Works of art like the Mona Lisa and other famous paintings stand the test of time. Lasting for centuries (if not longer) they continue to inspire, generation after generation. Even the most incredible works of art, however, have to be maintained. The careful work of trained professionals ensures that this art lasts. Your Corvette is also a work of art. While it hasn’t lasted for centuries, it does inspire multiple generations. Hopefully, it will continue to do so in the future. At CS of MD West, we take pride in helping Corvettes to be as great as they ever were. In this blog, we’ll go over a bit of how our Corvette tachometer restoration and repair process works.
Corvette Tachometer Repair, Restoration and Explanation
The word “tachometer” comes from the ancient Greek. It’s a combination of the words “tachos” and “metron.” In Greek, they mean “speed” and “measure” respectively. That’s what tachometers do: they measure the speed of your Corvette’s engine through RPM / revolutions per minute. Tachometers are important to your classic Corvette no matter how you use your vehicle. If you’re driving it out on the road, they’re an important instrument for the care of your car. If you’re showing your Corvette and not driving it, a working, top quality tachometer is still vitally important. We can repair your tachometer and we can even provide a restoration tachometer as well.
CS of MD West Types of Tachometers
The tachometers we rebuild, repair and restore here are the ones that were used in the years between 1953 and 1974. These tachometers are mechanical, built specifically for the vehicles of the time. In most cases, the distributor drove them with a cable. In the years 1955-1961, all carbureted engines drove the tachometer from the generator. As with many other important instruments in your Corvette (like the speedometer) accuracy is important. After all, if their accuracy is off, then they’re essentially useless. So, to make sure that these are accurate as possible, they have to be calibrated. We can make sure that your tachometers are calibrated properly, so that you know as much as possible about what’s going on with your Corvette.
How Tachometer Calibration Works
You’ve heard the word “worm,” and you’ve heard the word “magnet.” In the calibration of these tachometers, those words are essentially synonyms. To make sure that your tachometer is properly calibrated, we take the first worm (or magnet) and “charge” them with a magnetizer. what’s necessary. With our old school, specific tools, we then discharge them based on what your specific tachometer requires. Then, we adjust the spring tension of the speed cup for final calibration. As you might imagine, this is not the kind of procedure that a person can do by hand or by watching an online video. We have machinery built for this specific task.
Attention to Detail
That’s so important with every part of our business. It’s certainly true when it comes to our tachometers. There are many other options out there for those who are looking for something that’s “similar.” It’s not hard to find places that will give you tachometers which are “close enough” to the look and feel of the original. We understand that’s not why customers come to us. When you come to CS of MD West, you want restoration parts that are the exact duplicate of the original. That’s what we aim for in every part of our tachometers.
So, if you’ve seen Corvette tachometers from 1959-1974, then you may have noticed the graphics that were printed on a metal face. Our capabilities make it possible print the artwork on the metal face. Bear in mind: this isn’t stenciling, or someone guessing at what that artwork may look like. This is a carefully developed procedure that replicates the artwork exactly. What this means is that if someone sees the tachometer in your Corvette, it will be essentially impossible to tell that the parts weren’t original. When someone steps into your Corvette, the tachometer will look exactly as it did then and perhaps even work better.
Part of our restoration business is about offering you the look and feel of the past with a mix of the best in modern technology. You can get electronic conversions for tachometers for model years 1953-1974 (except 1963 and 1964) .It’s important to bear in mind that these are just a few of our restoration parts. While we have a focus on tachometers and speedometers, we have restoration parts for all different facets of your Corvette. Your classic Corvette is a work of art. That doesn’t mean that it’s invincible. But, that does mean that with some maintenance and perhaps some restoration parts, it can be as great as it ever was. For more about our tachometer repair or anything else, check out our site or give us a call at (800) 638-6450.