DollyDodge Posted July 29, 2011 Report Posted July 29, 2011 I am thinking about getting my gauges restored. I looked at all the related links in the forum and I have a couple of questions. I have searched the internet and found all kinds of companies that do guage restoration, and they all make wonderful claims about their work, but dang, it is hard to know who is blowing smoke and who isn't. I have narrowed my potential companies to Redline in Santa Clarita, CA and Mark Clawson in the Pacific NW. Has anyone used either of them? The cost to do my guages (restore the gauges and faces) seems to run between $700 and $1000 (ouch). It variation in costs seems to be based on whether the faces are redone with some kind of transfer material or repainted entirley, among other things. Redline really seems to specialize in changing old systems to electronic and 12v, but they do original restorations. The other question I have is on Redline's web page they show a speedo for a PH truck that was changed to a tach (I have a spare speedo). I asked Redline and Mark about doing that with a 6 volt system and they said their are no 6 volt tachs being produced. Yet I got online and found two companies that manufacture 6 v tachs. I gave that information to Mark and he thinks he could do the conversion. I would put the tack in where the speaker went. Has anyone done that conversion for thier PH. Sorry for being so long winded, but this is a major cost and I want to make sure I get a good company. I get frustrated when companies say things can't be done or don't exist, yet with a little searching of my own I can find them. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Quote
JBNeal Posted July 30, 2011 Report Posted July 30, 2011 I had the '48 done by a guy in Arkansas back in '99, and tweren't cheap back then. He explained his process of photographing the gauge face and painting the bare face by hand, using the photo with gridlines imposed as reference..tedious work for a steady hand. The speedo was replaced with one he had sitting on the shelf that was in mint condition because the dished surface was hard to duplicate. I lucked out on the '49 as I found a near mint gauge set on eBay...the temp & fuel gauges were inoperative, but swapping them out was a snap. The tach in the speaker location is an interesting approach...looking forward to seeing how that works out. Quote
DollyDodge Posted August 1, 2011 Author Report Posted August 1, 2011 I attached pictures of the Redline PH gauges. You can see the speedo they converted to a tach. I kind of like the idea. Again, these gauges were converted to electronic 12 v gauges. The still look kind of cool, but I prefer the original black faces. I have seen these pictures on another post in this forum. The do look nice. Quote
B2B Ed Higbee Posted August 1, 2011 Report Posted August 1, 2011 I'm not any help but I need to get my temp gauge fixed. I did get my Speedometer fixed and it was around $250. The bearing was frooze up. It was a company in Minnisota I think. I would have to look up their name but they were listed in the PH club info. Quote
John-T-53 Posted August 2, 2011 Report Posted August 2, 2011 (edited) I attached pictures of the Redline PH gauges. You can see the speedo they converted to a tach. I kind of like the idea. Again, these gauges were converted to electronic 12 v gauges. The still look kind of cool, but I prefer the original black faces. I have seen these pictures on another post in this forum. The do look nice. These do look cool, but I agree the black background would be better. The best way to repaint the faces is by silkscreen method; some shops do this while it's beyond means of others. This speeedo shop in Michigan can go the whole nine yards, and they're pretty helpful on the phone: http://www.bobsspeedometer.com/1/120/about_bobs.asp I've dealt with Palo Alto Speedometer for my other ride - they did a great job replacing my speedo's jewell and calibrating it, but I didn't need any refinishing done. Expensive, though.... Edited August 2, 2011 by John-T-53 Quote
HanksB3B Posted August 3, 2011 Report Posted August 3, 2011 http://www430.pair.com/p15d24/mopar_forum/showthread.php?t=22206&highlight=gage+template See Post #34 Hank Quote
DollyDodge Posted August 3, 2011 Author Report Posted August 3, 2011 John, thanks for the recomendation on Bob's I will talk to him as well. Hank, I did see the post you sent me, infact I had some comments on that discussion. I saved the template file and sent it to Mark Clawson (one of the shops I was talking to), he said he could use it for my guages if I sent them to him. He was going to charge $250 set up fee, with the template he said he wouldn't need to charge the set up fee. Quote
DollyDodge Posted August 3, 2011 Author Report Posted August 3, 2011 Very humorous Hank-how about I buy you a big mac some day? I do appreciate the templates a great deal. If I use Mark for the resotration, that $250 was a big savings. Quote
HanksB3B Posted August 3, 2011 Report Posted August 3, 2011 But we have to eat it at the remote location you found that 47 cab in the middle of nowhere, or the place you and your grandfather got stuck back in 1959 os so. Hank Quote
DollyDodge Posted September 7, 2011 Author Report Posted September 7, 2011 I thought I would let folks know that I sent my guages to Mark Clawson to get restored. I also found a company to make a 6 volt electric tach. Marck has been in contact with them (Westach) and they will make him a 0-5000 full sweep tach that Mark can mount in the spare speedo I have and do a custom tack face for it. We are looking at about 2 mounths until the project is done. Just for information sake, Westach makes full sweet 6 volt tachs in 0-3500 and 0-5000, and also in the 10 - 2 design. Quote
JBNeal Posted September 7, 2011 Report Posted September 7, 2011 if'n they offer a price reduction for volume production quantities, I'd be interested in 1 or 2, I might have some cores to supply Quote
DollyDodge Posted September 7, 2011 Author Report Posted September 7, 2011 The 6 v full sweep tach with shipping is around $200, plus the cost to mount it in the old speedo and to do the art work for the tach face, all of which for sure isn't cheap, but it will be so cool (at least in my mind). I also ordered a 6v voltmeter and vacuum gauge from Westach for my old truck (I like gauges in case you can't tell-don't really need a tach, volt meter, or vaccum-but it will be cool). The volt meter and vacuum gauge will fit in the opening where the radio would have been. I will make a face plate to cover the hole and hold the two gauges. I am excited about having the gauges all fixed up. In my memory with my truck, at least, 45 years, the temp gauge never worked. Once the gauges are back it will be the first time in my memory they all worked. Quote
Aaron Posted September 8, 2011 Report Posted September 8, 2011 Just finished cleaning and restoring the guages in my '48 myself... Quote
DollyDodge Posted September 8, 2011 Author Report Posted September 8, 2011 Oh those look so nice, simply gorgeous. How did you restore the faces? Quote
B1B Keven Posted September 8, 2011 Report Posted September 8, 2011 Just finished cleaning and restoring the gauges in my '48 myself... Lookin' good! You used the '51-'53 amp gauge face? Quote
Aaron Posted September 8, 2011 Report Posted September 8, 2011 (edited) Lookin' good! You used the '51-'53 amp gauge face? CRAP! You are right. I didn't even notice that. Shoot! They were vinyl decals that worked well...I got them off ebay from Seller: shred-schwinnstone vazlov@earthlink.net a year ago or so... This may bother me enough that I have to tear that apart again.... Edited September 8, 2011 by aforests Quote
B1B Keven Posted September 9, 2011 Report Posted September 9, 2011 CRAP! You are right. I didn't even notice that. Shoot! They were vinyl decals that worked well...I got them off ebay from Seller: shred-schwinnstone vazlov@earthlink.net a year ago or so...This may bother me enough that I have to tear that apart again.... Run it for a while like it is. Hank and I are working on the correct gauge faces for the '48-'50 trucks. I've found a place near me that will print them on vinyl for less than $10. Quote
Merle Coggins Posted September 9, 2011 Report Posted September 9, 2011 Run it for a while like it is.Hank and I are working on the correct gauge faces for the '48-'50 trucks. I've found a place near me that will print them on vinyl for less than $10. Find out if they could make a clock face for a speedo, based on the speedo number style. I wanted to turn a spare speedo into a clock to put in the speaker hole, but vinyl sign shop that I always used has closed and they moved out of state. She was really good at that sort of thing. I'm willing to pay, within reason. Merle Quote
DollyDodge Posted September 9, 2011 Author Report Posted September 9, 2011 I have a question about the amp gauge. My truck is a 50 and it has the 50-50 amp range. Our 49 has the 30-30. When did the amp guage change? Quote
Monkey Truck Posted September 9, 2011 Report Posted September 9, 2011 Just finished cleaning and restoring the guages in my '48 myself... That looks awesome!! Nice job. Question for you... how difficult was it to remove the gauge cluster?? I need to remove mine and refinish it like you've done, but it seems a little tricky to remove. How is the oil pressure line removed? Does it unscrew right behind the gauge? The temp gauge has a thermometer in the engine block, I assume that has to be removed from the engine and pulled through the firewall? Quote
DollyDodge Posted September 9, 2011 Author Report Posted September 9, 2011 The cluster comes out fairly easily. Yes there is a connection for the oil gauge behind the gauge, and yes the temp gauge bulb needs to be taken out of the block and pulled through the firewall (inlucing removing the clamp in the firewall-I think that will make sense when you look at where the lines go through the firewall) Quote
Merle Coggins Posted September 9, 2011 Report Posted September 9, 2011 I have a question about the amp gauge. My truck is a 50 and it has the 50-50 amp range. Our 49 has the 30-30. When did the amp guage change? That change came with the B2 models and the upgraded 45 Amp generator. Actually the late '49 "X" serial number trucks got it too. Merle Quote
Monkey Truck Posted September 9, 2011 Report Posted September 9, 2011 The cluster comes out fairly easily. Yes there is a connection for the oil gauge behind the gauge, and yes the temp gauge bulb needs to be taken out of the block and pulled through the firewall (inlucing removing the clamp in the firewall-I think that will make sense when you look at where the lines go through the firewall) THANKS!!! I'll give it a try. Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.