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Posted

need a ammeter/temperature gauge cluster for my '41.  I believe they used this identical style from '40 through '47.  It has the left-turn arrow as well.  (Pic attached -- not my car, obviously).  I don't care about the condition of the gauges themselves --  I'm most interested in the condition of the copper/plastic surround and the cream plastic part in the middle.  Thanks!

41_dash_LI.jpg

Posted

They show up quite often on eBay and the plastics are available from Bob's Automobilia, I believe. The copper is usually in good shape since it doesn't really tarnish or rust. With some patience you should be able to find a really good set.

Posted

Thanks, Matt.  Yes, I have already gotten a couple from Ebay very cheaply, but still searching for a better one.  I have heard that the reproduction plastic pieces aren't very good -- in fact, the guy who answers the phone at Bob's (Bob himself?) discouraged me from buying them, saying that they would not match the color of the originals in my other gauges.  Have you seen the reproduction pieces?

Posted

I have seen them and the quality isn't bad, but he's right that they won't be a match. The new plastics are a bit brighter and yellower than the originals, but some of that is surely due to age on the originals. So yes, the repros aren't a perfect match unless you replace the entire set. I have a few NOS gauges and the colors vary quite a bit depending on how they were stored, but they're all creamier than the reproduction pieces. It's tough to get them all to match without doing all the gauges at once. However, I will say that you can tweak the color a bit with creative painting (my gauge guy is particularly good at it), so it isn't an all-or-nothing proposition if you're creative. And even some mis-match might be better than broken pieces. It depends on how close you can get.

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