Thanks all. I was really hoping someone would have installed a TSOd Vertical Card Compass and was happy with its performance. There was one in a Bonanza I owned and it was almost as good as a DG. On the other, I tried to install one in a Yankee and it spun like a propellor when the engine was running. Subsequently, other Grumman owners admitted they had disappointing experiences with vertical card compasses in their airplanes too. I was hoping to repeat the Bonanza experience. But, without a ringing endorsement from another Cruisair owner, I don't want to repeat the Yankee experience.
I've decided to leave the factory-installed "Whiskey" compass in my airplane alone and try to supplement it with a $27 non-TSOd, automotive vertical card compass made by Victor. A friend in Texas has one velcroed to the glare shield in his RV-6 and it provides the stability and direct (as opposed to reverse) reading, on a 360 degree format, that I'm looking for. Yeah, I use a hand-held GPS for virtually all my navigation anymore; and I keep checking the "track" vs. "bearing to the station" readouts and adjusting my heading. But it would be nice to find the right heading and then hold it by reference to a DG or, failing that, reference to a stable vertical card compass.
PIREP to come as soon -- as I can find a source for the Victor
