Buick Tachometers

[kilkm]

I've been looking to buy a "kneeknocker" tach for my '62 Buick. I've found some that are 6000 and some are 7000 RPM's Which would be correct for the '62?

[Mr Riviera]

I think the 6K is correct - the 7K is more rare - either will work and most would never notice. Be carefull where and how you buy one. They show up on Ebay from time to time and I sell them there as well. If the seller says he/she has not checked to see if it functions , I read that as it doesnt. Some of the units can be repaired and some cannot because the inside components are sealed in a solid material and cannot be worked on. When you buy one the unit needs to be grounded and the one wire goes to the neg. side of the coil and the other wire is for the light and needs 12 volts when the lights are on <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />. Good Luck !

[Ted "Wildcat65" Nagel]

I've heard the 62 Wildcat was the only year to get the 7000 rpm job.

All others were 6000 rpm. Look on the back, there is usually a date of manufacture. Ted

[NTX5467]

As a point of interest, were these factory tachs an "integral" electronic tach or did they require the outside control unit (as Chevrolets usually did, mounted under the hood, possibly with "Sun" on it) to send the processed electrical signal to the tach? If they are the "two piece" units, you'll need both pieces to make them work.

Just some inquiring thoughts,

NTX5467

[Philippe Racicot]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">As a point of interest, were these factory tachs an "integral" electronic tach or did they require the outside control unit (as Chevrolets usually did, mounted under the hood, possibly with "Sun" on it) to send the processed electrical signal to the tach? If they are the "two piece" units, you'll need both pieces to make them work.

Just some inquiring thoughts,

NTX5467 </div></div>

These are not two piece units. All you need is a single wire from the ignition coil to the tach, ground the tach to the body (it needs to touch a metallic part) and splice a wire (like the ashtray lamp) to illuminate it at night.

I did find two working Wildcat tachs here for fairly cheap. I got one about 10 years ago in a '64 Wildcat convertible in a junkyard for 75$ and another one in a 1965 Wildcat console that I got (less the shifter) for 60$ in a flea market. Both work but the '65 tach had some rust in it and it required cleaning.

The 1965 and newer Wildcat tachs don't fit in the chrome bezels used in the 1962-63 consoles or for under (or above) dash installation. The 1964 Wildcat tach works for that but you'll need to find the chrome bezel to fit it in. I was lucky to get one for less than 60$ on eBay for my Riv a few years ago.

Here in Canada, it's easier (or should I say "it was easier"...) to find a Wildcat tach in junkyards since it was standard in 2 door models built before 1966. Much rarer after that as both the console and the tach became separate options like they have been in the States since 1964.

As for the 6,000 and 7,000 RPM tachs. I have seen a few 1962 Wildcats with the 6000 RPM tach but think they are incorrect. I have a sales brochure and I'm pretty sure it shows a 7,000 RPM tach (the picture is small and in black and white). I have also seen it mentionned on discussion forums that the '62 tach had 7,000 RPM.