Need a tachometer for a 1936 Jensen Ford - Any ideas?

[David Davies]

Fair point, Joerg!

I still think that the White Lady probably had a tachometer originally for the following reasons:

- the 1935 Jensen V8 Ford Four-Seater Tourer EA6868 appears to have had one (see the current picture of the car and two 5 inch dash holes pre-resto) and the 11935 Jensen Ford V8 Woodie certainly had one, a Cooper Stewart tacho per the picture
- the White Lady is believed to have been completed in 1935 and has a very similar engine compartment (obviously the flat heads on EA 6868 and the White Lady are a bit later but it has not changed the layout
- the 'Clark Gable' Jensen V8 Fords of 1936 also had tachometers and Richard Jensen explains in the extract from a letter dated 10 Feb 1936 how they will be driven. I imagine this was the way all these cars' tachometers were driven originally

I also attach the S-Type chassis pic from the 1936 brochure which show on the production S-Types the cable goes into the back of the later dynamo. Also shown in the pic of S34 reg CAC 41 I used to own. Quite how I solve my tacho issue I am not sure. Will add 3 more pics in next post

Food for thought.

0 Clark Gable Jensen V8 Ford Chassis Specs.jpg (358.11 KiB) Viewed 174 times

1 1935 Jensen V8 Ford.jpeg (143.86 KiB) Viewed 174 times

2 1935 Jensen V8 Ford Pre Resto.jpg (19.64 KiB) Viewed 174 times

3 1935 Jensen V8 Ford Engine 1.JPG (329.17 KiB) Viewed 174 times

4 1935 Jensen V8 Ford Engine 2.JPG (334.95 KiB) Viewed 174 times

5 1935 Jensen V8 Ford Woodie 1.png (707.83 KiB) Viewed 174 times

6 1935 Jensen V8 Ford Woodie 2.png (321.35 KiB) Viewed 174 times

7 1935 Jensen V8 Ford Woodie Engine.JPG (348.93 KiB) Viewed 174 times

8 1935 White Lady Dash.jpg (168.8 KiB) Viewed 174 times

[David Davies]

Here are the three final pics

[Joerg]

I have very deep respect for experts with much more experienced and longer involved in the history of our beloved cars.
This said upfront I would welcome if someone think closer about the following:

I see on the S-Type drawing that there is a cable coming out of the dynamo, clearly a device to drive the rev-counter - but that is only possible because of the two SU down draft carburettors. With a Ford carburettor there is no room for that cable.

Secondly as you can see on the picture the material that surrounded my clock is exactly the same as the dashboard. That indicates a missing rev counter from the beginning.

And the letter that describes the rev counter drive by a device from the left waterpump isn’t visible in any of the pictures.

So maybe my conclusion that there has never been a rev counter in the prototype might be not wrong.

[David Davies]

I already agreed Joerg that while the production S-Types had their tachometers driven from the dynamo, the earlier cars with their different engine, dynamo and carbs did not. I also agree that the dashboard aluminium of the White Lady looks ancient. It's hard to be conclusive one way or the other about the tachometer but I would just add the following in support of my view that the White Lady originally had a tachometer when it left the factory:

1 all the other 1935 and 1936 Jensen models seem to have had tachometers (eg EA 6868 the Jensen V8 Ford Four-Seater Sports, the Jensen V8 Ford Woodie and the Clark Gable Jensen Fords). It would be very odd if the 1935 White Lady, did not also have one. On pre-war sports cars a tachometer was regarded as more important than the speedometer and I just don't believe the Jensen brothers would have put a time clock in that position

2 I have never seen any other pre-war car with a time clock placed where the tachometer is usually placed, in front of the driver. Clocks are usually placed to one side, as they are on EA 6868 and my S-Type

3 While the dashboard aluminium certainly looks ancient, the insert to grip the clock is a very odd piece of design for the factory to have made from new. It could of course have been provided so that if the customer wanted to change to a clock they could do so. However, equally likely it was something aerospace engineer Huva made up in his workshop as he may have preferred to have a clock in front of him on his travels. Or maybe the clock was put in when the rev counter stopped working or the small gearbox driving the tachometer off the right hand side of the water pump pulley became faulty and could not be replaced.

I don't have any period pictures of the engine bays of any of the 1935 and 1936 Jensens, including the White Lady, to show what the small gearbox Richard Jensen talks about actually looked like.

At the end of the day Joerg it's your wonderful car to what you like with! If the car was mine (if only!) I would have a tachometer put in not only because I think there is quite a strong case that the car originally had one but it is far more useful today than a time clock when driving the car. No car likes to be over-revved and flat head Fords especially so.

The White Lady continues to fascinate!

[Joerg]

I have everything but on my IPhone
See https://hoots-classic.de/en/home/

Not visible but very very useful.
One day I will find a rev-counter that is period correct. ( and someone who is able to give the face the right patina as per the speedometer) Also need a temperature gauge while the fuel gauge is now found and in the process of rebuilding.

Rome wasn’t build in a day and a car has to be driven not winning concourse

[Dino Fritz]

I wonder if this company could help remanufacture the tachometer face?

https://www.heiler-tachodesign.de/Jensen

Beautiful car, good luck with the tachometer!

Cheers,
Dino