61 tach reads 'registers twice cable speed' - fuelie?

[Will B.]

I just realized as I was looking at my 1961 parts pile that the tach was stamped 'AC made in USA' on the back.

On the bottom, in faded blue ink, it said 'registers twice cable speed'. The redline is at 6500, red zone to 7000.

The instrument cluster was damaged before I bought the car in 1966 and the tach has a ding in the side to match the bent cluster.

Since this tach was in the car, could it be a fuelie?

Willy

[Bruce B.]

Re: 61 tach reads 'registers twice cable speed' - fuelie?

A tach that is stamped "reads twice cable speed" is driven by the distributor as you know.
The 61 FI distributor did drive the tach but a better indicator of FI could be the reinforcement plate on the drivers side inner fender.

[John D.]

Re: 61 tach reads 'registers twice cable speed' - fuelie?

Say the front clip was missing on your 61 Will and others. What would be a good sign that the car is a HHP fuel car.
The location of the tach cable coming thru the firewall. John

[Will B.]

Re: 61 tach reads 'registers twice cable speed' - fuelie?

The 62 fi air cleaner mounts to the fender, not the 61....?

[Bruce B.]

Re: 61 tach reads 'registers twice cable speed' - fuelie?

Will,
All my books show it mounted to the drivers side inner fender.

[Will B.]

Re: 61 tach reads 'registers twice cable speed' - fuelie?

So the 61 and 62 air cleaners are identical? My NCRS books are going to be ordered, so I can see these things....

[Bruce B.]

Re: 61 tach reads 'registers twice cable speed' - fuelie?

Will,
The air cleaners are almost the same except for the lid.
The 61 and early 62 air cleaners had a large X stamped (for strength) on the lid.
Later 62 units had a small X.
You ask why? Who knows...

[John D.]

Re: 61 tach reads 'registers twice cable speed' - fuelie?

Will, The judging manual spells out the info on the two air cleaners. Basically the factory was using up left over 58 to 61 FI air cleaners on the '62's.
Without looking I believe the early '62's up to at "Least" Nov and possibly into Dec used the earlier AC that has the large X. John

[Will B.]

Re: 61 tach reads 'registers twice cable speed' - fuelie?

Specialty Cars had a 61 for sale with a video. It shows a 61 f.i. show winner and has good coverage of the engine compartment.

The generator has no tach drive and the air filter looks like the one I have for the 62 360 injection.

I'll look for the driver's side mount on the '61, but I think the damage to the front end may have wiped it out.

The firewall split at the seam behind the engine and I need to locate the top half. I'm going to take lots of pictures of the parts for the scrapbook.

[Will B.]

Re: 61 tach reads 'registers twice cable speed' - fuelie?

I found the firewall top half and took some pictures. It has the oblong hole for the tach. I can't seem to make a picture upload... so is there someone I can send them to who can upload them? 8megapixels, 3.5 Meg, each. 4 pictures.

[George W.]

Re: 61 tach reads 'registers twice cable speed' - fuelie?

Will,
My '61 fuelie air cleaner bolts to fender, has the large X, the reinforcement plate, and the oval opening in firewall for the cable. I have always looked for these to ID a real fuel car.

[John H.]

Re: 61 tach reads 'registers twice cable speed' - fuelie?

I can't seem to make a picture upload... so is there someone I can send them to who can upload them? 8megapixels, 3.5 Meg, each. 4 pictures.

Will -

Those pix are WAY too huge to upload - you'll need to re-size them to about 800x600 (about 100-150KB) to upload them.

[Ian G.]

Re: 61 tach reads 'registers twice cable speed' - fuelie?

Sounds like your car is a fuelie to me. A lot of trouble for someone to fake a bent tach, instrument cluster and tach cable hole...
Is the front clip gone-GONE or have anything left from it? If you have any of the hardware -- The driver-side front air hose reinforcement will not have used screw holes on a fuelie; In other words, the holes will be smooth.

[Will B.]

Re: 61 tach reads 'registers twice cable speed' - fuelie?

Was at Union College, Schenectady, NY, in March, 1966. Found an ad for a '61, located in Binghamton, NY.

Called my best friend, who had a '56 chevy which was missing second gear. Called him Friday night the 4th, met him Saturday night, threw some chain and a homebrew hitch in the trunk and off we went Sunday morning.

Got the car hooked up, took ONE picture (sigh) and headed home.

The front end was so messed up that we burned the inside off the left front tire in about 20 miles. Jumped up and down on the steering linkage until it was bent enough to make the tires 'look' straight.

Got to Binghamton at rush hour and the generator on the '56 crapped out. Rebuilt it at a gas station and took off again.

Got stopped by a cop who said the ONE red light I had taped to the back end wasn't enough to tow safely at night with and told us to park down the road for the night.

200 miles later at sunrise and after a bunch of other things had happened, we did stop.

In my driveway, with my Mother waking up to watch.

The steering ball joint fell off right in front of her.

If it had happened at 60mph on Rt9, they wouldn't have found enough of us to put in a casket.

There's a lot more to the story, like trying to turn around on someone's front lawn at midnight with a short hitch and some shrubs in the way.

I will go ask my son to help me shrink the pix down...

Willy

[Will B.]

Re: 61 tach reads 'registers twice cable speed' - fuelie?

Ian, I have all the bent parts and they all 'fit' together. The big speedometer cover has a dent in it, too.... (sigh)