Tach'y goodness!

 Cool or Tach'y'?

So I've been toying in my head the idea of using Rabbit parts to make up the front suspension in the superbeetle.  Mostly for economic means because I have all kinds of rabbit/jetta suspension parts in my hoard.  Disc brake conversions are $500+ and um, no.  With the replacement of the SB front control arms to post 1974 types, the balljoint will be situated just like that on a rabbit, pointing up (once you replace the stock SB balljoint with a 944 one from CSP)  But in doing all of this, the cable style speedo driver hole disappears, due to the tranny drive in the rabbit.  But with the myriad of GPS speedos available now, this shouldn't be as much of a problem as first thought, except that no one makes (an affordable) GPS speedo 4.5" in diameter to fit the beetles speedo hole, so there's a problem...except....

GPS speedos are typically 3.5" diameter, so it should go nicely to the left of the speedo now, and a couple 2" gauges to the right, like a BATT and OIL PRESS from, again, the Jetta parts hoard...see a trend here?

I've always liked the Porsche 914 centre tach, which is 4.5" in diameter, but for some reason, people have been pricing these used tachs like they're 911 parts, with unserviceable junk well over $100!  And that still doesn't solve the gas gauge which is absent on the 914 tach....so how 'bout we build our own using an old VW speedo?!

I have an old Equus 3.5" tach in the parts hoard, picked up gawd knows where, that might work.  Dissection shows that both the VW speedo guts and Equus tach guts have similar size and depths, that can easily be fixed with spacers/washers.  Ding!

Both pointer needles are press on, should be modifiable with styrene tube and wire size drill bits.... Ding Ding!

And the old Equus 3.5" face will nicely cover the old face screw and odometer holes on the VW face....Ding Ding Ding!  We have a winner!

Now you might be thinking, 'hey Einstein, you're not going to be one of those dorks that put vinyl stickers for numbers on your repainted face?'  Nope.  I have a small side hustle making waterslide decals, so coming up with the artwork and getting white printed decals is no sweat.

So this should get me all my idiot lights, turn sigs, and fuel gauge.  Font matches the GPS speedo, and the look is similar to the 914, but most importantly, I get my 4.5" tach for under $100!

Face is done, just need to get some longer screws and washers for the proper offset inside the enclosure...

Almost done!  Just put aside for a bit.  My 924 front spindles are stuck in the US until the covid BS is over with...