or tach being factory but if the clock was there (is it a 24-hour/Rallye clock?), it's probably orig. Hard to imagine someone replacing the tach w/a clock. My factory manual steering low option Stage1 4-sp (as is yours - or at least was presumably a factory manual steering car although not as low option as mine) also came w/gauges & a clock. In the case of '70 (or '72) it can be verified how the car was built. The clock in mine was replaced w/the correct (in my case early '70) tach by a PO. Unless the intent of the original owner (in my case the car was special ordered & most likely in yours too) was to put a "day 2" Sun Tach on the steering column, I suspect the cars were simply ordered wrong (i.e. the wrong/adjacent box was checked off). So I have the same dilemma regarding originality vs. function. While the clock can be refurbished (& w/quartz timing) to look & work like new, I'm inclined to keep the tach in place. On the other hand, the advantage of it being a '71 is that there's no way to know for sure to you a bit more freedom to option it the way you want. I do know someone who has an original tach/gauges for sale that I don't believe has been posted. I'll PM you.
Dan - Thanks for the detailed reply. I cannot imagine someone replacing a factory tach with a clock, either. Also, my car has an old school Sun tach mounted to the steering column, so there's that, too. My clock actually "kinda" worked, but not consistently, but I'd rather have a tach that's NOT held to the steering column with a screw clamp. I did find that Stage Won makes what appears to be a very nice reproduction factory dash tach for $189, which isn't bad, given that it's brand new. Anyway, LMK if the original tach is still available and what they want for it. Thanks... Chris
You can tell if factory tach was installed by grommet being installed in the firewall. This hole is not there if the tach was not factory installed. The location is outboard of the brake booster below the fender bolt.
Yes, That Grommet is Reproduced and I do stock them . . . . LINK > https://www.stage1restoration.com/product/grommet-in-dash-tach-firewall-grommet/
