(Fwd) Cheap Speedo

[Joe Boucher]

>From: "steve ravet" <steve at sun4c409.imes.com>

[snip]

>  The text noted that the unit included a 
>160 mph speedometer, tachometer, odometer and resetable trip meter,
>and that it was all electronic.

>The units were not mounted.  The cost was less than $4.  Yes, less
>than four dollars.  One or two of you out there might find 

>They are at http://www.sciplus.com/, but I cannot find the speedo
>listed there.

>Frank Evan Perdicaro, KF6JGX            Dainippon Screen Engineering of America
>BSP, MSCE; old GMC, Chevy&Hawk w/V        3700 Segerstrom Ave inhouse:
>frank at server, x1258                  Santa Ana CA outhouse: frank at dsea.com,
>714-546-9491x1258        92704       DoD:1097

This is incredible.  I installed an '89 Chevy 350, 700r4 and TBI fuel
injection in my '81 Suburban.  The only oversight I made was the speedo
and speed sensor.  I thought I would be able to pop off the tail shaft
housing and replace the Hall Effect sensor with a speedo gear set and
intall a speed signal device inline with the speedo cable.  

Wrong.

It would have entailed replacing the output shaft and tail housing. 
This was a very tight budgeted project with a short fuse.  The short
term answer was to buy a speedo cluster from an '89 Chevy and plug in
the wire harness and leave it on the floor.  The AC signal from the
speed sensor is converted to an on/off 12 volt DC signal by the PC board
backplane of the speedo housing.  

It took a lot of crafting to mount the speedo in the current dash and
mount the PC board behind the dash.  All the after market speedo's were
expensive compared to the empty budget.  I think I know which company
these are from.

I finished a few weeks ago in time for the family vacation.  Then this
comes along.

I ordered three.

Joe Boucher
'70 Camaro  '81 TBI Suburban
Bedford, TX