Two Lane Blacktop tach
 

So it’s a stupid minor detail, but when building a car it’s those sort of things that matter.

I need a tach for the gasser I’m building, it’s a long ways away from needing it, but I want to start hunting one down. I want the exact model used in the 55 in Two Lane Blacktop because it’s my favorite movie and I love period stuff like that.
Since the film was shot in 70 and from research I’ve done it seems like an 8k RPM Sun Super Tach. Blue line with a red pointer which is pre 1971 from my research.

That should be an SST-802, can anyone confirm if that’s what was used in the hero car in the movie?

Here is the movie for anyone that wants to check it out.

https://ok.ru/TWO LANE BLACKTOP 1971

Thanks for posting that link. I have the Criterion DVD but I’m happy to see it posted somewhere in full online.

Screenshots of the tach in the movie.

Did Sun offer black bezels and cups? Or would they have been painted by Richard Ruth when he built the car?

Thanx for posting that link!! I've got the movie on dvd and vhs, both players are tits up and they took the movie off youtube quite awhile ago. ..... I built a clone of the '55 with an actual L88 and since sold the car but kept the engine. I put a autometer tach in mine but compliment you heavily on going the correct route. I did build the slider windows though, and virtually everyone loved that feature. I really miss that car. Thanx again!

Those satisfactions are permanent.

There's a couple scenes where they show the tach through the windshield which clearly shows the mounting pod being the normal semi-gloss black and the stark difference of the housing being flat black or what almost appears to be flocked like the inside of the glove box or console. I'm thinking that was done to cloak it for filming.

Sun Tach Mounting Cup
 

The mounting cup was offered by Sun in a black finish. Part number NC-5B. There is one currently on eBay but the photos are terrible. Sun also offered a slightly different cup in black, TC-1. Hope this helps with your search.
Cheers,
Marty

Thank you. From looking through Sun Tach stuff on eBay I noticed a black cup or 2. But no black bezels. I’m not that hellbent that I’d paint a nice tach bezel. But I’ll keep an eye out for the black mounting cup.

Thanks.

The bezels are pretty commonly dented or cracked. You can likely find a better deal on a tach with a dented bezel and or pitted cup and paint it to your liking. If you have troule tracking one down, I have everything from NOS to hammered ones.


Jason

Blacked out judge
 

It looks like they black out the steering wheel spokes and dash in some of the judge shots.

Here's the main car under construction at Ruths. So they must have painted it, it looks from your pictures that it might be wrinkle painted (it would hold to the chrome better)

https://i.postimg.cc/g0qymR7C/Screen...otos-and-v.jpg

Very cool photo and good detail catch. Thank you.

If you find a rusty cup, I've had good results with crushed glass as the media in a cabinet with the pressure at the gun at 40# for removing and etching chrome/stainless steel for paint. Crinkle paint would hide rust pits too.

Little update on this
At MCACN I got to have a 20 minute conversation with Richard Ruth talking all about 2 Lane blacktop. What a cool and interesting guy and hopefully I get to keep in touch with him after the show. I had him sign this Sun Super Tach that is the exact model used in 2 Lane. I’m very excited to eventually use this in my own gasser.

OMG, how cool is that? Congrats on getting the tach and having it signed by the guy who's inspiring you!

They were also sold with a black bezel and optional black cup. 2LBT used a flat base for the dash unlike the column base pictured.
This one is dated 1968. The second version which I believe is early 70s has a white needle.

Here is a good shot I found.

https://i.postimg.cc/FFV27pVS/468549...85578488-n.jpg