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Cheap electronic tach for bugeye?

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drooartz

drooartz

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I was doing some tire size/gearing/speed calculations this afternoon on my lunch break, and I'm now fairly convinced that the tach on the Tunebug is reading high (I had previously thought so anyways). Eventually I'll have the original converted to electric movement, but was wondering if anyone had sourced a cheap/functional electric tach that would work in the Sprite dash.

Don't really care what it looks like, as it's not to be a long term solution. Just needs to work reliably.
 
I would do some eBay shopping and see what you can find. Used tachs from VDO and AutoMeter show up regularly and any 4-cylinder tach with the proper ground can be made to work with the A-series. You could always buy a used Smiths RVC type tach for your temporary installation and use its electronics later when you are ready to convert the Bugeye gauge.

I am partial to VDO tachs. Gundy (David) bought a VDO tach for his Spridget. His became a temporary/permanent dash addition after he bonded a chrome Smiths bezel to the front.
 
Getting one to fit in that stock hole is the problem.
I found a VDO which fits perfectly. In fact it fits so tight I never attached the rear bracket. I did put a chrome trim ring from a Smith's on it with super glue. As it is I can turn the tach so the 7K mark is at 12:00 for serious driving and just spin it back when done.
The ring is glued to the tach only and as such the tach is completely removable.
Excuse the brown steering collar. It's now black. Shoe polish did wonders.
 

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I installed the same VDO tach as David and am very happy with it. Now I am working on putting the matching VDO Speedometer on my BE. Doug is helping me and is a wealth of information. He is bringing me the parts this weekend at a British Car Show in Raleigh. I will let you all know how it turns out, but I expect it to work as well as the tach.
Charlie
 
Thanks all for the ideas. That VDO tach isn't too expensive, and might just be the ticket.
 
Decided in the end to have the existing gauge converted to electric. Do it once, do it right. Also a good time to have the speedos in the Sprite and MGB restored.
 
drooartz said:
Decided in the end to have the existing gauge converted to electric. Do it once, do it right. Also a good time to have the speedos in the Sprite and MGB restored.
Click to expand...

Good move. Reasons I went aftermarket were my speedo
in the sprite isn't correct and a stock re-worked Tach
still wouldn't match...grrrrr...
VDO is pretty clean and fits. Trim ring from a Smith
helps a lot.
You are doing the right thing.
:cheers:
 
I still like the VDO, and it does match your speedo nicely. If I didn't already have a nice set of Bugeye gauges I'd go in that direction.
 
Charlie -

You have a private message.
 
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