While cleaning up my engine bay this afternoon, I noticed a small object resting near the driver's side screw that ties the radiator fan cover to the radiator support. The cover was loose and missing the screw, so I thought for a second that the piece might be the screw that had somehow worked its way out of its place. I noticed, however, that the piece had a bright orange stripe on it, and I briefly wondered if the marking was there to indicate that the screw was some special part to be removed only by a qualified mechanic. Once I picked it up, though, I realized it wasn't a screw.

In fact, the piece is the bottom part of a tachometer/speedometer needle! The underside has a small metal pole coming out of it that connects to whatever turns the needles in the instrument cluster.

What's amazing is that no tachometer or speedometer has been near the engine bay of my car in months! The most likely explanation for the part's introduction to my car was while it was in the shop getting a few things worked on, including a tachometer that was working strangely. Perhaps the shop manager, while trying to figure out why my tach wasn't working, broke the needle and had the piece fly off and land in my car without him noticing! (Then, I suppose, he surreptitiously replaced my tachometer and proclaimed it fixed!)

What's even more amazing is the distance and speeds I've covered since the piece could possibly have ended up in my car! That little broken needle piece has been stuck in my engine bay for probably two months, well over 1000 miles! I've reached speeds in excess of 100 mph and cruised for long distances at 80+, yet neither the road speed winds nor the air currents from the radiator fan dislodged the needle!

Despite having no use for a broken part, I hate to throw it away, having traveled so far!

(I hope you guys enjoyed this little diversion devoted to some random thing that got stuck in my car!)
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'89 244 GL -- 108,001 miles (see profile for info on car)

I'd think you drove through an accident scene and it got flipped up there on its own. It's amazing the stuff you can find along the side of the highway.

Most of my garden and yard tools, plus all of my ladders came from the highway, plus some stuff we won't talk about here!

Wow! So how is the headlight conversion going?

Ha ha, that's part of the reason I was in there.

Today I chipped off the flaking paint and sanded away the rust on the quad beam headlight mounting brackets. My dad then spraypainted them black while I cleaned up my engine bay. I had been hoping to do a few more things, but I ran out of time.

I need to figure out how I will do the wiring. I'm currently trying to figure out what kind of relay kit I need from Daniel Stern Lighting, and I'm probably also going to buy a sidemarker kit to install at the same time. When the things actually get installed are contigent on the arrival of those parts, so I really need to get on the ball and get them ordered. Officially, my dad is taking off from work Wednesday on, so I hope to get a lot done then, but stuff may be postponed until just after Christmas. As it is, though, I'll have this conversion done before the new year!
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'89 244 GL -- 108,005 miles (see profile for info on car)

I used a triple 30A relay setup on the right inner fender.
Came off the Alt to a break out box (RS plastic) and split the feed into 3 on a steel ground bar from HD. Same for master ground.
Used the existing signal (12v+) from each headlight to trigger the relays.

Advice, get a good fuse bar (like the Car Audio folks use) 'cause it will delete one of the major headaches which is corrosion in the in line fuse holders that Dan sells. The enclosed fuses are mountable to the innder fender as well.

I used 10 ga Amplifier cable w/ a ring terminal at the Alt and stranded Marine 12 ga after that for all wiring. Painted the area around each connection with liquid rubber insulation for luck.

That was very entertaining... A tach needle! Of course!...