Speedometer

Mean while I was waiting for the KPH scales where being manufactured I went over the speedometer it self.

1. I started out by cleaning the mechanism carefully, 56 years of  dirt made the mountain of ear tops grew quickly.
2. The hardest part was to clean al the numbers on the odometer.
3. New glas to cover the instrumentation was necessary as the undersigned managed to drop the original glas on the floor so it scattered into 100 of pieces. Well a trip to the glazier and a day of wait I could pick up the new one for the terrifying amount of $8.
4. Bead blasting and painting of all the sheet emtal part was done. The inner part where painted semi gloss black and the visable frame was painted in a broken silver color with a set of clear coats on top. Same as the frame for the cab heater.
5. The gauge pointers also got their treatment. But how do you actually remove paint of such a small and fragile object as the temp and fuel gauge pointer. I choosed to put a thicker piece of paper between the guage pointer and the gauge scale and then gently stroke the pointers with a small piece of sand paper. It is a real work of patient but it is really worth it in the end. I found the paint in a hobby store. I choosed a really bright orange (warning) color and a red one that I mixed until I got something that was similar to the original paint.

Before



After

Assembling next:

New KPH scale, old one on top.

New bottom with 8 steps instead of the old with 10.

This is how everything finally turned out.




Final assembly



Inside the cab

I was really satisfied with how it actually turned out. I just have to remember that the odometer still showes miles. .

That´s it so far..

UPDATE 2014-09-01

I finally stumbled upon a factory stock kph scale speedometer on facebook. I must say my best guess above became quite close to the factory stock

Courtesy: Marcello Grangetto

Courtesy: Marcello Grangetto


Its pretty close, not perfect but close....


And finally after a very long time, I found the youtube clip that started the whole thing.

Check out the speedometer at 1.00 and at 2.30.They do exist.....