One of my project cars (w/ the 2056cc GA) came with a 150mph speedo - it has NO silver dot and only a few numbers (30, 60, 90, 120, 150), I'm wanting all three gauges with silver dots, so I picked up a 120mph gauge (has silver dot and many more numbers).

It's my impression that a 120 is not gonna be ideal with the 2L (and maybe even larger engine down the road), or if they're even compatible - Will they play nice together? Is it common, or "just not done"?

I do actually like the 120 gauge better, because of the silver dot AND the additional numbers that it has.. can a 914 even exceed 120 ? ..

The other option is to try and swap the dot/needle from the 120 to the 150 and live with less numbers (not a big deal). Anyone know if that's as easy as it sounds?

Looking for thoughts ideas and opinions on this delema and don't want to send off to any gauge specialist either.

You can have either of the rebuilders put a silver dot in your 120mph speedo.

120 and 150 speedos are interchangeable. I like the 120 one with the silver dot as well. I’m using it on my 3.2 914-6 build.

The 120 already has the silver dot. Just wasn't sure how compatible it would be.


OK, that's good to know - I'll use the 120 then..

One final gauge question - Has anyone successfully painted the bezels without taking the gauges completely apart? Maybe taping the glass up really well to protect them? (asking since taking 'em apart requires unfolding the complete outer edge and potentially damaging them).



.

It is feasible to paint the bezels on the gauge, though I've got pretty good at removing them intact. That way boys parts of the bezel (inner and outer) can be uniformally coated.

If you're painting them in place, you need to be super careful about not scratching the glass while you're sanding down the bezels to "key" the metal surface. Masking up the glass with some protective layers prior to sanding, then replacing that masking before painting might work....? The casing side is not seen, so less critical there.

- Tony

You might want to remove the bezel, replace the glass with new, paint and reinstall. It's not hard to do.

They are completely interchangeable. But if you are sold on having a 150, silver dots also came in 150 mph on the 73 2.0 cars so no need to hack up a gauge. There are other differences between the later and earlier gauges so just swapping the needle wouldn't get you an exact match anyways (different bezel, different lens, different printing) .


Click to view attachment

OK, think I'll take 'em apart.. as there's probably as much work in protecting the glass as there is removing the bezels. Actually it's not the removing of the bezels (I can do that) that concerns me, it's the reinstall of it - since a slip while re-crimping them would put a big old scratch in your newly painted bezels.

We had a rainy day yesterday so I started working on my gauges, thus the questions.. here's the gauge I add a silver dot to, it's bezel will be replaced with the 914 fuel gauge bezel since it is indeed different:
hp laptop enter key not working

150-mph silver-dot speedos may have also come on 1.7 cars.

Not entirely sure my car was a 1.7, but it had a 150 mph silver dot in it when my family bought it in 1986. Car had the appearance pack, but no center console with gauges, no oil temp gauge in the main gauge cluster, no Fuchs wheels (it was on Pedrinis), and 1.7 heads on the (1911?) engine in the car in 1986. It was one of the first 200 of the "first 1000" 1973 models, and had more 1972 equipment than 1973 equipment when I started driving it in 1991~. Only "1973" things I can think of were front bumper guards and the side shift 901. So much else was 1972—doors, windows, top, rain tray, headlight switch, etc etc.

Would love to hear more about this.

Should look great when assembled - correct temp & pressure scales and wording for GT - NICE! If you find a cheap source for the temp sender let the group know? I believe the correct (low impedance) ones are obsolete...

- Tony

Come to think of it, I had a 73 1.7 ~20 years ago that i believe also had the 150 silver dot. May have been all 73s had them, i dont recall. That particular car was interesting in that it also had doors from the period after they changed to the later style window winders but before they added the side impact beams (I still have the doors from that car) I have had 3 73s and ever one of them had different doors, one early, one late, and one with the late winders but no impact beams.

I didn't have any problems with recrimping but when I installed it, the new after market grommet seals I bought were too soft and the gauge plopped out onto my also freshly repainted steering column and put a big scratch in both.

I finished up this gauge cluster, went with the 120mph speedo, for now at least. I got a little impatient and skipped the needle repaint on the speedo. Anyway, I think I have the temp sender figured out, but does anyone know which pressure sender I'd need?

Hmmm..... No fuel gauge?

I'll be adding a stand alone VDO fuel gauge where the cig lighter was.. and a volt meter under where the stock fuel used to be.

Actually, I'm gonna move the hazard switch to the right of the cig lighter (there's a hole behind the vinyl). So at the left of the steering wheel will be a headlight switch, fog light switch and volt meter.. to the right will be fuel gauge and hazard switch.


.