1940 Speedometer?

[kingrudy]

My speedometer is not working, disconnected cable from head and I am getting ready to send this to a speedometer shop. I am now obsessing about the appearance of the unit. Is it correct, or not. The one in the car is a 120 mph unit and it was refreshed five years ago. I checked my parts manual and it lists only one number for the speedometer (1565777) as being correct for 1940. This would lead me to believe that all speedometers that Buick installed in 1940 were 110 mph. 

I purchased a speedometer from 1940 with the 110 mph and the "Bright Lights" at the bottom of the bronze bezel with the intent of restoring this and installing it in my car. I am aware that the cream colored plastic is not going to line up with the tic marks on the clear mph indicator, but I think that I can make that pretty close. Could Buick have installed the 120 mph unit (1566016) in these cars later in the year? Suggestions, recommendations?

Thank you,

[kgreen]

No, all Buicks in 1940 had the 110 mph speedometer.  You have the option of selling your 120 mph particularly if it is in good condition and operable; they are in demand.  That will give you seed money, or possibly more to repair the correct 110 speedo.  The 120 speedo's seem to be more popular/desirable because of the greater number of 1941 Buicks out there relative to the 1940's. I had a time finding a 110 but did, and am now having it rebuilt.  Once you've seen the difference, however slight, your eyes will always tell you that you've got the wrong one.  

 

Now if your driving the tires off that car and you can overlook the slight differences, I'd say keep going.

[goshencars]

I have a replacement dial face for the 110 MPH 1940 speedometer. I attached a photo and how mine looks with it installed. if interested contact me @ avon23@frontier,com

[Morgan Wright]

On 9/16/2020 at 1:39 PM, kgreen said:

.....The 120 speedo's seem to be more popular/desirable because of the greater number of 1941 Buicks out there relative to the 1940's....

 

Not just 1941, the 120 MPH speedo was used from 1941 all the way up to 1947.

[kingrudy]

On 8/18/2022 at 7:19 AM, goshencars said:

I have a replacement dial face for the 110 MPH 1940 speedometer. I attached a photo and how mine looks with it installed. if interested contact me @ avon23@frontier,com

I am interested, please send me the details. 

Thanks, Mike 

[RiKi5156B]

Would a 40 century have a 120 speedo? I have one in my 40 special but I had parted 3 specials and 1 century

[Morgan Wright]

3 hours ago, RiKi5156B said:

Would a 40 century have a 120 speedo? I have one in my 40 special but I had parted 3 specials and 1 century

 

110 MPH

[RiKi5156B]

Then I must have put the century one in my 40. I didn't part out any other years or I bought a 120 from someone.

Edited August 30, 2022 by RiKi5156B (see edit history)

[2carb40]

On 8/18/2022 at 6:19 AM, goshencars said:

I have a replacement dial face for the 110 MPH 1940 speedometer. I attached a photo and how mine looks with it installed. if interested contact me @ avon23@frontier,com

These look great in the photos! In person, not so much! Blaze white and surface very rough! I bid on eBay and got one. Wish I'd hadn't been high bidder. Just the facts! And no, I don't want to try and return it, I want to forget and try to figure out how to smooth background. Poor reproduction that unfortunately doesn't show up well in photos.

[Rock10]

Ebay has become very buyer friendly. You can get your money back easily. It was not as advertised. Just my 2 cents . 🙂

[SparkEE]

Anyone have recommendations for a good source for replacement 1940 Buick speedometer face?

 

[neil morse]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/125542512956?fits=Year%3A1940|Make%3ABuick&hash=item1d3aeab93c:g:eysAAOSwl~hi~YC4&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAsAHnsiBw3j3FUHu1UEx7ifbF%2FZTBWg3g4V%2F1WvYwPJ8hUm6GtuUdk3BV6E2acJyWYWDAhsDERyNeTjwQSShYequrjLHuCWCrimu6T3kbz091a6efy7PS3MSvw3vHwQ5SusctLw0o6qJIWnSd2JEdtO5hPY2x1DyGAIPKNwo7yclL1%2FNae92EVAnTkR14ZVFB%2BxWyDBt6GOIXrrQg07z4drB2CLNzEx0jJ5O1gTGx5eD1|tkp%3ABk9SR5K0nZKnYQ

 

Here's a reproduction for $39.99, the same as the one shown in an earlier post.  As indicated in the earlier posts, these are not perfect, but reasonably presentable.

[SparkEE]

Thank you.  Is the only other source to hunt up a used one that is likely in some stage of failure?  While the experience @2carb40 had doesn’t sound stellar, it does sound like it would make a functional speedometer.

[neil morse]

When I did my '41, I bought one of these reproduction faces and was prepared to use it (after repainting the insert that fits into the plastic face).  The color had a bit of a greenish tinge and didn't completely match the ivory plastic in the other gauges.  However, I thought it was "reasonably presentable," as I said above.  This is what it looked like.

 

 

Then, at the last minute before I put everything back together, I was fortunate enough to find an NOS speedo face on Ebay.

 

 

It's hard to tell from the photos, but you can see that the main difference is that the hash marks around the edge are more uniform on the NOS piece, and the color of the plastic is more ivory.  The colors on the chrome inset piece (brown for up to 50 mph, and red -- danger! -- for over 50) are also much truer on the NOS piece than my efforts to match the correct colors on the reproduction piece.  The photo below shows my completed speedometer with the NOS piece.  But I seriously doubt whether anyone other than me would have noticed if I had used the reproduction piece.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 22, 2022 by neil morse (see edit history)

[SparkEE]

@neil morse Thank you, very helpful!

[2carb40]

On 12/22/2022 at 3:25 AM, neil morse said:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/125542512956?fits=Year%3A1940|Make%3ABuick&hash=item1d3aeab93c:g:eysAAOSwl~hi~YC4&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAsAHnsiBw3j3FUHu1UEx7ifbF%2FZTBWg3g4V%2F1WvYwPJ8hUm6GtuUdk3BV6E2acJyWYWDAhsDERyNeTjwQSShYequrjLHuCWCrimu6T3kbz091a6efy7PS3MSvw3vHwQ5SusctLw0o6qJIWnSd2JEdtO5hPY2x1DyGAIPKNwo7yclL1%2FNae92EVAnTkR14ZVFB%2BxWyDBt6GOIXrrQg07z4drB2CLNzEx0jJ5O1gTGx5eD1|tkp%3ABk9SR5K0nZKnYQ

 

Here's a reproduction for $39.99, the same as the one shown in an earlier post.  As indicated in the earlier posts, these are not perfect, but reasonably presentable.

That's where I got mine. Hope yer handy! I'll let ya know if I get it 'cleaned up!'