No mention of how to do this in drivers handbook , no obvious access to back of instrument , no obvious knob to turn ?? Car is a '75

Knob should be under the dash console.

And in the back it will go in the lower portion of the speedo it is a square drive and can be reset with the proper sized bit, and a few turns to get the numbers to all sign up to 0000. If it does not reset then chances are it needs rebuilt either the gears are slipping on the shaft, or they have became much smaller than originally intended. The gears tend to become brittle over time due to a reaction to the lube used by VDO, when that happens they will literally break apart in little pieces.

Only while car is stationary, never reset while in motion.

Yeah, that would be like a 1970's analog equivalent of texting while driving! LOL

P

And also a 1970s version of "I just broke my odometer."

The gears will break if you try to reset it while the car is moving.

Thanks to all who replied , I will investigate further !
PS previous car was a 1980 Ferrari 308 that had a knob to reset trip meter....but the connection to back of speedo was via a cable that had a tight 180 degree bend ,which would seize up if you even looked at it ....

The more I have exposure to the 308 the more I think it was just built off of leftover 914 parts.

My knob/flex shaft is seized, someday I'll replace it.

I worked on a Ferrari 308 one time. Ferrari's view on road cars was "We sell you an engine, you get the rest of the car for free." The cars lived up to that motto. The 308 came into my shop with a no crank issue. It would run fine, but had to be push started. A remote starter button would crank the engine, but the key would not. 4 other shops had already tried to fix it. I told him I couldn't estimate the job, it would have to be for time and materials. No profit in this job, just a challenge.

This was pre-internet, so I ordered a wiring diagram from Ferrari. It came, hand drawn and in Italian. So I got an English/Italian dictionary, and spent a week translating the wiring diagram. Once translated, I found it didn't match the car. It was a late production 308, and there were mods to the wiring that were never documented.

Mind you, all this is billable hours.

So I started disassembling the car. Pulled all the interior parts necessary to get to the harness in the tunnel and started chasing the wire to the start circuit. When I found the problem, I had most of the interior out, the dash disassembled, and the harness unwrapped from the starter to the ignition switch.

I found out that the wire changed color and gauge 3 times between the switch and the starter. And there was a cold solder joint in the middle of the harness under the console. Wiggle that, and the engine would crank.

My fix... I removed the spliced wire, and took a page from the Porsche book. I replaced it with a nice, heavy yellow wire that ran unbroken from the switch to the starter.

After reassembling the car, we called the customer. We took him to the shop, and I reached in through the window, made sure it was in neutral, and turned the key. It started right up. He was ecstatic! But his eyes about popped out of his head when we gave him the bill. When he started to complain about the labor hours, I reminded him that 4 other shops were unable to fix it before I got it. He paid it.

He kept coming back to me to get all the maintenance done on all his cars, especially the 308. I hated the major service. You have to remove the engine and trans to change the timing belt on that POS.


Ferraris are the flashy Italian girl that you want on your arm when you got clubbing. But they are expensive, high maintenance, needy b1tches that are dating your wallet, not because she loves you! Porsches are the good looking German girl you want to take home to mom, and the one you want to spend your money because you know she loves you and appreciates you.

Good points but at the end of the day do you want to eat German food served by a Frau or would you rather have Italian food and wine with a Bella Donna?

Italian style is something that is unique. So is their driving. It borders on anarchy at times . . . But I love that !

I have a Moto Guzzi. It’s the only bike that ever left me stranded. Still love it though - has looks and personality all it’s own. I totally understand your point though. My wife was stranded with me - she wasn’t impressed!

Ferrari 308 and Pantera both on the wish list.

I’m a slow learner!

Keine Frage, ich nehme deutsche Qualität über italienischen Style an jedem Tag ...

Why choose one over the other. I just float between my mechanical mistressees; both German and Italian.

I should have known better than to mess with the Resident German. My neighbor is German too. I hope he's not on this site!

The German girl will help you push the 914 in/out of the garage.

The Italian girl will Flag down a guy on a scooter to help you,.......then leave with him