'62 Galaxie Progress Report

[turbohunter]

I didn’t know such a thing existed. No wires through the fire wall?
What will they think of next.
Thanks for that.

[mbrunson427]

I got curious about this wiring question so I gave Wiliamson's a call.... the transmitter module will be wired to the coil (-) post like normal, I'll wire the tach (+) and (-) posts to the transmitter (+) and (-) terminals. No need to power anything! The tach will be powered through inductance.

If I would have opted for all the guts to be inside the tach, it would only need to wire to the (-) side of the coil, nothing else. Pretty slick.

[RustyCrankshaft]

There are several options, depending on who you go with for the conversion.

The option this tach looks like it got was a cosmetic rebuild and the transmitter converted to electronic. In this case the original meter movement is still used. You can eliminate the old transmitter box completely and just have the new tach driver board installed inside the tach can. You can also have the meter movement replaced with modern stuff like an air core style or stepper motor which is more accurate, but will then require more wiring.

Normally if I get an old tach like that and the meter movement is good I'll just get a tach driver board and convert it myself. But if the movement is bad or the face is in bad shape I'll send it to someone and have them put an modern movement in them. In anything that isn't a true race or strip/street application I like to keep it as period correct as is practical and have done a lot of old SW and Autometer tach like this.

[mbrunson427]

I got the idea to match the gauge panel to the the factory dash pattern. This Saturday I gave it a whirl, here's how it turned out.

Those sticks are made by Cratex. Specialty made abrasives for engine turning. I'd highly suggest them. Made it look like I actually know what I'm doing.

The process was completely time consuming, took me about 5 hours to get done I believe. Because of the pattern, every move I had to make both an X and Y shift, couldn't just lock it in one axis and do a whole row (I guess I could have rotated the mill head, but that would have required some pretty shifty math ).

[BattlestarGalactic]

WOW!!!  Nice work. 

[Heo]

WOW!!!  Nice work.

What he said

[wcbrowning]

That is FANTASTIC!  Excellent!

I got the idea to match the gauge panel to the the factory dash pattern. This Saturday I gave it a whirl, here's how it turned out.

Those sticks are made by Cratex. Specialty made abrasives for engine turning. I'd highly suggest them. Made it look like I actually know what I'm doing.

The process was completely time consuming, took me about 5 hours to get done I believe. Because of the pattern, every move I had to make both an X and Y shift, couldn't just lock it in one axis and do a whole row (I guess I could have rotated the mill head, but that would have required some pretty shifty math ).

[RustyCrankshaft]

That is NICE. You'd never know it wasn't a factory option!

[country63sedan]

Man that's nice. Makes my attempts with a wooden dowel, lapping compound and a drill press look awfully primitive.

[BruceS]

Love those old gauges too, including the Motor Minder.  It's a vacuum gauge correct? 

[mbrunson427]

Thank you guys for the kind words.

BruceS, yes the motor minder is a vacuum gauge.

[turbohunter]

I’m still going back over those pics a day later.
Just beautiful.

[WConley]

That is super nice!  I'm tempted to write a little program for the CNC to knock out some engine turned surfaces.  It would do something like that in a matter of minutes!  I love that look 

Hmmm     Now I just need to get a hold of those sticks...

[mbrunson427]

That is super nice!  I'm tempted to write a little program for the CNC to knock out some engine turned surfaces.  It would do something like that in a matter of minutes!  I love that look 

Hmmm     Now I just need to get a hold of those sticks...

I thought about that, the only problem I see is that the sticks wear away and I was using a file to straighten up the tip of it probably every 10 dots.

Here's where I got them. Q046
https://www.cratex.com/Products/Rubber-Abrasives/Blocks-and-Sticks/Round-Sticks

[WConley]

Interesting - Thanks for that!

I was thinking of making up a set of tools with spring loaded shanks, maybe along these lines: