left side dash grill insert for tach?

[Dr.Adam]

wanting to install a tach on my 67 and want to locate it to the left of the speedo (speaker location) I have seen pic's on this forum of grill plates that have a hole in them but still retain the grill appearance, really don't want to cut mine and I don't like the brushed alum or plastic ones.
Any help locating them would be great.
Thanks
Adam

[pwmcguire]

This is mine but when I did it I had access to a welder, I picked up a grill and the metal mesh at a swap meet, cut the hole using wire cutters. I took a 1/8 inch SS welding rod and bent it around my tach. than I bent another one around the outside of it. I had a friend weld them together and to the grill, basically melt the grill to the circle using a tig welder. I used body filler around the circle and filed it down with small round files. Then I picked up paint at a store that they can color match. It certainly was not cheap, but worth it.

[Dr.Adam]

this guy has one and I want one!

[pwmcguire]

Seems like you have to make them.

[57BLITZ]

Maybe you can use one of these . . . https://grumpysmetal.com/bug/bug-1961-63/gauge-bezel-single-3-385-hole-lhd-57.html

Hang in there Dr.Adam . . . it will sometimes seem as though you get the wrong information around here, but I assure you that there a few folks on The Samba that are able to answer yer questions!
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Jesucristo es mi Señor y Salvador!

[pwmcguire]

Well, there you go! I had no choice my tach is 90 mm. I think that's why it was so cheap.

[pwmcguire]

There are a few smart people around here, but some not to bright.

[Dr.Adam]

be nice now guys!

[heimlich]

[DaveOBrien]

Yes Grumpys. Good to see he still makes them.
My Tach is 52 mm but not to hard to see.

[Frederik]

I did it cheap and easy, bought a color matched spare grill with crome trim (didn't want to cut in the existing grill). Used a "dremel" to cut a hole for tach and grind the trim to fit the vdo bezel. Works fine.

[doc73]

@ Frederik - where did you get that Tach?
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Speed Leaving Without Warning . . .

66 Bug
66 fastback (sunroof)

[Cusser]

[Rome]

Adam, you'll see when you remove the grill from the trunk that there is a horizontal metal bar going right across the dash opening. You'll need to cut that out so that the tach fits there.

For the tachs that are 52-55mm, in 2001 I saw a vendor of these dash grills in Germany (Maikaefer Treffen in Hanover) use a thick Type 1 engine flywheel endplay shim as the metal surround. The shim has an ID of 55mm. You could silver-solder such a shim onto the round-cut opening, then spray paint the grill to match the dash. Was a clever idea.

[Frederik]

[Corney13]

I cut my grill as well. I am planning on modifying the trim, but have not got around to it yet.

[Frederik]

I really like the gauges in radio slot. The trim, is it a modified radio faceplate, assesory or self made? I have to consider dumping my blaupunkt..

[Todd66]

The radio gauge pod is made by fast fab. I did the same as others and cut my speaker grill. The only issue I have is that when its hot out the gauge with squeak in the grill opening.

[Cali_Army_Guy]

Just to throw out another option, Speedhut makes a drop in GPS speedo/tach combo if you don't want to cut your dash to put a tach in the speaker location.

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2015 VW Passat Wolfsburg Edition
1966 VW Beetle - Sold

[boxkiteflyer]

ISP West carries nice gauges. I bought one of their 52mm ones to match the original speedo in my '59. I'll mate it to a left side grill from Grumpy's Metals.