Original Smiths Gauges

[terlingua11]

I am currently looking for a few original Smiths Gauges for an early worm and sector Cobra. Not having much luck here in the States and was wondering if anyone can provide some contact information for anyone who might have any. Thanks in advance. Here is the list:
   
   fuel   FG 2530/75
   water temp   TG 1503/99
   
   Small gauges should be lighted by a bulb that sits outside a
   case with perforations as opposed to one where the bulb is inside the
   case.
   
   
   Also a Smiths Speedo ( US version )
   
   SN 5321/05  4" diameter 160MPH 1100 RPM

[Laurence Kent]

Have you checked out Nisonger Instruments? They are in your country. There seem to be few Smiths gauges that they can't help people with. Good luck with your endeavours!

[terlingua11]

Yes, I have tried all the usual guys here in the States. They all want to sell me the reproduction gauges with the incorrect faces. I would like to find 2 original gauges so they match the look of the other original gauges already on the car. I was told the Fuel and Water gauges were used on other cars ( which ones exactly I don't know ) and am hopeful they won't be too difficult to locate once I can determine which vehicles they also came on.

[terlingua11]

Just a bump to an old posting. Still looking for originals.....
   
   Thanks-
   Jeff

[TTM]

quote:Originally posted by terlingua11
   
Yes, I have tried all the usual guys here in the States. They all want to sell me the reproduction gauges with the incorrect faces.

   
   Could it not be possible to redo just the faces?
   
   I have heard of people who redo them for other brands, to keep the period look but with the reliability of a new unit.
   Surely someone on here may be good enough with a computer to model the original Smiths faces and print a few?
   
   Am I the only one who could not sleep with a "Made in UK" gauge instead of the original "Made in England"? ;)

[nikbj68]

Contact Caerbont Gauges as they should be able to make what you need, having the original Smiths drawings & tooling.

[TTM]

Interesting, thanks for the link.

[rsk289]

I have just had my gauges restored or replaced, mostly using core gauges of the same type bought cheaply on ebay.
   As we know, the British motor industry worked in a particular, efficient way (yes really) when it came to ancillary parts.  Pretty much any part you need (with a few small exceptions) was used in something else, in a slightly different form.  So far, I have found:
   Speedo:  Sunbeam Rapier (correct casing, style of dial, needle, trip reset etc. - would need recalibrating and new dial printing)
   Tachometer:  MGA/early MGB, with the ignition light in the face (becomes high beam in a Cobra - again, correct casing, style of dial, scallop for telltale, needle - would need reprinting and recalibrating, see below, or (better) conversion to RVI type electronic, using dummy cable from dynamo)
   Fuel gauge:  loads of cars, but early MGB or Frogeye etc. (would need reprinting)
   The tricky one is the temp gauge as few cars used the original 30-100 range and it is difficult to change the internals on that one.
   These were all sent to Tim at Speeodgraph Richfield in the UK, who will restore and repair as necessary and reprint the dial to whatever you want, including part numbers.  Another possible problem can be the tacho, as the correct gearbox for the cable drive is readily available but only as the original 4:1 ratio.  The culprit is the dynamo pulley, which was unique to the Cobra and very, very large diameter.  Unless you have the correct one your tacho will not read correctly.
   Note - the replica gauges readily available all use a wildly incorrect needle style, which to me sticks out like a sore thumb.