Another friend has helped me with the lack of a tachometer. Doug has created a "concept" dash for me and is helping me understand the details of what it will take to add a tachometer. Doug has converted many old mechanical gauges to electric operation and has restored his wife's GT6 Mk. I and a beautiful Mk. I Mini Cooper S. His Mini sports a gauge where he even made the gauge facing himself...but you can't tell it from looking. I hope mine turns out 1/2 that well. Here's Doug's concept of what our wood insert will look like...
We're hoping that the gauge on the right, which the seller on eBay said was from a 2000, will fit with the bezel from the original triple gauge as it would allow me to have a voltmeter rather than an ammeter. I've always felt more comfortable without all those amps flowing behind the dash. The center gauge will be a construction of Doug's, made to look like a period Smiths-type gauge. Wish us luck!
Other items I've recently acquired for the car include a period Smiths rear window defogger kit that looks too good to use, a set of NCSU floor mats to match the red interior carpet, new seat belts for both front and rear, a set of Lucas "square 8" driving lamps to get some light on the road and an original set of microfiches for early, mid and late 2000/2500/2.5PI cars and a microfiche viewer (thanks craigslist!)
Finally, Steve has his 2000 Mk. II on the road and recently attended the VTR National Convention in Ft. Worth, Texas. We missed getting together on his way back but hopefully that will happen soon!
Jamie
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5 comments:
Wow! I'm published. I guess I better follow through now!
It's hard making progress on a project like this when you've got a full time job and a little kid. Hang in there. All projects have an end!
Doug
Nice looking setup, the lack of a revcounter on what was quite an upmarket car has always mystified me. You reinspired me to put one in my mark II.
PS There was a period smiths pod tacho for six cylinder engines about the same size as you're looking at using here (2 1/4' I think)
The comment made about no rev counter...
Have you guys ever heard of the Managing Director? Produced in Australia and based heavily on the Mk l 2000. It was fitted with a dash top tacho, wire wheels (centre knock offs) and even triple carbs on some of them, amongst other things. I have one!
Martin, that sounds really neat! Do you have some pictures? I have heard about the MD model before, but never seen a picture of one or details about the differences... :-)
Hello, I do not agree with the previous commentator - not so simple
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