1965 L78 Impala Tachometer

[real_fast]

Thanks for the Picture of the 7K, very nice! It clearly shows a unique face plate inpression as opposed to mine which has the 6K impression as illustrated by Rainer.

So now I need to understand more about the stamp. Are you saying that the part number corresponds with a 6K tach and was never meant to be a 7K tach, that the face has been rescreened?

[Rainer]

Rick, I was only partially correct. Real_fast, the face is definitely from a 6K tach - that's for certain. I didn't notice the discrepancy in your part number beyond the last digit. The number stamped on the backside does not correspond to any of the 4 listed numbers as was indicated previously. The number on the backside of this tach is 6412295. There's one digit off in one of the last two positions - take your pick. Given that the face has been altered, I suspect that the stamp may also have been faked but with an error. The other possibility is a stamping error at the factory, as Rick suggested. In either case, this tach did not start out as a 7K unit.

[real_fast]

That confirms it alright. I think it's silly someone would go through the trouble of stamping a fake number on the back. Anyhow thanks for the education. This info will be useful for others who want to know what they have and to be aware of fakes.

[impala L78]

real fast - The picture that you posted is a tach for a full size chevy with either the 396/425 HP engine (L78), or the 409/400 HP engine (L33). Both of these were solid lifter engines. In 1965, if you ordered a full size car with the 396 engine (either one), and a 4 speed trans., the tach can as standard equip. I ordered a SS convert. with the 325 HP engine and the tach was standard. I am guessing that the same applied to 409 cars. If you ordered a tach with any small block, or the 409/340 HP engine, the red line on the tach would be different. As mentioned on this post, there is most likely two separate part numbers for these two tachs. As you have probably found out, the higher red line tach is very difficult to find.
I finished a restoration in Oct. 2003 of a L78 impala convertible (bench seat 4 spd.), and was very fortunate in that the tach and other hard to find parts were not missing.

John

[real_fast]

Do you still have the convertible? If so I'd like to see a picture. Also is the red hardtop an L78 also?

[real_fast]

Another thought, I noticed that the 7K tach's were for those equipped with 4-speeds. Does that mean that none of these tachs were issued in L78's with automatics, or were L78's only equipped with the standard tranny?

[impala L78]

real fast - Actually, in 1965, the standard transmission for an L78 full size car was a heavy duty 3 speed. However, I have never seen or heard of a car produced this way. You could not get an automatic in 1965 (with the L78). I believe that you could not get an automatic with a solid lifter big block (any model), until 1968.

Yes, I still have the convertible, It is a blast to drive. It is a factory black on black with white top bench seat 4 spd (M21), with 4:10 gears out back. Believe it or not, the original owner was a woman grammar school teacher. She drove it back and forth to school for 20 years. Unfortunately, I am not computer literate enough to post pictures. Something that I need to learn.

John

[L78Impala]

Yes the maroon car is a True L78 car.

Here is a shot of John's car.

[real_fast]

Beautiful cars. I would love to drive an L78.

I have a Biscayne and a 70 LS6 engine and was thinking of mating the two together. What kind of suspension upgrades would be needed? Also do you think orange like the color of the fruit would look good on the car? Right now it has no engine but the body is in beautiful shape.