First attempt at an aftermarket tach install into factory dash

[JonFrankMc]

I know this has been mentioned many times but I just thought I would post mine and see what everyone thought. I followed jhwkns concept but attempted a little different.

When I disassembled the dash I noticed that the original gauges set behind the original tin slightly so I attempted to mimic it as best I could.

I started with this:



After pulling the tach apart I noticed that the outer ring would set the gauge back enough to look "stock":



I then cut the front tin slightly smaller to create that overhang that the speedo/fuel has. I epoxied the ring/spacer to the tin. One of the tricky parts, as jhwkns attested to was sitting the gauge slighter lower in the "window" to enhance viewing from the pilots seat.

To test the theory I just painted the bezel for now to make sure I liked it. After letting the "chrome paint sit for 48 hours the painter's tape still damaged the finish, live and learn!

After all of this I ended up with this:





I'm fairly happy with the results, I'm picky so I may rework it one day. I just want to test the concept...make sure it's visible from the driver's seat.

Quick note: I did create a relief for the light that was mounted to the tach face, it will not match the other lights but I wanted to make sure it was highly visible at night (we shall see if I like it!)

Also, since I set my gauge further back than jhwkns did my original circuit board will not fit so I'll need to purchase an aftermarket w/ tach board.

thoughts, critiques, advice are welcomed.

Thanks for looking!
JonFrankMc