Adding a tachometer to a 1600

[Fortlauderdalian]

Is this frowned upon by the purists? 

[calw]

probably, unless it was originally an available option for that model at that time in that geography.  If it was, the originality police would only be able wonder if the specific car came delivered with that option.

 

Was a tach available as a 1600 option?

In the USA?

Were dealers allowed to retrofit the option?

 

If it was available here, I'd bet there were very few delivered that way since Max Hoffman's delivery models were quite strict

 

But, swapping the clock for the correct tach which matches the cluster should be completely un-doable if offense is later taken when you show the car at pebble beach

[Fortlauderdalian]

I was thinking about swapping out the clock  

[Einspritz]

I did that.

In 1973.

 

Anyone need a clock?

[Mike Self]

2 hours ago, calw said:

Was a tach available as a 1600 option?

Most assuredly in Europe, possibly if special ordered in the US but definitely if an overseas order

 

2 hours ago, calw said:

In the USA?

See above.  Actually tachs were one of Max Hoffman's "non-optional options" on US spec 2002s.  They were optional in Europe, but Max ordered all 2002s for the US with a tach ($59 option IIRC)

 

2 hours ago, calw said:

Were dealers allowed to retrofit the option?

BMW dealer operations were pretty loose back then--if you waved some paper money at em, I'm confident you could have it done--or buy the tach yourself and install it.  Dealers swapped wheels/tires around and even interiors for customers who wanted a non-standard combination of exterior and interior colors.  

 

Installation of a tach is just a matter of a few wires--there should be postings in the FAQ archives that cover this. 

 

Were it my 1600, I'd install a tach without a qualm--as I would swaybars on a 1600--because they're period and correct--and could have been installed by dealer or owner when the car was new .  Kinda like installing a radio in a 1600/2002.  Since they didn't come from the factory with a radio--and a lotta owners installed their own when they bought their car (after pricing a $150 Blaupunkt from the dealer--equivalent of $5-600 today), most any period radio is "correct" for a 2002.  Shortly after I bought my '69, I put a $69 AM/FM JC Whitney special in my '02...

 

mike

[Conserv]

3 hours ago, calw said:

probably, unless it was originally an available option for that model at that time in that geography.  If it was, the originality police would only be able wonder if the specific car came delivered with that option.

 

Was a tach available as a 1600 option?

In the USA?

Were dealers allowed to retrofit the option?

 

If it was available here, I'd bet there were very few delivered that way since Max Hoffman's delivery models were quite strict

 

But, swapping the clock for the correct tach which matches the cluster should be completely un-doable if offense is later taken when you show the car at pebble beach

+1

Cal,

 

I wouldn’t hesitate to make that swap, unless I seriously thought the car was being judged at Pebble Beach — something I would never seriously think!

 

Of course, and to put my viewpoint in context, if I had a 1966-68 1600-2 — missing its original block — I also wouldn’t hesitate to give it a “1600ti” engine, complete with the “correct” Solexes. So there’s that…

There’s a thread about finding a tach for an early 1600-2 (maybe it was @West Palm 2002 for his September 1967-built 1968 model) and I seem to recall he, or someone found a 12-volt — so post August 1967 — tachometer with a 1967 manufacturing date. So the tachs existed before the 2002’s existed, but were they limited just to 1600ti’s? Who knows? 

 

Pull the trigger! ?

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

[jscaptura1]

As you can see, it can be done on a 1600 that originally came with a clock.  Notice the little black knob in the center of the tachometer glass?  I found the tachometer in a 2002 that my friend was parting out way back in the mid 80's and I much prefer the tach to the clock.   If i am not mistaken,  i didn't have to wire it up, it was plug and play!  

[Hans]

I added a VDO tach under the dash