We’ve recently had a chance to compare two tach gauge clusters on a pair of ’68 Mustangs.
And that’s an unusual opportunity because a factory tach is a very rare option on ’67-’68s; reportedly only two percent of ’68s were so equipped.
Here’s the deal: The ’68 GT fastback we’re starting a major restoration on has a 6,000 rpm tach and a 120-mph speedometer as shown in the photo. At a recent cruise night we met an original owner of a ’68 GT coupe and that car also had a factory tach. However, it was an 8,000 rpm version and the car also had a 140-mph speedometer.
Usual thought was that only Shelbys had 140-mph speedos and 8,000 rpm tachs, but this car wasn’t a Shelby and the original owner said that’s the way the car was equipped the day he drove it home brand new. Both cars are ’68 GTs with the one-year-only J-code 302 four-barrel engine, yet they have these two different gauge clusters.
Has anyone else out there ever seen a ’67 or ’68 with a 140 speedo and an 8,000 rpm tach that’s not a Shelby? Or does anyone have any explanation for the unusual car we saw and others that might be like it? Thank you in advance for letting us and our readers know by responding to this post.