Went for a cruise yesterday with friends. When I was about 50 miles from home my speedometer started screaming at me and the odometer started flaking out. Eventually the needle fell off. North Hollywood Speedometer quoted 225 to repair assuming nothing crazy happened inside. Is this something I can tackle myself or is it one to pay a professional to do? Are there other options besides North Hollywood I should consider? Thanks in advance for your input.

Others will have to chime in about DIY. My local indie was able to repair my odo so perhaps you can too.

I did use Palo Alto Speedometer to convert my clock to quartz. I can recommend them, at least for cross shopping before making a decision.

Both are well-known for this work

Could be stripped gears in the gauge or cable gone,NHS are charging you for a cosmetic overhaul,if you are DIY buy a good used speedo and reclock it to the mileage you have on your old one,if not get them to do that job.
The reset isn't that hard but opening the gauge is a little more challenging but you can clean the face and glass and repaint the bezel @ the same time.
However I would check your cable before doing any of the above,disconnect @ both ends and see if it turns front and rear.
Good luck.

Just put a WTB in classifieds and get a used one. I am guessing you have a problem with speedometer cable or drive. Pretty hard to kill a speedometer by it self.

I bet it's the cable not the speedo.

Sorry 2 x reply.

The OP said his "needle fell off."

That sounds like more than the cable.

bad cable could have caused enough vibration to cause the needle to rattle off - my money is on the cable....but either way, the gauge is going to have to come apart, if only to fix the needle....

seen it before .