Triumph Sports Cars

engine swaps and other performance upgrades, plus "factory" V8s (Stag and TR8)

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tdskip
Tom Deutsch

(16 posts)

Registered:
02/20/2011 07:18PM

Main British Car:


Speedometer and tach options for an engine swapped car
Posted by: tdskip
Date: January 10, 2021 06:07PM

Hello - hoping to get some thoughts on good options for my TR4a running a Nissan SR20DE engine. Looking for speedometer (maybe GPS based) and tach that will not look overly modern and are roughly the right size.

I suspect people here have figured that out, or may have some experiences to share.

Thanks!


Anarchy99
Jim Purdy
Memphis, TN
(156 posts)

Registered:
12/06/2013 03:54PM

Main British Car:
61 austin healey sprite LS6

Re: Speedometer and tach options for an engine swapped car
Posted by: Anarchy99
Date: January 10, 2021 07:31PM

Speedhut


88v8
Ivor Duarte
Gloucestershire UK
(1041 posts)

Registered:
02/11/2010 04:29AM

Main British Car:
1974 Land Rover Lightweight V8

Re: Speedometer and tach options for an engine swapped car
Posted by: 88v8
Date: January 12, 2021 04:30AM

Indeed, Speedhut

This one [www.speedhut.com]) is the speedo I used in my olde Land Rover. Not this face or font, but it's customisable.
No drive cable required, which is nice.

You might want a different top speed.

It does looks the part in an old setting.

Alas, three years on the digital mileage readout is bust. Never mind, the speedo still works and is very accurate so long as I'm not in a tunnel or under trees,

Ivor


tdskip
Tom Deutsch

(16 posts)

Registered:
02/20/2011 07:18PM

Main British Car:


Re: Speedometer and tach options for an engine swapped car
Posted by: tdskip
Date: January 12, 2021 12:13PM

Thank you for the feedback, appreciate the help.


Triumphant4A
Chris Johnson

(21 posts)

Registered:
06/01/2015 12:48AM

Main British Car:


Re: Speedometer and tach options for an engine swapped car
Posted by: Triumphant4A
Date: January 27, 2021 12:20PM

Yes the speedhut GPS speedo drive works well with the stock 4A gage in mine. I used redline gages in CA to convert my factory tach to work with the he 5.0 in mine. I love having factory looking gage set in the dash. FWIW, I replaced the TR4 amp gage with an elan volt gage and it looks very close to Being a match.


ghornbostel
Greg Hornbostel
Nebraska
(76 posts)

Registered:
09/02/2013 01:41PM

Main British Car:
1957 TR3 Buick 231 evenfire V6

Re: Speedometer and tach options for an engine swapped car
Posted by: ghornbostel
Date: August 18, 2021 11:46AM

Went to the auto parts store and bought the cheapest electronic tach I could find, removed the stock tach from the stock face and
mounted the electronic unit in its place. Replaced the electronic tach pointer with the stock pointer and reassembled the gage. Has been working great for about 10 years now. I retained the stock speedo as the saginaw trans was gear drive but a electric unit could
probably be done the same way as the tack.

Greg


rficalora
Rob Ficalora
Willis, TX
(2764 posts)

Registered:
10/24/2007 02:46PM

Main British Car:
'76 MGB w/CB front, Sebring rear, early metal dash Ford 302

authors avatar
Re: Speedometer and tach options for an engine swapped car
Posted by: rficalora
Date: August 18, 2021 10:59PM

Speedhut are nice, but very pricey. I used Autometer "Hot Rod Designer Black" gauges on my car. Any tach with an option to use with a 4-cylinder motor should work. Some aftermarket ones have switches; some have other ways to switch them.

Speedometers are mechanically or VSS (electric speed sensor) driven or GPS based. Because their speedos have to work with so many tire diameters, almost all aftermarket electric ones are easily programmable (on my Autometer one, you put it in program mode, drive 1 mile (or maybe 2 miles, it's been a while since I did it), and then take it out of program mode. It then knows how many pulses from the VSS = 1 mile so it knows how far it is between each pulse and uses that to calculate speed. That programmable feature is way easier than swapping speedo drive gears in the trans to calibrate a mechanical speedo. And, even if your transmission is set up for a mechanical speedo cable, you can still use an electronic gauge by getting a mechanical to VSS converter. Most of the gauge companies offer them. They go in the transmission where the cable would go and convert the rotation to the VSS pulses.

GPS ones don't require a cable or signal from the trans, but they're generally more expensive, some take a while to acquire the satellites when you turn the car on, and you can lose GPS signal if you drive in the city or heavily wooded areas much. When you lose the GPS, your speedo doesn't work which would annoy me. Although, I know several people who have them and are happy with them.



tr6c4
Dave Launey

(8 posts)

Registered:
08/30/2012 09:14AM

Main British Car:
1973 TR6 LS3/480

Re: Speedometer and tach options for an engine swapped car
Posted by: tr6c4
Date: November 13, 2021 09:38AM

I used New Vintage USA gauges. Tack and Speedometer programable for various different inputs. This was on an LS3 swap. Newer versions of the gauges have the turn signal, high bean, parking brake and check engine lights built in.
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