Tach Cluster

[bolokid]

2 weeks ago I picked up a 1990 Surf Blue Festiva that was a single owner car. The older woman who had bought it new passed away and the car had sat for several years and was not running. To make a long story short the engine is locked so we bought one of the Ford blocks that was mentioned here on the forum last week.

The car has an automatic transmission and also a tach cluster. I can hardly imagine an elderly woman swapping in a tach cluster so.......in 1990 did an automatic come stock with a tach cluster?

Thanks.

[TWFodor]

I believe they did. My 90 L Plus auto came with one

[jawja jim]

According to the standard and optional equipment list, 90 LX and L plus had tachs.

[bolokid]

Thanks.

[Sid_RallyX_82]

Which cars had the 110 tach cluster? I'd like to replace mine with that. Also, what else is needed to go with it?

[Greywolf]

Next question I suppose, is WHY did an automatic transaxle car have a tach?

[sketchman]

Lots of the Festivas with manuals had no tach. It's not really trans dependent so much as it's viewed as an upgrade all on its own.

None of my manual trans cars, now that I think of it, had a tach from the factory. I have always had to swap clusters to get one.

[jawja jim]

Next question I suppose, is WHY did an automatic transaxle car have a tach?

So you can grit your teeth when you see how high it's revving at highway speed. Mine tachs at 55 what will give 70 in a 5 spd. But having the "lights on" warning is worth having the tach, to me. I don't think the tach was even an option after 91, maybe 90.

[jwt101]

I put a tach in my auto for that reason. I wanted to know how fast I could run, or at least how fast I wanted to with the rpm's.

[Greywolf]

I think that digital aftermarket tachs would be simpler and easier to add than to go on an easter egg hunt for a cluster in a yard somewhere, plus they look a lot nicer in my opinion.

They are also available in a lot of different styles:

https://www.google.com/search?q=digital+tachometer&sourceid=ie7&rls=com.microsoft:en-US:IE-Address&ie=&oe=#q=digital+tachometer&tbm=shop

Shucks - here's a nice 2 inch one for twenty bucks:

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/shopping?q=tbn:ANd9GcTHsItXpMF2nqnTmhC7aLJfA9H9LvW8yIZFke7ZVubkDcrdSy-mqbZZWImpxDcMUWPguToZTLWW&usqp=CAE

So they're not very expensive either, unless you wanna go whole hog!