1970 FIRE BIRD FORMULA FACTORY TACH AND GAUGES
 

I AM LOOKING FOR A SET OF FACTORY TACH AND GAUGES FOR MY 70 FORMULA.I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A SET FROM A 1970 CAR AS I KNOW THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCES.

There was a set of 1970 tach and gauges advertised on Facebook, but they were pricey. I think 1970 & 1971 are the same, the connector on 72 up was different.

Do you know how to tell one set from another?

Mike

The tach on a 70 has the single wire tach signal connector.. rather than the later year with a 2 pin (power and tach signal) connector.

At some point the temp gauge went to the 220 midpoint value.. but I don't believe that was exclusive to the 1970 model.

Both the 70 and 71 have the single "BRAKE" light on the speedometer.

I also think the connector on the 70 & 71 was different from the 72 and up.

So everyone (not just the OP) can see it here's what makes 1970 gauges unique:

1. housings; the housings are 1970-1972 - they are the same if they are for either rally gauge set; the clock and tach's each use a different rear cover that completes the housing; the housings changed mid 1972 when the seat belt minder was added.
2. the speedo's are 1970-1972, just like the housings, the speedo changed when the seat belt minder was added.
3. the oil/water gauge changed in either 1973, or for the 1974 model year (I cannot recall, but believe it has been spelled out here elsewhere); the early ones have the middle water temp reading as 210, while the later ones (lets call them 1973-1979) had the middle temperature reading as 220. I seem to recall reading that 1973 gauges had the 210 reading.
4. fuel gauges; the fuel gauge is a 1970-only thing, as the originals have a red/orange area in the last quarter tank (near "E") - this coloured zone was removed for 1971; the other fuel gauges are 1971-1974. Then in 1975 the large "FUEL" was replaced with a smaller font "UNLEADED FUEL ONLY" - that gauge is 1975-1979.
5. This is the last difference, and it's so small that I personally wouldn't sweat it; tach's - the original 1970 tach's are a one year only unit, which only have a single lead for a points distributor. The 1971-1976 tach looks exactly like the 1970 tach, except a second lead (reads "12v") was added for the electronic distributors. For 1971-1974 you could get an electronic distributor (Pontiac's version of an HEI) which is why the tach was changed.

As mentioned by Unruhjonny, there are physical differences in the housings and to add to Jonny's list. The 70-early thru 72 had 12-pin harness connection slots while the late-'72 up had a 16-pin slot. Also, the clock adjustment knob is black on 70-71, chrome on 72-up...I believe.

Dennis