85/86 Tachometer Install - Looking for Ideas

[Daggar]

I want to mount an aftermarket tach/shift light into my 86. I've put it off long enough while keeping it in the back of my mind. Here's the wrinkle...

I will in no way, be satisfied with just screwing this thing into the top of my dash. I'm looking for a solution that looks like it could have been OEM if someone were to have initially installed a monster tach/shift light into the interior of an 85/86.

I've tried the search function and found a thread or two that looked promising but the image links were dead. I there are some home-mod geniuses out there and someone has to have come up with something like this before.

So whaddya got? How did you do it? How did it look?

When it comes right down to it, all I REALLY need is a shift light. The stock tach is ok but ultimately, it will come down to fit and finish.

Doesn't have to be OEM, but it has to look like it could have been.

Oh... steering column mounts are also not what I'm looking for. Something near normal field of view while driving is ideal!


Thanks in Advance!

[teddy1500]

You could put a shift light in the a/c vent, or a mini shift light in the warning lights on the left, one is even labeled "shift"

[85tjstang]

You could put a shift light in the a/c vent, or a mini shift light in the warning lights on the left, one is even labeled "shift"

the man has the solution, the warning lights on the left have one that says shift

[Daggar]

Definitely have to take a good look at that. My worry though, is that the position of that light might be too far out of line of sight during day-light hours.

[michaelg10]

Am in the same place as you, trying to find a place for a tach. Working on fabricating a bracket to attach the gauge where the sunvisor goes, it is in the line of sight and can hide the wires behind the pillar post.

[1984 notch]

my tach is mounted on the steering column and sits right over the original tach view. i think that looks better than on the dash.
i dont have any problem with using turn signals or anything like that either

[Daggar]

I'm considering trying to make an enclosure out of fiberglass that will sit on the flat portion of the dash pad.

[85 GT Kid]

My dad back in the day cut out the back where the stock one went and put a 5" one in its place but I have no idea how he did it. I'll dig through the photos and see if I can find a pic of it but he didnt take hardly any interior pics of it.

[sonic03snake]

To be honest, unless you want the tach for looks, your better off with a shift light mounted on the column. I use an autometer one in my race car, it is adjustable for night and day driving.

[Daggar]

It's funny that you mention that. A friend of mine from another forum suggests the stage 2 version of this:



The way he describes its function, it looks to be the suggestion that I like the best so far.

[sonic03snake]

It's funny that you mention that. A friend of mine from another forum suggests the stage 2 version of this:



The way he describes its function, it looks to be the suggestion that I like the best so far.

If its a stick car, there is enough to worry about to be watching the tach. I use a 2 step to launch consistantly and a shift light to make my shifts. Works great.

[Daggar]

That's the beauty of this thing. It's a shift light and the one that he has, he says is adjustable and bright as hell. He's got it mounted to the steering column and says he doesn't have to look down at it to see the light.

The built in tach is just a bonus that I can refer to if I ever felt the need.

[sonic03snake]

That's the beauty of this thing. It's a shift light and the one that he has, he says is adjustable and bright as hell. He's got it mounted to the steering column and says he doesn't have to look down at it to see the light.

The built in tach is just a bonus that I can refer to if I ever felt the need.

You can mount these with velcro too, not holes to drill.

[r**3_82gt]

I'm interested in where to mount my tach too. My car came with an Autometer Monster Tach and Shift Light mounted to the dash and I really don't like the way it looks.

[Daggar]

Maybe we all need to get together and figure out what we'd want. If we have enough folks, we can find a company that does ABS plastic and have a gross of them made.

[michaelg10]

Here's what I did last weekend, just need to run the wires behind the pillar post and I'll be all set. Up and out of the way but right in line of sight without the pillar pod look (which is not for me, too busy)
Made my own headliner, deleted the sunvisors and mounted the tach directly to the cross piece near the front.
Mounted:

From when I installed sound deadeners, you see the front cross piece at the left to mount to:

[mpf]

Maybe we all need to get together and figure out what we'd want. If we have enough folks, we can find a company that does ABS plastic and have a gross of them made.

Cad mockup of what i did ages ago, the green was machined AL.
top gauge is 2.062, bottom steering col. assumes 6.0 dia. ?
Looked great IRL because it had some mass to it, unlike the little
pedestal mount. Thickness of AL matched the gauge, which was vacumm.
Made before CNC, I found 2 cutters (milling) that were the size needed,
and just rammed down into the AL.
Attached with rtv, never moved.