Bugeye Tach

[BWillis]

Does anyone have a non-functional bugeye tach in good condition laying around? I need to combine one with a later electric tach to replace the funky one in my car.

Thanks,

Ben in SC


PS,

What year Spridget would I need to get the electric tach from?

 

[spritenut]

The electric tach from 65-67 are the correct size.
And if you stay + grd, it's just a bit of wireing.
The scale on the electric tach does not match the face plate of the bugeye tach.
You can also use the guts from a smallet later 68-79 Spridget.
I use them on - grd cars but stick the guts in the older, larger housings so they fit the dash.
Now, people say they want the "correct" speedo and tach, the silver faced ones, for their Bugeyes but the smaller gauges have black faces. So if you stick a 65-67 speedo and tach in the Bugeye, all the gauges match. My personal opinion and it's what I do.

 

[BWillis]

I want to take a later electric tach since I have a 1275 in my can but replace the face from a bugeye tach.

Which later tach would I need to rob the guts from to match the bugeye face?

Thanks,

Ben in SC

 

[dklawson]

Well, you don't have to limit yourself to Smiths donors. With a little creativity almost any tach can be used as a donor if it has the right polarity and the range/sweep of the needle are OK. You can also add a calibration trim-pot to get the calibration right.

See:
https://members.shaw.ca/tsmit/tachmod/tachmod0.html
and
https://dandmrestoration.home.mindspring.com/tacho.htm
or if you want a DIY project, take a look at my PDF.
https://home.mindspring.com/~purlawson/files/Smiths%20Tachometer%20Conversion-R1.pdf