Memories of what happened fifty years ago can be incredibly clear. You may wake up and remember something that happened half a century ago out of the blue. It could feel like it just happened yesterday. However, all that being said, fifty years is a long time. Corvettes are some of the most incredible muscle cars to have ever existed. Many of the parts, however, weren’t built to last for fifty years. This is particularly true of the speedometers. In this blog, we’ll talk all about Corvette speedometer topics. We’ll cover the problems they face, how we rebuild them and more.
Corvette Speedometer Issues
For those of us who were there for the glory days of the Corvette, it’s natural to think of these cars as kind of invincible. It can seem like they’re invulnerable; always at their absolute peak. Unfortunately, that’s not really the case with the speedometers. Like essentially everything else, time poses a series of problems to them. Lubrication doesn’t last forever, as over the course of the last fifty years they turn into a substance not dissimilar to wax. Often, we’ll have clients tell us “I didn’t drive my Corvette that much; I don’t know what the problem with the speedometer is.” The truth is that it doesn’t really matter what the mileage is: over half a century, everything wears down. Speedometers that have been around that long, no matter how lightly used, could use repair (if not more drastic measures).
The Ins and Outs of Magnets
“First worm,” “magnet,” whatever you call the magnet in one of these speedometers gets turned by the cable quite quickly. Over time, this is what leads to the failure of the speedometer. You may read this and think: “ah, so repairing a speedometer is just a question of replacing this one gear.” That’s not the case, unfortunately. The magnet must be charged, installed properly and flared, and then discharged to obtain the proper calibration. We make sure to look beyond that, so that you can have a fully fixed vehicle. So, we inspect the frame that houses the magnet, too. From there, we use our special calibration equipment and all of our unique tools to replace what needs replaced and rebuild what needs rebuilt. No matter what, we always inspect the frame. Only once it’s fully inspected and signed off on can we prevent premature failure.
The Details that Matter
Inner plates (and other areas) of the speedometer may have some paint in them that’s very old. Paint, like everything else in these speedometers, wasn’t originally designed perhaps to last for half a century. When these speedometers are disassembled, they can flake. This leaves paint flecks in and around your speedometer. Will this stop your car from running? No. But, if you’ve come to us, you’re someone who’s serious about your Corvette. That means that you want it run right but you want it to look even better. So, if any of these paint flecks become an issue in your speedometer, we’ll go into action. We’ll blast the old paint so that it’s not a concern. Then, we’ll repaint the finishes. This way, your speedometer (and really, anything else in your Corvette) will look like it should.
Included with your Speedometer
We’re always looking for ways to offer our customers more. So, when we’re repairing speedometers from certain eras, for certain vehicles, we make sure that we can offer as much as possible. For example, for speedometers from 1953-62, we will rebuild the speedometer for a $105.00 labor charge. . Now, bear in mind, for that amount of money, you get so much more than just the speedometer repair. You also get the disassembly, the calibration, the restored repainted case, the entire speedometer cleaned, and we will rebuild the internal mechanism. depending on what your speedometer needs are. We feel that those services should be included with every Corvette speedometer.
That being said, sometimes speedometers require more to make sure they’re in their best working order. That means that we may have to refinish the lens backplate (1953-1958 only). We can do that for a low price. Additionally, we have plenty of reproduction chrome bezels and odometers for these speedometers. Too many places say they offer “restoration parts” that don’t really do much other than restore the company’s bank account. That’s not what happens here. Restoration products from us restore your vehicle to an earlier time.
This blog has covered our speedometer services, but it’s important to note that these are just one of the many different kinds of services you can find at our site. We’re always trying to find ways to make your Corvette better. We understand what a Corvette means and what it can be. So, our rebuilding and restoration parts are here to make that come true. For more information about how we can rebuild parts for you Corvette, or to find the best restoration parts around, call us at (800) 638-6450 or head to our site.