vintage gages

I have a vintage tach, installed elctronic ing. now tack is all over the place

A diode may help. I had a similar problem with a tach from both a set of VDO gauges and a set of Dolphin gauges.

Below is a compilation of strings I found on how to fix it. It works great, and is real easy.

"Purchase a diode #1N4005 from a local electronics store such as Radio Shack or Circuit City. Cut both ends of the diode so each is approximately 3/4

Hey Don. I think you will find that the CMC tach and the Vintage tach are not the same and don't have the same connections. I tried the fix on my Vintage tach and it didn't work.
The "twitching tach" issue is a well know issue on here. After having mine replaced for the 4th time, with a new version from Kirk, I think I finally have a good one.
If your's is under warranty, Kirk will replace it. If not Hollywood Speedometers is the place to send it. They will replace the inards with genuine VDO parts for about $275 and your problem will be solved.
Troy

All good advice and oft repeated too. Kirk replaced my jumping tach once 6,000 miles ago and it has worked perfectly ever since.

You can get a good one or more than a couple of bad ones; the luck of the draw, eh?

Thanks for info it is the orignal tach from CMC when built in the 80s it worked fine until electronic distribtor was installed going to paint next week

Correction; if I may. North Hollywood retrofitted mine with VDO innards for around $160.00 a few years ago. Maybe $175.00 is a more realistic figure these days.

Really.....try the resistor...about $1.00 and very little time.

Yeah confusing since the CMC gauges actually say VINTAGE gauge on them and the VS gauges says CHINA (or may if early - Brazil) on the back.

If memory serves, I had a set of correct VDOs from a salvage 356, and the speedo and odometer pickups weren't adaptable for the left front wheel, and the tach had a crazy pickup problem with the VW transaxle case.
If they had worked, I don't know that I'd have redone my dashboard with the AutoMeter gauges.
How are you guys getting around that? -- Or are the repro gauges intended for VW use from the git-go?

The CMCs were very much like VDO. They were not the typical 3 gauge set up.

Cory - Early 356 ('63 back at least) Tachs were mechanical cable driven off the distributor drive (not electronic). You could swap the old 356 gauge inerds out with 914 ones. Speedo repairplaces prevously listed will do same but for about 1/2 of replacement gauge cost.

trivia note: 62 Vettes had distributer driven, cable operated mechanical tachs. The cable gets very loud just prior to failure. Ask me how . . .

I had an early 356 mechanical tach on one of my dune buggies. Simple bolt-on in place of the oil pump cover and replace one pump gear.

Yes, it has a very long drive cable (way back to way front).

It was very used when I got it and I probably put another 75,000 miles on it before I sold it - it was still going strong.

BTW: a couple of years ago I visited the guy who gave it to me and showed him Pearl. He had had several 356's (all coupes) back in the 60's and did all his own work on them, including engine build-ups for SCCA racing. Showing him Pearl was like a blast from the past for him.

gn

Talking about Pearl; I had a flared Speedster sighting here two days ago. It's definitely and old CMC with the gold wheels and everything. It definitely looks its age; a guy was driving it by the beach here in Ocean Park.

trivia note: 62 MG Midgets had generator driven, cable operated mechanical tachs. The cable gets very loud just prior to failure. Ask me how . . .

Thanks, David, for making me not have to type all that ;-)

Lane, did you miss the part where Ricardo just popped in for the first time in 30 years?
Talk about a guy who lurks ... How have you been, Ricardo?

I'm fine, my man. How are you? After flying back and forth to and from NOLA everything's a lot more hectic. I come down and I hardly have time to hit the beach to work a little on my tan. In fact that's what I'm going to do right now. Wish you the best in 2010. Be well!!