old gauges

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Raider L

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2020
Posts
1,892
Reaction score
994
Location
Shreveport, LA
First Name
William
Truck Year
1974
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
355
I've been dragging these old gauges around for decades. I know the "Big Daddy Don
Garlits" tach is worth probably some money, but it's cool. And maybe since it's a ten K one maybe that's worth more, but who cares it's a cool tach from back in the day. I had this mounted behind the steering wheel on the column with a worm screw clamp like they did back in the '60's, when I had my Mustang right after I got out of the Army in 1969. That old Amp gauge I have no idea where I got that but I know I had it in my '64 Dodge Dart in '72 along with the tach. Anybody recognize the make of it? It kinda reminds me of a old Stewart Warner for some reason. There's no telling.
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
 

idahovette

Full Access Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2016
Posts
6,451
Reaction score
13,781
Location
Weiser Idaho
First Name
Perry
Truck Year
1975-1979
Truck Model
K20-K10
Engine Size
350
Uh, OK so I'm old.....my tach on my Nova is STILL held on by a worm clamp????
 

Raider L

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2020
Posts
1,892
Reaction score
994
Location
Shreveport, LA
First Name
William
Truck Year
1974
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
355
@idahovette,

Hey, you may have invented one of those sayings: "You know you're an old car guy if your tach is still held on by a worm clamp!" Can you think of anymore? We'll start a thread! "Old car guy sayings." Or however you want to name it, i.e. "Old Squarebody owners", etc.
 

AuroraGirl

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2019
Posts
9,121
Reaction score
6,038
Location
Northern Wisconsin
First Name
Taylor
Truck Year
1978, 1980
Truck Model
K10, K25
Engine Size
400(?), 350
I have a voltmeter, tach, speedo, gas gauge, temp gauge... i think thats it... maybe oil pressure.. but i think maybe just the 5. Maybe. All in 2 1/16 and they match eachother in design, font, backlighting, etc and they are electroniic nice doodads. The Speedo is 80mph max because trying to read a speedo that small to anything larger than 80.. oh my lord. I dont actually have the use for them I originally bought them for. But I really should put the temp gauge to use for my truck or something for the trans or do something cool and exciting... I should..
You must be registered for see images attach
 

Raider L

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2020
Posts
1,892
Reaction score
994
Location
Shreveport, LA
First Name
William
Truck Year
1974
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
355
@AuroraGirl,

"Speedhut" Hmm. Never heard of that brand. That's interesting. And you say all of them are 2 1/16"? That would be hard to see. I don't know if I could get used to the speedo being that small although I don't ever look at the speedo anyway, I just watch where I am in traffic, and where I'm going in traffic. The gauges I watch is the water temp. gauge and oil pressure. I'll check the gas gauge when I start out to decide if I need to stop and get gas. Other than that I don't watch any of the others. Occasionally I'll check the volts gauge to make sure the alt. is putting out.

Those are neat!
 

Raider L

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2020
Posts
1,892
Reaction score
994
Location
Shreveport, LA
First Name
William
Truck Year
1974
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
355
I thought you might have a "You know you're an old Square guy (or gal) if..." saying you might have heard or would like make up yourself. Like I mentioned above I'm trying to see if I could make up a thread about being an old car, or rather an old truck guy, (or gal)... if you were still doing something from back in the day, (saying) that could be added to the first one in my post above? Like, " You know you're an old truck guy if...." (you still have something on your truck that was out of fashion or purpose a long time ago, or you're still doing something you did when you were young and no body does that anymore, and you're still doing it). You know? If that gives you, or anyone reading this thread, some idea's.
I guess I just need to start the thread and see if anyone adds something funny. It has to be humorous, not practical like I still use the old knobby retreads I used to use. No, not like that. It needs to be funny, and I'm not looking for Vegas comedian funny, just something to laugh at. Like @idahovette said about the old tach held by a wormscrew clamp. That was kinda funny to me because we all did that back in the '60's.
 

AuroraGirl

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2019
Posts
9,121
Reaction score
6,038
Location
Northern Wisconsin
First Name
Taylor
Truck Year
1978, 1980
Truck Model
K10, K25
Engine Size
400(?), 350
@AuroraGirl,

"Speedhut" Hmm. Never heard of that brand. That's interesting. And you say all of them are 2 1/16"? That would be hard to see. I don't know if I could get used to the speedo being that small although I don't ever look at the speedo anyway, I just watch where I am in traffic, and where I'm going in traffic. The gauges I watch is the water temp. gauge and oil pressure. I'll check the gas gauge when I start out to decide if I need to stop and get gas. Other than that I don't watch any of the others. Occasionally I'll check the volts gauge to make sure the alt. is putting out.

Those are neat!
You must be registered for see images attach

So I checked, would have to take a pic, but I have volts, gas, and then coolant temp in matching font illumination needle etc and I was going to use a more general/generic brand in a spot that was occupied by a "digital clock" that was the old flip style clocks that never seemed to live long in cars. Didnt work(still have it) and the spot was just big enough for something and I think oil pressure I was gonna put in. Never got that far. Gas gauge is thankfully adapatble to many different ohm settings so i dont need to use it for a ford sender etc. gps speedo too!. tach is inductive or direct feed I believe(like a alternator with tach or an HEI distr. cap) I believe it has a cylinder program if you use inductive from memory. coolant has its own threaded sensor, voltage has a small wiring array with instructions. i think it has a filter in it so its more stable than old school ones but not inaccurate , just moves smoothly and not dart around. gas gauge i believe was same setup. Speedo could be had in larger MPH but damn I wouldnt want to use it over an 80 mph face... small as it is!
You must be registered for see images attach

here was original speedo. inaccurate reading on speed because that needle was bent, and it was insanely inaccurate under 30, with it 10mph off at 70(Sherrif deputy gracefully helped me figure that one out morning before school :| not even a warning for my innocent intentions.)
Fuel gauge didnt work but because wiring or sender
PRNDL was not lined up and didnt go anywhere enough to the right
Plastic backer was crumbling
Cant find this speedo for **** online
Backlighting didnt work
Most of the dummy lights. The printed circuit must have been fried since the wiring and power was fine
And no actual gauges outside of fuel or bad speedo.. lol. Miles ticked over, but about 4x faster than proper... not sure how. I used mile markers and it just about ticked 4 miles per mile, like 3.8 or so. But I unloaded the old boat on someone else once i realized how everything about the car is just needs to be custom sicne zero aftermarket for it. Even my electra has more lol.

Fun car tho. PIG.
You must be registered for see images attach

under that battery is a slow moving equipment sign bent into the shape of the battery tray its fundamentally replacing over its melted and rusty remains. and yes it has one wiper arm. the other is in my shed still whoops.

needed a 4 barrel so it could do 0-60 in about 13 seconds instead of 17

400 cubic inches needed air damnit.. but its autolite, that carb sucked the day it was made
should have kept air cleaner.. ngl.. it was a normal 4 barrel cicle but aluminum as you could see. had the same stuff as a GM but sat lower. a simple spacer and it would be mint. Even a rip off THERMAC from Furd
You must be registered for see images attach

for 600$ and my 3rd car it was an expereince. Definitely liked the size and pimp energy it bestowed. My electra is a small downsize and I wish it was this size but its a similar color and that was only 400$ lol

THe LTD started to need more and the absolute boneyard of parts availability or solutiions in aftermarket made it a dumb thing to try and make nice. Plus the 400 modified isnt exactly a bread winner like a 460 would have been but that C6 it had was in EXCELLENT shape since it was rebuilt in the 90s and had fresh fluid and only 10k miles after rebuild and it sat. I put new fluid and filter when had it, so it had a lot of life left. Dont need a c6 for anything but If I ever did would have been a wise keep. But I got a few hundred for it when it started to look shittier and the HVAC Blower started to be flaky and all door seals didnt seal (frameless door design, no seals can be bought new) and then it started breaking all plastic pieces on the ****** like clockwork. The shroud broke so I made it electric fan. didnt even put a switch just pulled the battery post and jammed some wires to hot and ground from an 88 lesabre fan LOL. Worked well.

Burned oil but it was in spec to the owners manual. Had a saginaw PS pump which means someone swapped it because 77 fords should have had the C2 piece of trash but I got lucky. Love the absolute dead zone in the feather steering with a mile of hood obscuring vision. Seat was tilted back and down low, only could go front or back(electric) and even with tilt column I just found it fine at mid way with close to hugging the wheel since in any accident Im either going through whatever I hit or whatever hits me is pushing more than a collapsable column into core organs. Look at that hood, would make a clean decap I say. For the back seat passengers too unless they fold forward since no shoulder belts in rear just a lap belt lol. Fit my uncles(2) my dad, me driving, some girl friend to one of them and still had the spot in the middle up front to comfortably sit an adult lol
18mpg on freeway at 70. About the EPA rating too. No overdrive was hard to tell even since it had to be cruising relatively good RPM at 70, 80 because it was quiet and that is prob from slightly taller tire in rear and the 3.08 ratio.

It was kinda weird in the 30-40 mph range because it was at the end of 2nd gear but it never seemed to want to make that leap for 3rd but just a couple more mph then it felt a little luggy in 3rd lol. As soon as it got 45 tho it was great.
 
Last edited:

Raider L

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 1, 2020
Posts
1,892
Reaction score
994
Location
Shreveport, LA
First Name
William
Truck Year
1974
Truck Model
C10
Engine Size
355
@AuroraGirl,

My ultimate car I wish I had the money to buy a good one to restore is a '78 or a '79 Ford Crown Victoria, " Crown Vic' " with the 400 engine. Our city police had them for a long time and I guess they were a good car. The thing I liked about them was that peaked edge they had on top of the rear quarter panels just gave them a look of spoilers I liked, I don't know why. They had a nice interior and even though kinda boxy looking they had the remnants of the earlier fancy grills the early '70's cars had.
You talk about long hoods there isn't a longer hood than the early '70's Cougar's. Man, those were a mile long. I don't see how anyone could park such a mammoth boat, I would think there's no way you could see where the car in front of you was over the end of that sucka' Ha, ha, ha. And speaking of the word "sucka'" Blacks loved those big cars in the '70's. We called them "pimp-mobiles".
And Dodge Cordoba, '70's I remember that actor talking about the "fine Corinthian leather" on TV. Dodge had a commercial on TV where they dropped a short bed pickup from just out of camera. It plops down bouncing a little from side to side and then settles. The commercial was to show how sturdy the truck frames were. I was so impressed I contacted the Dodge headquarters and talked to someone in advertising and asked them how I could go about purchasing one of those trucks. I just wanted it for bragging rights I guess. The guy said, "Well, we can't really sell them." I asked why and he said, " Insurance reasons, you know." I started talking to him about the truck and he said, " You know they don't have engines or transmissions in them to lighten them up so they won't bounce so much." We laughed about it and we chatted a bit more and I said good bye. Neat, huh? Yeah, I just knew they'd sell me one of those for very little and I'd have a new truck. But it was not to be.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
41,849
Posts
903,447
Members
33,362
Latest member
Dhatch84
Top