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Re: Smiths speedo, silver face

Bill,

the most complete and original Cup Model known to survive is documented here, should answer all your questions bar the speedo face supplier, which I cannot answer.

https://gordonenglandregister.wordpress.com/fred-dash-cup-model/

Re: Smiths speedo, silver face

Is the one on this page suitable?

http://www.austinrepro.com/gauges.htm

Location: Oxfordshire

Re: Smiths speedo, silver face

Hi Ruairidh and Tony,

Thanks for the advice. The Austin Repro face suits speedos with a trip measurement but my one does not have a trip so only one window needed. However I'll ask Willie M if he does the single window type as well.

Others go up to 80mph but I've bought cars for less than what those speedos fetch!

Kind regards
Bill G

Location: Scottish Border

Re: Smiths speedo, silver face

Related to this, there is an extremely comprehensive article about the overhaul and update of the Smiths speedo as fitted to vintage Sevens, in the latest edition of the (Morris) "Vintage Minor Register" magazine. They use a slightly different model to our PA, but if you are patient, have good eyesight and sensitive fingers you could end up with an "as new" speedo. I'm sure the register will oblige at www.vintageminor.co.uk

Re: Smiths speedo, silver face

Another way is to take the image from Bruce White's site and invert the colours. This gives you black on white, then print on to clear water transfer paper. Paint your face plain silver and apply transfer.

Here is Bruce's artwork

(Bill I have emailed you a copy of the inverse)

Location: Hampshire

Re: Smiths speedo, silver face

Well, I'm now more than curious. It was my understanding that the angle-backed, silver-faced speedo for Pramhoods initially didn't have trip mileages as in the repro silver face suggested. Also reversing the PN face isn't much help as I don't believe it is relative (I would suggest most A7 owners would like to boast of their mileage - difficult to do when there's no provision!). Were those PNs ever on Sevens? As for the Smith's logo - if you reduce it by half as suggested it's approx 1" high, whereas the real logos on the speedos are only 3/8" high. I recently dug out Pramhood silver-faces for speedo and ammeter, printed on stiff photogrphic paper - put them aside, can't now find them. Also I loaned Ian Williams in New Zealand some negatives & can't recall if they were relative to the question. I looked at three silver-faced speedos last night and none of them have any trip mileage provision or model letters on them, just the Smith's logo. If would be helpful if an expert came forward please. Cheers, Bill the Bewildered.

Location: Euroa, Australia

Re: Smiths speedo, silver face

Thanks David and Bill
Thanks For delving into just one of many obscure areas of Austin fitments.
My car reconstruction is not truly faithful to the date of my 1925 chassis as it did not come with 6" hubs/brakes, so experts will soon see where I have gone "off piste"! Especially the all alloy GE Cup body shell.

I note that the Fred Dash GE Cup has a silver faced ammeter but a black faced speedo. Of course as the most original surviving Cup it could be that a) there was an overlap in production or b) speedo head has been replaced at one time. Or is it common to have mixed instrument faces?

Have now acquired a non working silver faced Smiths period clock ( rimwound) can anyone recommend a good clockmaker?

I'm a sucker for nice dashboards, you should see my TR3A!

Regards

Bill G

Sweltering today at the Scottish Border, crossing over to Morrisons!

Location: Scottish Border

Re: Smiths speedo, silver face

hi bill
We do both SILVER FACES 0-60mph 0-80mph WITH OR WITHOUT TRIP
TEL 01202 625242 to order
Austin reproduction parts ltd

Location: dorset

Re: Smiths speedo, silver face

Bill Sheehan
It was my understanding that the angle-backed, silver-faced speedo for Pramhoods initially didn't have trip mileages as in the repro silver face suggested.

My 1925 Chummy has a trip mileage silver-face speedo, and Phil Baildon's Pram Hood also has the notch cut-out in the dashboard to take the trip lever (although his car currently has the non-trip type). It was my understanding that you could have either type fitted when you bought the car from your local Austin dealer - presumably the trip one would have cost a couple of bob more.

David

Re: Smiths speedo, silver face

Thanks David - I hope you noticed I did say originally - actually a couple of the Pramhoods I've seen (including one of mine) had the notch cut in the dashboard, but in both cases it was difficult to determine if the cut was home-made or not. Maybe original factory, but perhaps significant that they were both on very-late-1925 models- as I think both yours and Phil's are? (We in Oz have to be careful in areas like this, as who knows what differences there are before the cars hit the road here in anger). I would suggest the black-faced speedo on the otherwise-original Cup was a replacement, as it's difficult to fit something originally that hasn't been invented yet? Thanks again, Cheers, Bill

Location: Euroa, Australia

Re: Smiths speedo, silver face

Hi Bill,

an example of both types for the mixing pot

 photo _MG_8458_zps4yocidgb.jpg

This car also has aluminium backed front seats.

 photo DSC_0933_zpsreob1fqu.jpg

Re: Smiths speedo, silver face

Thanks R, but here I am still stirring the pot - both photos are perfect examples of what unoriginal things can happen to a dashboard. One has the wrong (much later) switch panel,an unoriginal lamp, an extra instrument, an extra pull-push switch. The other earlier car has the magneto switch and the horn button removed and an unoriginal clock inserted. Who's to say the speedo with trip lever hasn't been added later? (Being an early version of the AC, there's every chance it may not have originally come with a speedo at all). Rant over. BTW - as I've cancelled my land-line home phone, you'll need to contact me on mobile 0435 582 294 (no texts please). Will probably phone you again before. Cheers to you and the Harem, Bill

Location: Euroa, Australia

Re: Smiths speedo, silver face

Hi Bill,

I was (attempting) to make the same point.

Re: Smiths speedo, silver face

Hi again R. I thought it was your aim - to demonstrate how many alterations can be made after leaving Longbridge - sorry I didn't thank you. Speedos are confusing to many, because for example Wyatt says "Feb-May 1924 - speedos first fitted". (For a start the Sports, produced in January-on, had them as standard). The inference is that all cars were so fitted - not so, they were only an option. Even in June '24 when the AC model appeared, the speedo was still only an option and there are still plenty of those earlier ACs running around minus the dial. Even in my time an owner who insisted on everything "original", against my advice, cut his dashboard and fitted one. In later years I'm sure someone, if not everyone, will maintain that it was there originally. The interesting thing - some ACs now fitted with speedos have them in slightly different positions which to me make the Longbridge-built claim slightly dubious! It was only in February 1925 that speedos became standard - exactly one year's production after the Wyatt-etc misleading reference. Hope this helps anyone restoring an early car. Cheers, Bill

Location: Euroa, Australia