Page 1 of 2
Speco Gauges- Any Good?
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:47 am
by petri
Chaps, I'm looking at a 4' Tacho for my GQ. I found a Speco4' at Autobarn for $199.
Can anyone rate them for me?
For the rest of the gauges i'm going Autometer but they don't make a 4' tacho hence me looking elsewhere....
Any advice would be good
Re: Speco Gauges- Any Good?
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:54 am
by bogged
dont forget the shift light.. its compulsory in ricers...
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:55 am
by chimpboy
I thought GQs came with a tacho already...?
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 12:17 pm
by petri
chimpboy wrote:I thought GQs came with a tacho already...?
amazing observation.
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 12:24 pm
by bru21
had a speco set in my last truck. all were sweet except for the tacho - it looked like a child had painted it.
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 2:11 pm
by bogged
chimpboy wrote:I thought GQs came with a tacho already...?
yea, but the factory GQ one you cant see from outside the car
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 2:13 pm
by petri
bogged wrote:chimpboy wrote:I thought GQs came with a tacho already...?
yea, but the factory GQ one you cant see from outside the car
and it is lacking ricer lights......... we all know how important they are
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 3:04 pm
by chimpboy
I wasn't being a smart arse actually. I was wondering if your car already had a tacho because I thought all GQs did have one. Then if it does have a tacho, I was wondering why you want to blow $200 on another one.
I admit a 4-foot tacho would be pretty impressive but still... it's $200.
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 3:27 pm
by petri
chimpboy wrote:I wasn't being a smart arse actually. I was wondering if your car already had a tacho because I thought all GQs did have one. Then if it does have a tacho, I was wondering why you want to blow $200 on another one.
I admit a 4-foot tacho would be pretty impressive but still... it's $200.
Sorry... Jumped on u there....
I've got a v8 in it and want a few extra gauges to monitor the engine.. A really bright Tacho is one of them..... at least i'm not asking for a 5" one...
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 3:58 pm
by adriand82
Speco are just as good as Autometer and their cheaper models Autogage. $200 is still dear for a bloody tacho imo.
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 4:47 pm
by stool
I had a Speco 2" water temp gauge
It shit its self in 3 days
So thay are cheep for a reason
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 4:58 pm
by petri
yeah... getting mixed reports on them. Might just steer clear from them... Just this 4' seemed to be a good size.... might check it's warranty
I am not fullysikenough to justify a 5' one....... or am i
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 5:07 pm
by cooki_monsta
do you drive an auto, or come with various over sized gold chains, if you answered yes to any of these you pimpin broz shud haz already 'piked yaz up wan cuz, right off da back of da truk bro' cos youd be fulli sik uleh
aside from that, if you need one get one
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 6:34 pm
by sierrajim
cooki_monsta wrote:do you drive an auto,
You've never driven an auto off road have you?
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 6:50 pm
by r0ck_m0nkey
sierrajim wrote:cooki_monsta wrote:do you drive an auto,
You've never driven an auto off road have you?
Or on road.
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 7:13 pm
by Gwagensteve
sierrajim wrote:cooki_monsta wrote:do you drive an auto,
You've never driven an auto off road have you?
Xtorqueconverterbazillion
Ps I still don't know why you need two gauges telling you the same thing. Kinda like having 2 fuel gauges for the same tank...
Steve.
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 7:26 pm
by petri
for the actual helpful replies, thankyou!
for the funny ones.....
for the others.....
for those who need to know why I want one......
Re: Speco Gauges- Any Good?
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 7:43 pm
by GRPABT1
bogged wrote:dont forget the shift light.. its compulsory in ricers...
Actually the after market tacho is the ricer part, I have a Speco shift light and factory tacho in my commodore that I race. The factory tacho is waaaaaaay off when racing but the shift light is spot on tested with the adjustable crane ignition rev limit. I shift at about 6500 on the shift light which reads about 5300 on the factory tacho.
So yes two tacho's kinda does make sense in some applications.
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 7:52 pm
by chris.e
I had a speco shift light tach in my old datsun 1600, worked fine but the back lighting was poor, really hard to see at night.
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 8:31 pm
by Gwagensteve
I'm building a three stage Jaycar shift light kit for my 660. (and a small digital tach for checking boost threshold and idle speed) Off road I'm not reading a tach of any kind and it's actually quite hard to pick the change point before I hit the limiter.
IMHO the stock tach and a good programable shift light is much more useful than any number of tachs, regardless of how big or shiny one or any of them are.
My road car runs a (factory fitted) programmable shift light and beeper. It's heaps more useful than a tach in 2nd and 3rd gear, and would be far more useful than a tach offroad.
I'll just pop of to the microwave now....
Steve.
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 8:49 pm
by CWBYUP
Gwagensteve wrote:
IMHO the stock tach and a good programable shift light is much more useful than any number of tachs, regardless of how big or shiny one or any of them are.
Thats my thoughts, Much nicer look and shift light tells you when its timeto back off or shift.
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 8:50 pm
by bru21
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:32 pm
by cooki_monsta
r0ck_m0nkey wrote:sierrajim wrote:cooki_monsta wrote:do you drive an auto,
You've never driven an auto off road have you?
Or on road.
kind of funny running joke, always see fulli sik vl autos with 5" monster taco's driving around, like it helps their auto box change gears
Posted: Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:35 pm
by Gwagensteve
Unless they have a manual valvebody in the auto?
Bigger concern is the coil pack cars with 5" monster tachs in them that mysteriously show 0 rpm when the engine is running....
Oh, with a functional tach in the dash.
Steve.
Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 1:13 am
by zookimal
stool wrote:I had a Speco 2" water temp gauge
It shit its self in 3 days
So thay are cheep for a reason
I've got a 2" Speco water temp guage in my Zook. Has been in there prob about 2 years. Has been submerged in mud, and I hose the car out after wheeling, normally you have to wipe the dust off to read it, treated like rubbish but it still works and I couldn't be happier. Luck of the draw I guess, but it will probably crap itself tomorrow now I've posted this.
Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 1:31 pm
by GRPABT1
cooki_monsta wrote:r0ck_m0nkey wrote:sierrajim wrote:cooki_monsta wrote:do you drive an auto,
You've never driven an auto off road have you?
Or on road.
kind of funny running joke, always see fulli sik vl autos with 5" monster taco's driving around, like it helps their auto box change gears
Like Steve said, alot of those VL's will run full manual valve bodied jatco autos and can be very potent without even looking it. If you said auto lancer's I would have agreed.
Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 3:43 pm
by petri
zookimal wrote:
I've got a 2" Speco water temp guage in my Zook. Has been in there prob about 2 years. Has been submerged in mud, and I hose the car out after wheeling, normally you have to wipe the dust off to read it, treated like rubbish but it still works and I couldn't be happier. Luck of the draw I guess, but it will probably crap itself tomorrow now I've posted this.
yeah... that's a jinx if i've ever heard one
Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 4:46 pm
by nicbeer
i run 3 speco gauges.
volts
oil pres
water temp
oil press one leaked from block end, looking at getting a new plastic or copper line kit for it.
otherwise great
Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 5:21 pm
by petri
Now I'm confused!>........
Which way do i go?
(Sounds like a closet opening joke)
I really do want a 4' tacho for the dash, the one in the console is not happy..
Do I really have to buy a VL to fit the Tacho?..... hmmmmm
Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 5:57 pm
by badger
i ran speco water temp (because your better off without one than trusting the nissan one) and boost in my gq for 3 years n they still worked fine not even in cups just bouncing on the dash mat.