Thank you very much everyone! I hope this is all that is broke, that would be neat.
-W
update:
So, I went and bought a 1/2 Watt / 470 Ohm resistor at radio shack and soldered it in good - wired it up - and the needle bounces and things but I don't think it is accurate - it'll go up to around 1500 rpm on the gauge while the tranny shifts (th350 auto tran/350 eng) so... 1, 2 , 3 and only 1500 don't look right to me...
mebbe it's picky?
Wrong resistor or sumfin' else is busted also.
-W