Douglas Frank wrote:
> Subject says it all. I'm asking for a recommendation on whom to
> trust to "make new" my speedo, tach, oil & temp gauges (all
> Smiths).
Douglas, I don't have any vendor suggestions, but a couple notes
based on my DPO's approach. He had the speedo rebuilt,
according to his mechanic, because the glass lenses were dirty.
The rebuilt unit wanders (the DPO installed it and the cable
himself) and mileage was zeroed. Anyway....
1) apparently there is a calibration measurement you should make
before sending in your speedo for a rebuild. Be sure to do this. I
don't know what it is, but apparently my DPO didn't do it. In my car
the speedo reads 80 at around 70, which makes my passengers
marvel at my TR4's sporty performance. :-) Till they notice everyone
else hauling past us.
2) opinions vary I'm sure, but I'd be inclined to have the odo set not
to zero but to the pre-rebuild reading.
Sure, in many cases the reading is clearly wrong anyway, but I think
it's still a more interesting "historical record" if you will, than zero. In
my case, the DPO's mechanic insists that the reading WAS original
mileage -- he knew the history of the car, having worked for the
second owner of 35 years as well as the third and DPO -- but it was
low enough that my DPO (who had it two years) was certain it MUST
be wrong. To his credit, not believing the speedo, he never claimed
the car was "low mileage" -- only the mechanic did after. But then, he
didn't record the odo reading before the rebuild either, so if it was
original... well it doesn't really matter. Actually, I've asked the
mechanic to check the second owner's service records for mileage
notations, but he hasn't turned them up yet.
--
Steven Newell
Denver, CO
'62 TR4 CT5018LO
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