Worth saving or dumpster material?...
Worth saving or dumpster material? While some wouldn't give these a second look unless they were possibly the last set on earth, believe it or not, they still have plenty of life left in 'em.
When you jump behind the wheel of your car, what's one of the things you've always got your eye on? If you said anything besides "the road", you answered incorrectly-but we're not going to conduct a driver safety survey, so don't worry too much. As even the safest drivers will admit, your attention span is split between what's beyond the windshield glass and the cluster of telltale instruments that are literally at your fingertips. For the most part, "function" is the number one priority of your vehicle's gauges, as they are the communications control center linking you to all the vital stats of your car's mechanical components. It wasn't up until recently, however, that there were a whole lot of individual choices to make when it came to "form"-you either had to deal with mechanical/six-volt relics (which isn't necessarily a bad thing) or go with a popular aftermarket instrument.
Yep, this is the very same...
Yep, this is the very same speedometer along with the horizontal cluster, which was quite the worse for wear, from the very same '47 Chevy Fleetline they were originally installed in decades ago. Pictures too good to be true? Follow along as we reveal the secrets behind Classic Instruments' Custom Team.
Limitations are indeed a thing of the past. For those who need a way to think outside the box rather than follow the rules of conformity, there's a way to have the best of both worlds (gauge-wise) thanks to Classic Instruments. Along with offering the widest selection of aftermarket gauges there is, they also have set up an in-house program where customers can send their original gauges (or pretty much any vintage instruments) and Classic's Custom Team will retrofit them with all-new electronic instrumentation. Though they claim restoration is not part of the process, they do re-face gauges, and can do so to replicate the stock appearance or customize the graphics to your liking. Regardless, the end result is always the same: precision-engineered instrumentation packaged in a personalized manner.
Next time you're out scouring the swap meet (outdoors or online) and happen to eyeball an oddball gauge cluster-consider giving it a new life and home in your hot rod with a Classic Instruments retrofit. Or, if you prefer to keep your car's stock gauges, but a traditional restoration won't do, follow along and see what Classic did with some dilapidated '47 Chevy Fleetline instruments for a little "restofication" inspiration!
Classic Instruments' custom...
Classic Instruments' custom department has the knowhow and the resources to convert practically any shape, size, and/or application of gauges to the same modern, electronic instrumentation found in their line of popular gauges.
The original speedometer and...
The original speedometer and clock graphics get scanned, cleaned up a bit, and reformatted for future use. This process is done for both recreating OE faces as well as custom designs.
Completed graphics are applied...
Completed graphics are applied to freshly painted dial faces. With the minor exception of the Classic Instruments name at the bottom, the average person would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between these and a set of NOS ones.
Classic Instruments may have...
Classic Instruments may have done wonders with the gauges shown above, but in an attempt to not make the job even tougher than it already was, not to mention damage reusable items like the convex glass, they were individually packaged with care before being shipped off to their Custom Team for the pending retrofit.
In preparation for the new...
In preparation for the new instrumentation, the stock gauges are gutted from the housings and, in most cases, the housings are modified to accept the larger instruments.
Besides visually evaluating...
Besides visually evaluating the gauges condition wise (note the bezels are only partially painted here-they were pitted pretty badly, and since replacements aren't available, they would get painted completely instead), the Custom Team prepares for designing the gauge-face graphics.
About the only telltale way...
About the only telltale way these gauges are more than prettied-up old ones is from the backside-no longer are there any fragile copper-sending unit lines or frayed cloth-covered wire!
Both speedo and clock received...
Both speedo and clock received new transparent red pointers before getting hermetically sealed with painted bezels and polished glass lenses.
All four gauges mount to a...
All four gauges mount to a single aluminum plate that is then installed into the modified stock housing. The gauge faces have been treated to the same-albeit less intricate-retrofit, graphically speaking.
There's definitely more to...
There's definitely more to house now with the electronic instrumentation, but the space requirements are anything but restricted behind a '42-48 Chevy dash.
On the flipside, both round...
On the flipside, both round gauges are pre-tested and pre-wired (each with a single weatherpac-style connector) before being called done. The speedometer is now fully programmable, as well, evident by the DIP switches at the top of the gauge.
The process for the horizontal...
The process for the horizontal gauge cluster is pretty much the same, but a little different-each stock gauge mechanism is replaced with electronic units like the ones found in Classic's smaller round gauges.
Once the cluster has been...
Once the cluster has been fully assembled, like the speedo, it too is completely tested to ensure gauge accuracy and then wired with a single, convenient harness.
As mentioned previously, the...
As mentioned previously, the round gauge bezels were painted solid rather than replicating the stock two-tone (due to badly pitted metal). When selecting gauges for an instrument retrofit, consider the condition of the parts that "can't" be replaced.
The gauge cluster fascia was...
The gauge cluster fascia was later wood-grained along with the dash (something the wood grainer wasn't too happy about, as he had to delicately pry the bezel off and then reinstall after applying the finish!).
Considering these gauges weren't...
Considering these gauges weren't worthy of restoring in the first place, it really goes to show what an amazing job Classic's Custom Team is capable of.
Along with some freshly-dipped...
Along with some freshly-dipped dash moldings, the "restofit" gauges are back where they belong-and looking better than ever. On top of aesthetics, there's also the confidence factor in knowing this Fleetline will have the most accurate instrumentation possible.