1963 Hi RPM Buzzer Tach Redline

[Joe R.]

Could someone shed some light on the early 1963 Hi RPM Tach with Buzzer. Specifically when did the earlier (maroon) or dark red redline tach phase out? I have a 1963 cluster with what to my thinking is a very very late tach with the maroon or (dark red) redline. Dated clusters or 63 serial numbers would be especially helpful.

Apparently this information is not in the judging manual but should be incorporated into the next revision.

Thanks for your help,

JR

[Michael H.]

Re: 1963 Hi RPM Buzzer Tach Redline

Could someone shed some light on the early 1963 Hi RPM Tach with Buzzer. Specifically when did the earlier (maroon) or dark red redline tach phase out? I have a 1963 cluster with what to my thinking is a very very late tach with the maroon or (dark red) redline. Dated clusters or 63 serial numbers would be especially helpful.

Apparently this information is not in the judging manual but should be incorporated into the next revision.

Thanks for your help,

JR

Joe, I think the early buzzer tach was used to somewhere around the middle of 63 production, probably around early March?
The buzzer was deleted much earlier in production even though the tachometer continued on for a few more months.
Originals are easy to spot just by looking at the colors on the redline. The buzzer tach had warning zone colors of red and maroon.
The second design non buzzer tach colors were yellow and red.

The tach below is an NOS buzzer style with the maroon/red colors. The wire connection is in the rubber boot at the rear of the unit.

[Joe R.]

Re: 1963 Hi RPM Buzzer Tach Redline

Michael,

Good theory but here's more background to my original question!

As you know, I rebuild several dozen instrument clusters each year. I have rebuilt and owned three 340HP cars that both had buzzer tach assemblies without the buzzer. These were cars in the 8 and 10 thousand range. Both 340HP's had the red and yellow redlines along with many others I have rebuilt.

This particular instrument cluster is a buzzer tach with a redline of maroon (dark red). It has a very late assembly date with the maroon redline. Mid November 1962. Obviously this cluster was not in an early 1963.

My question is relating to the maroon (dark red) redline. How late into production was the maroon (dark red) redline used or accepted as original???

I have been under the impression that the buzzer tach/buzzer with maroon redline was only used on very early production 1963 Corvettes.

Yes, I know this information is probably not worth research but small bits of information like this does sometimes weed out the fakes and cheaters.

Thanks,

JR

[Troy P.]

Re: 1963 Hi RPM Buzzer Tach Redline

My fuelie is serial 101946 and I believe it was built in September 62. You can check the born on date. Might have been October. It has the red and dark red tach and the warning buzzer.

Speaking of which this reminds me that I disconnected the buzzer a few years back because it wouldn't stop buzzing at any speed/rpm. Anyone know what may cause this? At some point I'd like to correct the problem.

[Joe R.]

Re: 1963 Hi RPM Buzzer Tach Redline

Troy,

Sometimes the paper separater shrinks and the contact is made all of the time. The contact could be broken or there could be a misalignment problem. It over 40 years old. Even old ladies shrink.

Send it to any well known repair shop and they can take care of it for you. It's not something that can be fixed at home on a Saturday afternoon.

Thanks for the info,

JR

[Michael H.]

Re: 1963 Hi RPM Buzzer Tach Redline

Michael,

Good theory but here's more background to my original question!

As you know, I rebuild several dozen instrument clusters each year. I have rebuilt and owned three 340HP cars that both had buzzer tach assemblies without the buzzer. These were cars in the 8 and 10 thousand range. Both 340HP's had the red and yellow redlines along with many others I have rebuilt.

This particular instrument cluster is a buzzer tach with a redline of maroon (dark red). It has a very late assembly date with the maroon redline. Mid November 1962. Obviously this cluster was not in an early 1963.

My question is relating to the maroon (dark red) redline. How late into production was the maroon (dark red) redline used or accepted as original???

I have been under the impression that the buzzer tach/buzzer with maroon redline was only used on very early production 1963 Corvettes.

Yes, I know this information is probably not worth research but small bits of information like this does sometimes weed out the fakes and cheaters.

Thanks,

JR

I haven't seen nearly as many buzzer tachometers as you have Joe, but I don't think I've ever seen one with the later yellow/orange redline face. Every 63 buzzer tach I've ever seen has had the red/maroon (maybe dark orange and dark red?) redline.

All low RPM tachs for all of 63 had the yellow/orange right from the start and all later production high redline tachs also had the yellow/orange.

The buzzer unit (looks like a horn relay) that's mounted on the Z bar behind the radio was probably deleted in production some time before the end of December 62, possibly earlier??

There's more to this story too. A 67 with speed alert had different colors for the redline on the tach than 67's without speed alert. I KNOW I'm going to hear mass disagreement on this one.

[Joe R.]

Re: 1963 Hi RPM Buzzer Tach Redline

Michael,

Mass Disagreement!!!!!!!

Don't go into that dark night!

JR

[Ken A.]

Re: 1963 Hi RPM Buzzer Tach Redline

There's more to this story too. A 67 with speed alert had different colors for the redline on the tach than 67's without speed alert. I KNOW I'm going to hear mass disagreement on this one.[/quote]
I have a copy of an original B/P from late 64 and updated 9/66 that disagrees from your observation. The dial plate colors are "arc yellow" and "fire orange" for all configurations. The OEM vendor confirms this fact. There were 5 screens for the tach dial plate, one of which is white that went under the "redlines". If "missed" during the manufacturing process, then the fire orange would come thru as a dark red-which should have been rejected by Flint. Some of the "Gauge Restorers" are unaware of the white screen and fail to properly screen the redlines.

[Bill C.]

Re: 1963 Hi RPM Buzzer Tach Redline

Joe and Michael: I have a Sept 26,1962 L84 car. It has the yellow/red(orange) tach. It has the wire connection on the back of the tach., but the buzzer is missing. I always thought these were a pain(never worked properly) and were removed or not replaced. I plan on putting the buzzer back in. Is this not correct??
Thank you in advance
Bill

[Michael H.]

Re: 1963 Hi RPM Buzzer Tach Redline

Starting about 39 years ago, I started recording info like this on all 63-67's, but focused on 63. That was a time when these cars were believeable and before the sun faded the colors out of the tachometers.
I probably have at least 300 unrestored, unmessed with 63 340 and 360 HP cars on file.
All of the early high tach cars had the early face colors I described and the late cars had the yellow/orange colors.
All 63 250 and 300 HP cars had the yellow/orange.

As of about 25 years ago, there was no longer enough untouched cars to use as documentation so almost anything you see today will have been switched from another car or faded so badly that the true colors won't be present.

Check with some of the 63 guys that have been around the block a few times. They'll know.

[Michael H.]

Re: 1963 Hi RPM Buzzer Tach Redline

Michael,

Mass Disagreement!!!!!!!

Don't go into that dark night!

JR

Which part are you disagreeing with? The 63 tach or the 67 tach with speed alert? Or both?

[Ken A.]

Re: 1963 Hi RPM Buzzer Tach Redline

Starting about 39 years ago, I started recording info like this on all 63-67's, but focused on 63. That was a time when these cars were believeable and before the sun faded the colors out of the tachometers.
I probably have at least 300 unrestored, unmessed with 63 340 and 360 HP cars on file.
All of the early high tach cars had the early face colors I described and the late cars had the yellow/orange colors.
All 63 250 and 300 HP cars had the yellow/orange.

As of about 25 years ago, there was no longer enough untouched cars to use as documentation so almost anything you see today will have been switched from another car or faded so badly that the true colors won't be present.

Check with some of the 63 guys that have been around the block a few times. They'll know.

I do not think you understood my post. I'm only referring to 65-67 tach dial plates. I suspect the early 63's dark redlines were built w/o the white screen, hence the dark bleed thru.

[Michael H.]

Re: 1963 Hi RPM Buzzer Tach Redline

I do not think you understood my post. I'm only referring to 65-67 tach dial plates. I suspect the early 63's dark redlines were built w/o the white screen, hence the dark bleed thru.

Yup, sorry Ken. I thought you were refering to 63.

[Troy P.]

Re: 1963 Hi RPM Buzzer Tach Redline

Do I understand you Joe to say the problem is in the buzzer it self? I'm not disagreeing but I was thinking that the buzzer wouldn't buzz unles it was getting a signal to do so from the tach. So I was guessing that there was something wrong in the wiring or tach. It would be nice to know it was just the buzzer so I wouldn't have to spend hours upside down chasing wiring issues.

[Troy P.]

Re: 1963 Hi RPM Buzzer Tach Redline

My shifter vibrates so loudly at high rpm that I can't hear the speed warning. I've only heard it a low speed when it went bad and buzzed all the time. So I can see why Chevy decided to do away with it.