C2 tach redline color

[Ian S.]

Hi,

The judging manual says that the colors on the tach for a 66 are orange and then red. This is the way that new Delco gauges are being made and it seems most restored clusters are done this way as well. I have heard a few people say that they remembered them being yellow and red when new. Any truth to this?

Thanks,

Ian

[Michael H.]

Re: C2 tach redline color

Ian,

I may be totally wrong on this but I also remember the yellow/orange or yellow/red colors on 65-67 cars when they were new. Here's one of the reasons I do remember it. Two good friends had two red/red 67 convertibles, one a 350 HP and one a 435 HP and in about 1968, someone happened to notice the colors on the tach redlines were different colors. At first we thought it had something to do with the different redline because of the different motors but after looking at another friends Lyndale 435, we noticed his colors matched the 350 HP car colors. The only difference in the cars was the fact that the red 435 car also had speed alert. Over the next twenty years, I studied these colors and found that indeed, any 67 with speed alert had totally different colored redlines. They were actually closer to orange/red or red/maroon instead of the customary yellow/orange. I was fortunate enough to be able to look at a lot of original cars in the 70's and I can pretty much say withg certainty, the colors were totally different with speed alert. I can go a little deeper into the speed alert thing if any one is interested.

The colors on the well known Krughoff maroon 3000 mile 65 396 car were yellow/orange and that car rarely saw the light of day so I know they weren't faded. Same on the 1500 mile 65 FI conv that was covered since day one so no fading there either. Need to hear from some low mileage 65-67 owners, ESPECIALLY any with speed alert and the original tach. I know we're going to get a lot of disagreement on this but that's how and why I remember the colors when they were still in new cars.

Michael

[Justin N.]

Re: C2 tach redline color

Michael,
My 67 300hp coupe is a total beater-resto car. The speedo say 33,000, but who knows? I have the speedo-warning in my car, as John Hinkley has helped with my lens situation. My guages are yellow/orange on the tach and the same goes for the temp gauge. Hope this helps. I don't think they are faded, it probably helps that it is a coupe.

Justin #41362

[Tom H.]

Re: C2 tach redline color

My early 65 SHP is orange from 6300 to 6500 and red thereafter. Car's been in storage for years so no fading on the red.

[Eugene B.]

Re: C2 tach redline color

Gents,
My March '65 250hp is Yellow/Orange. It hasn't seen day light since 1970.

Hope this helps.

Gene

[Jack W.]

Re: C2 tach redline color

65 L76 (SHP) March build with 54K miles, but a vert, I understand it was almost always inside but cannot confirm the first 10 years, yellow and orange. but yellow is not that strong, meaning it might be faded.

Ian, did that ign switch work out for you?

[Ian S.]

Hi Jack.....

Looks like the switch is going to work out just fine, thanks again!

Ian