MSD + Vintage Tach??

We run our 63 Plymouth in N/SS. It's a pretty realistic interpretation of the original cars. We try to keep it as visably close to the way they were as possible. One place we made an exception is with an MSD Ignition. We run a 6-AL with an MSD Distributor. The box is hidden-ish, but the Autometer Tach is a real eye sore. Is there a solution to running a vintage tach with the MSD?

I sent an old unit to "The Clock Doc", and lots of back and forth, and $300 later, it didn't work. We tried tach adapters and other electronics to see if we could find a solution, but no-go. Any ideas?

Here are pics of the dash and engine. Merry Christmas everyone!

Tommy, they make a 'retro' Sun Super Tach that is identical in appearance that will plug right into your MSD box.

Went through this a few years ago. Had an older Sun tach I wanted to use with MSD. It wasn't the older ones with the sender box,,just a late '60's early '70's one piece. I bought the tach adapter from MSD and it worked fine. The adapter was about $80-90. I looked at Sun's web page and found they make a tach that looks 'retro' that will plug right into the MSD box. Don't remember the exact price, but wasn't real bad.

How about a cable drive tach

The old Sun tachs were a joke. I had a couple that just went to any RPM's that it wanted , acted like a windshield wiper LOL. Went to Auto meter and never had a problem after that, That must have been in the early 70's. I think the cable drive tachs look the most vintage like in the photo above.

Thank you for the responses.... Steve, I purchased one of the Sun, retro tachometers. Did the same thing that the older models I had did.

I love the look and accuracy of the old mechanical tachometers. I even have a couple. I do not have a cable drive distributor. Actually I do have one that's in my son's incomplete car. Never ran the dual point distributor style distributor. Will it work for racing applications up to 7000 RPM? I have a potential source for another one, and that would be my first choice, but I've been skeptical about the performance of the ignition. Help me to get a warm-and-fuzzy feeling; )

You can convert the point style to a magnetic pickup and use it with the newer ignitions, I've had Pertronics convert several dual point Accel distributors to magnetic pick up and use them with the MSD race 7 series boxes
I'm not sure if you can still buy a over the counter conversion kit for the older Mopar dual points distributors or not, maybe on E bay
I have several of those old dual point tach drive distributors in the spare parts cabinet along with other ignition spare parts.

Cab, Have you seen what those old dual point tach drive distributors go for? They ain't cheap. I may go that route. Gotta think it over during the winter months. I want the car to look more realistic... I've been watching too much of the "Southeast Gassers".

I use the old MP electronic distributor with the tach drive. There are still some of them around...we may even have a couple around in boxes somewhere. I use a Moroso cable with an old SW mechanical tach from the old DC catalog. Been using it for forty some odd years.....there are a couple of old dual points with tach drives on Ebay now, pretty cheap, you could send it out someplace to be converted to electronic and rebushed...
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Mopar-426-Hemi-Race-Tach-Drive-Distributor-Prestolite/382311702025?hash=item59038d9e09:g:pEEAAOSwsFpaNRC4&vxp=mtr

Thanks Steve. I'd like to stay with the MSD if at all possible as it's run great for years. Was hoping there was an easy fix, but not looking good. I'll figure something out. Have a great Christmas. Hope to see you at the track this spring. Tommy

I had a tach drive one that was set up with a magnetic pick-up. Many years ago I sold it for $75 bucks... IMO, the only thing the distributor should do is fire the plug at the exact time it needs to fire. It doesn't seem like a smart idea to drive a cable and still think the plugs fire at the correct time.

Tom, I still use the MSD 6AL box. I just use the MP distributor. We'll see you this summer. Looking forward to it. Merry Christmas, my friend.