the 3 series cam is not what I would want... it is a cam made for fuel efficentcy.... I really don't want the powerband LOWER then what is is stock, the engine has enough low end power, it is the top end where it lacks... so taking away from what it already dosn't have much of adds to that.... For my intentions with the 425 (mostly stock, some tuning etc...) the stock cam isn't a factor right now.... Maybe I can pull the thread that I was talking about swapping the cam.
The location of the tach does not block anything, not even the left blinker directional arrow, in fact it kinda matches the car, black background with white letters and a red/orange needle. having the redline at 4,000RPM is neat though... it is soo different then any other car I have been in, like my friends '01 Jetta 1.8T, or even my fathers '99 GP GTP, it goes thru the revs so quick, 100RPM means nothing.... but just look at the tach on the '79, the speedo moves faster then the tach!
Not only that, but 100RPM on the 425 makes a world of a difference etc....
I have it on with double sided tape, which has now fallen off, so I will just put one of those big plastic pipe tie things on it and be done for now.
Also, the tach goes to 8,000RPM, so if I put it on 4cylinder mode, it doubles the real RPM, it is pretty cool to see it wind up to 8,000 or move so fast in this car
2 cool things I have noted though:
under WOT in drive, the 1-2 shift happens at 3,900RPM, and the 2-3 shift is 3,400RPM..... which is why when in drive it goes into 3rd around 85mph, but if you manually shift it and hold it out longer, it'll completly burry the speedo, and then go. I think I remember gearing the "redline" of the engine is around 4,200RPM.... I have shifted my 425 into 2nd at 4,600RPM (doing 65mph in first!) and it didn't like it too much.... by then the power is dropping way off though.
Also, the stock torque peak is at 2,000RPM, you would be very surprised to see that under normal acceleration form a stop, going from 40-60mph, or anything, when you hit the gas (not to the floor, but normally) the tach goes right to 2,000RPM, then sits there.... while the car is accelerating... the tach moves very slowly, but it just, for the most part sits there.... it is pretty cool how these engines move these cars with the gearing they have.....