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Blauchen L331
Samba Member
Joined: November 16, 2011
Posts: 1270
Location: Gainesville, Florida
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 Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 12:35 am Post subject: |
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| tstracy39 wrote: |
| Blauchen L331 wrote: |
Just for trivia:[/b] VDO also made a ultra rare 3,800 rpm 36HP tach as well, but that's so rare that I cannot find photos of it online, it was listed in the 1955 VDO Volkswagen accessory brochure, I know of it because I had one in the literature collection I sold Jim Perrin years ago.
Tom |
Do you mean 3,800 RPM red line or 3,800 maximum? If you mean 3,800 maximum RPM, that tach was definitely not made for any kind of a VW passenger vehicle. VDO tachs are all designed with a dial that goes at least 500RPMs faster than the redline speedo of the engine of the vehicle it's supposed to go in. A 3,800RPM tach would either be for a diesel or a governed gasoline engine like a tractor or industrial/stationary engine. |
It was for a 36HP Stock motor and IN a Volkswagen advertisement for VDO.......no tractor tach a VDO VW tach for middle grille or far left cut in dash. the 3,800 was the red line, tach was to 4,000 but not marked to max.
I wouldn't mention a tach here at the Samba if it wasn't VW, I'm sure someone out there has a 1955 VDO Volkswagen brochure?
I don't think I was the only one to bring one back home, only I know the're rare as hens teeth.
I always wanted one of those 36HP tachs, ever asked Willi Lotterman about them a long tme ago and he agreed that they were an extreme rarity, he had seen them in the past, it was what he called a "Sports Tachometer"
It had the rings and fascia identical to a VW speedometer.
Tom
P.S. and you say that they made tachs to 500 below max - then maybe I'm mistaken by 300 rpms? and the face says 3,500? it was a stock motor tach under 4,000 rpms, someone has the VDO brochure with it in I know someone does?
Where's all the literature collectors when you need them?
_________________
OG PAINT L331 JUNE 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Army In Germany POV/Grey Market Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 33,000 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR |
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tstracy39
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Joined: May 14, 2008
Posts: 3295
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 12:41 am Post subject: |
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| Blauchen L331 wrote: |
I wouldn't mention a tach here at the Samba if it wasn't VW, I'm sure someone out there has a 1955 VDO Volkswagen brochure?
Tom |
Ask IN2VWS
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=63225
if anyone has a 1955 VDO catalog, it's him.
| Blauchen L331 wrote: |
P.S. and you say that they made tachs to 500 below max - then maybe I'm mistaken by 300 rpms? and the face says 3,500? it was a stock motor tach under 4,000 rpms, someone has the VDO brochure with it in I know someone does?
Where's all the literature collectors when you need them? |
I said the dial always goes up to at least 500RPMs faster than redline. So a Porsche that has an engine with a 5500RPM redline speed will have a 6000RPM VDO tach in it, and so on.
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Blauchen L331
Samba Member
Joined: November 16, 2011
Posts: 1270
Location: Gainesville, Florida
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| Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 12:49 am Post subject: |
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This is the American VDO brochure, I saw the tach in a German brochure, but they both should have the same products in it selling for Volkswagen drivers......the brochure had a VW dash with a bat wing steering wheel.
Tom
_________________
OG PAINT L331 JUNE 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Army In Germany POV/Grey Market Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 33,000 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR |
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Blauchen L331
Samba Member
Joined: November 16, 2011
Posts: 1270
Location: Gainesville, Florida
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| Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 12:53 am Post subject: |
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| tstracy39 wrote: |
| Blauchen L331 wrote: |
I wouldn't mention a tach here at the Samba if it wasn't VW, I'm sure someone out there has a 1955 VDO Volkswagen brochure?
Tom |
Ask IN2VWS
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/profile.php?mode=viewprofile&u=63225
if anyone has a 1955 VDO catalog, it's him.
| Blauchen L331 wrote: |
P.S. and you say that they made tachs to 500 below max - then maybe I'm mistaken by 300 rpms? and the face says 3,500? it was a stock motor tach under 4,000 rpms, someone has the VDO brochure with it in I know someone does?
Where's all the literature collectors when you need them? |
I said the dial always goes up to at least 500RPMs faster than redline. So a Porsche that has an engine with a 5500RPM redline speed will have a 6000RPM VDO tach in it, and so on. |
Well, either way you see it's a VDO tach for a stock 36HP VW made with under 4,000 rpms marked, just have to find a 1955 German VDO brochure to see it.......
Tom
_________________
OG PAINT L331 JUNE 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Army In Germany POV/Grey Market Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 33,000 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR
Last edited by Blauchen L331 on Wed Mar 20, 2013 4:20 am; edited 2 times in total |
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tstracy39
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Location: Seattle, WA
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Blauchen L331
Samba Member
Joined: November 16, 2011
Posts: 1270
Location: Gainesville, Florida
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| Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 4:23 am Post subject: |
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Nice 1959 catalog, you need the 1954 or 1955 one to see that special "sports" tach , it even mentions that name in the ad written in German....
Tom
_________________
OG PAINT L331 JUNE 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Army In Germany POV/Grey Market Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 33,000 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR |
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tstracy39
Samba Member
Joined: May 14, 2008
Posts: 3295
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 4:53 am Post subject: |
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Did you contact IN2VWS? Are you the guy that emailed me years ago asking me for a reproduction of something called a "6000RPM Ringed Okrasa Tach*"?
*(Not my words)
_________________
Check my classifieds for kewl gauges:
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/search.php?username=tstracy39
| EverettB wrote: |
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Blauchen L331
Samba Member
Joined: November 16, 2011
Posts: 1270
Location: Gainesville, Florida
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| Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2013 11:52 am Post subject: |
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| tstracy39 wrote: |
Did you contact IN2VWS? Are you the guy that emailed me years ago asking me for a reproduction of something called a "6000RPM Ringed Okrasa Tach*"?
*(Not my words) |
No I don't need any tachs for anything......
Tom
_________________
OG PAINT L331 JUNE 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Army In Germany POV/Grey Market Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 33,000 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR |
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Blauchen L331
Samba Member
Joined: November 16, 2011
Posts: 1270
Location: Gainesville, Florida
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| Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 8:14 pm Post subject: |
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I FINALLY FOUND REFERENCE TO THAT 36HP STOCK TACHOMETER.......
80mm VDO with red line at 3,500, (not 4,000 like I thought) information is from a 1954/5 VDO guage brochure just for VW.
"For the sporty driver" ~ That's what it says and it was mounted in the dash on the left side next to the Speedometer.
Tom
_________________
OG PAINT L331 JUNE 1957 TYPE 1 OVAL WINDOW
(US Army In Germany POV/Grey Market Special Ordered Car from MAHAG Munich)
Delivered with Semaphores - German "Puntchen" Cloth Polkadotted Interior -
USA RAM Protection/Export Overrider Bumpers - MPH Speedometer -
Sealed Beam Headlights and Bullet Front Turn Signals!
99.9% ORIGINAL PARTS WITH ONLY 33,000 ORIGINAL MILES/ GARAGE FIND/ UNRESTORED CAR |
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3foldfolly
Samba Member
Joined: March 08, 2009
Posts: 894
Location: Edwardsville, Il
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| Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2015 9:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Blauchen L331 wrote: |
I FINALLY FOUND REFERENCE TO THAT 36HP STOCK TACHOMETER.......
80mm VDO with red line at 3,500, (not 4,000 like I thought) information is from a 1954/5 VDO guage brochure just for VW.
"For the sporty driver" ~ That's what it says and it was mounted in the dash on the left side next to the Speedometer.
Tom |
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tstracy39
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Joined: May 14, 2008
Posts: 3295
Location: Seattle, WA
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| Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2025 4:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Blauchen L331 wrote: |
I FINALLY FOUND REFERENCE TO THAT 36HP STOCK TACHOMETER.......
80mm VDO with red line at 3,500, (not 4,000 like I thought) information is from a 1954/5 VDO guage brochure just for VW.
"For the sporty driver" ~ That's what it says and it was mounted in the dash on the left side next to the Speedometer.
Tom |
Because this is an illustration from a brochure (Retouched print of a model), it doesn't represent photographic proof that any production units were manufactured. Most likely it is what’s known as a spec ad. Because of the low rev range, it would only be considered a sporty tach if you only drive your Beetle in parades, and that would explain why no REAL examples exist. But you're right and I'm wrong, I'll go ahead and make a batch of repros, then have to scrap them when the one guy who buys one from me ends up returning it to me because he immediately pegs the needle all the way to the end of the dial the first time he takes his car onto a freeway on-ramp. What do I know, I've only been building custom tachometers out of OG German made VDO parts since 2010.
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Check my classifieds for kewl gauges:
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| EverettB wrote: |
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BulliBill
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Joined: July 09, 2004
Posts: 4782
Location: St Charles, MO
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2025 12:18 pm Post subject: Re: Oval-compatible tachometers |
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I plan to bring out of parts shelf "retirement" a old 6 volt VDO 0 thru 5,000 rpm tachometer with the flexible shaft connection cable between the special crankshaft bolt to the sheet metal mounted "speed sensor" signal generator and eventually install and run it in a clock/speaker grille in my '57 Beetle Kabriolett project. I bought it all in a box many decades ago, and I've never seen it run or functioning. If you've played around with one of these before (or not) I am curious how to go about bench-testing it all for proper function. Any tips and cautions, wiring diagrams or installation instruction/directions would certainly be appreciated!
Bill
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I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton
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BulliBill
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Joined: July 09, 2004
Posts: 4782
Location: St Charles, MO
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| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2025 9:54 am Post subject: Re: Oval-compatible tachometers |
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Here are da goods that I'll be playing with...
That under-dash clamp that the tach came with won't be used and it will be set into a Oval dash speaker "clock grille".
Bill
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton
Thanks for any help! |
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Bub
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Joined: June 10, 2004
Posts: 1308
Location: Central Washington
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| Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2025 10:24 am Post subject: Re: Oval-compatible tachometers |
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I don't think there's anything technical about setting that up. You have the crankshaft bolt for it? You'll need to rig that up, and then it's pretty evident what goes where. At that point its just wires to the tach.
I wish someone would finally do some testing on that generator- it would be nice to know what the voltage/ signal is that the tach wants to see.
I come across 5k tach's occasionally, but rarely the generator and I don't like having to convert them- and there are other versions of the generator for other applications I see around.
For compatibilty's sake we could use that info!
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BulliBill
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Joined: July 09, 2004
Posts: 4782
Location: St Charles, MO
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| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2025 9:02 am Post subject: Re: Oval-compatible tachometers |
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Hi "bub",
Yes, my pictured set-up above came to me minus the special drilled crank bolt seen in the installation illustrations above. But luckily I know a few talented buddies! Friend and unbelievably talented mechanic and machinist Ray Schubert recreated the bolt for me in his shop about a decade ago, so I think I have all the parts now. All I need to do now is eventually figure out how to test it all together on a workbench to make sure it all functions well before considering adding it to my project '57 Oval Kabriolett. It's probably a simple endeavour, but I'm not a mechanically genius... I assume that I'd need a 6 volt auto battery for power, all my VDO tach parts assembled on a workbench, the tach properly wired up to the mechanical signal generator output and a variable speed drill clamped to the end of the flex cable carefully run at low speeds to see if it is all functional.
I'm open to advice on a test procedure, so don't be shy. I've owned and stored this cool VDO accesory tachometer for about 35 years, and it would be nice if it functions properly so that I can put it back into service on my Kab project. Who knows, when the time comes, maybe I'll shoot a video of the process and become an instant Youtube star! Not!
Bill Bowman
_________________
I'm looking for these license plate frames for my fleet:
Coeur D'Alene - Lake Shore Volkswagen
Mission VW - San Fernando
Thornton VW - Stockton
Thanks for any help! |
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Bub
Samba Member
Joined: June 10, 2004
Posts: 1308
Location: Central Washington
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| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2025 9:11 am Post subject: Re: Oval-compatible tachometers |
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Sounds like you've got it all covered. That's exactly how I'd set it up for testing.
If it ever comes to it and you have trouble I have a 'spare' tacho head (the entire internal assembly) from one of those 5k Tachs that I had to convert to coil/points signal in order to use.
I think it was NOS, and someone some day might be able to use it.
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| hitest wrote: |
| Had a girlfriend once who shall we say, nearly arrived at the mere sight of a semaphore in action- easy to please she was... |
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Peter_Plade
Samba Member
Joined: January 09, 2005
Posts: 553
Location: Denmark
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| Posted: Sat Jul 12, 2025 10:25 am Post subject: Re: Oval-compatible tachometers |
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| BulliBill wrote: |
Hi "bub",
Yes, my pictured set-up above came to me minus the special drilled crank bolt seen in the installation illustrations above. But luckily I know a few talented buddies! Friend and unbelievably talented mechanic and machinist Ray Schubert recreated the bolt for me in his shop about a decade ago, so I think I have all the parts now. All I need to do now is eventually figure out how to test it all together on a workbench to make sure it all functions well before considering adding it to my project '57 Oval Kabriolett. It's probably a simple endeavour, but I'm not a mechanically genius... I assume that I'd need a 6 volt auto battery for power, all my VDO tach parts assembled on a workbench, the tach properly wired up to the mechanical signal generator output and a variable speed drill clamped to the end of the flex cable carefully run at low speeds to see if it is all functional.
I'm open to advice on a test procedure, so don't be shy. I've owned and stored this cool VDO accesory tachometer for about 35 years, and it would be nice if it functions properly so that I can put it back into service on my Kab project. Who knows, when the time comes, maybe I'll shoot a video of the process and become an instant Youtube star! Not!
Bill Bowman |
Hi Bill
Testing is is quite easy and you don’t need a battery.
Just run a wire between the sender and the G connection on the tach, and a “ground” wire between the 2 also, that can be placed almost anywhere on the 2. And then mount the cable in the sender and the put the other end of the cable in your drill.
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