Boyce Motometer Senior reproduction faceplate

[DFeeney]

Hello my forum friends,  Does anyone know of a source for reproduction face-plates for the Boyce Senior motometer radiator caps.  Think Spring.   Don

Edited February 22, 2023 by DFeeney (see edit history)

[DGPoff]

Restoration Supply 

 

https://restorationstuff.com/

 

[Marty Roth]

On 2/20/2023 at 6:55 PM, DFeeney said:

Hello my forum friends,  Does anyone know of a source for reproduction face-plates for the Boyce Senior monometer radiator caps.  Think Spring.   Don

@DFeeney

 

Motometer  ?

Edited February 22, 2023 by Marty Roth (see edit history)

[Terry Harper]

A number of years ago I got into etching face plates etc.  - particular for the truck and tractor community. They were rather fun projects and not that difficult to do. Creating the artwork was the most time consuming part. If you have a design you cannot find give it a try.

 

 

This one went to a collector in Peru.

 

 

 

 

[DFeeney]

20 hours ago, Marty Roth said:

@DFeeney

 

Motometer  ?

Thanks Marty,  A error on my part.  Restoration Supply show Jr faceplates

[Marty Roth]

3 hours ago, DFeeney said:

Thanks Marty,  A error on my part.  Restoration Supply show Jr faceplates

You're welcome, Don -

the Senior faceplate will only add to the "Class" appearance of your car - 

Are you looking for a specific auto brand, or just a Boyce plate?

[DFeeney]

On 2/22/2023 at 12:08 AM, Marty Roth said:

You're welcome, Don -

the Senior faceplate will only add to the "Class" appearance of your car - 

Are you looking for a specific auto brand, or just a Boyce plate?

Hello Marty,  Thank you for your reply.  A few years ago I bought a reproduction Boyce SR motometer with a Studebaker face plate for the  1922 Dirt track fair grounds racer I built.   Later on I found a nice original SR monometer with the Studebaker name plate from a early  dealer.  It has nice Patina and now on the "Racer"  I am currently building a 20's Hudson fair grounds racer using a Hudson straight 8 drive train.  If I had a Hudson or a plain face plate I could mount it in the first motometer and it would not say Studebaker.   Attached is the Studebaker. Think Spring/Hershey

[wayne sheldon]

One of the cars I had many years ago, the only Motometer I had was for a Buick (the car was not a Buick). I took the face plate out. turned it over and painted the back side with flat black. I put the Motometer back together showing the flat black on the front side. It looked fine.

Later, I picked up a Boyce senior size standard face plate and swapped it into the Motometer. A couple years later, a good friend bought a nice Buick that had a standard face plate, so I gave him the Buick plate which he left the flat black hidden inside and assembled to show the Buick name which was undamaged.

 

I don't know about the reproduction Motometers. But the original ones had two face plates that went in the front side of the Motometer. One, had the thermometer markings on it which varied by models and years, it was placed in the front of the Motometer facing back. The other would have either one of several standard Boyce face plates, or the automobile marque plate placed in front facing forward.

 

Over the years, Boyce manufactured several unusual models. However most models after about 1919 were either the senior (larger size) in one of two basic styles. Or they were the junior size, usually of one basic style, however there were a few somewhat unusual styles.

The face plates in the two senior styles were not the same, however, one style's face plates could be used in the other style meter, but NOT visa versa. (I wish I had some pictures to share?)

[DFeeney]

Hello Wayne ,  Thank you for your post and information. I called Restoration Supply in CA today.   They do what you did.  They turn the face  plate over and paint it black and add a small emblem of your choice which is about the size of a dime.   I expect to find a used Sr face plate.  Life is Good.  Don

[Marty Roth]

3 hours ago, DFeeney said:

Hello Marty,  Thank you for your reply.  A few years ago I bought a reproduction Boyce SR motometer with a Studebaker face plate for the  1922 Dirt track fair grounds racer I built.   Later on I found a nice original SR monometer with the Studebaker name plate from a early  dealer.  It has nice Patina and now on the "Racer"  I am currently building a 20's Hudson fair grounds racer using a Hudson straight 8 drive train.  If I had a Hudson or a plain face plate I could mount it in the first motometer and it would not say Studebaker.   Attached is the Studebaker. Think Spring/Hershey

@Don,

 

That is a very sharp looking racer, and I'm looking forward to pics of your current Hudson project.

Back in 1959-1960, one of my high school friends ride was a 1951 Hudson 4-door sedan, 8-cylinder and hydramatic. It was a great driving car (and when we double dated, of course my date and I got that huge, comfortable back seat).

 

By the way, assuming repairs on my current 1915 Hudson engine prove as successful as they appear,

I'll be able to pass along a 1949 262 ci Hudson Super Six engine, transmission, and overdrive, removed from an excellent running and driving example.

[TexRiv_63]

I have seen a lot of Motometers but never a Hudson branded faceplate. I may be able to help with a generic Boyce plate, which type of larger meter do your have, Standard or Universal?

[wayne sheldon]

TR_63, I have been playing with these things a long time. But I never knew a specific name to separate the two major styles of the larger Motometers. "Standard" and "universal"? But which is which? 

 

Following is general information for people not really familiar with Motometers.

Your "Haynes" is a style that began about 1917 or 1918, and came in many slight variations in size and weight, from quite thin up to somewhat chunky! From more than a few feet away front or rear, they look alike. The bezel rings, glass, and the inner plates are "mostly" interchangeable, although I have seen a few variants in the thickness of the glass. I have seen a few of that style with wreathed bezels, but not many.

Your "Buick" one I think came about a couple years later, but I am not sure exactly when. Wreathed bezels are much more common on these than they are on the "Haynes" style Motometer. However, most Motometers had the plain bezels. 

Both styles were common throughout the 1920s.

 

I mentioned earlier that the face plates between these can be exchanged one way. The plates are cut differently. The "Buick" one's plates can fit and look good in the Haynes' Motometer, however the "Haynes" plates generally will not fit or work in the Buick's Motometer without some significant modification. The screw positions are the same, and the bezels are different, although I have seen a few Motometers with incorrect bezels used.

[TexRiv_63]

19 hours ago, wayne sheldon said:

TR_63, I have been playing with these things a long time. But I never knew a specific name to separate the two major styles of the larger Motometers. "Standard" and "universal"? But which is which? 

 

Following is general information for people not really familiar with Motometers.

Your "Haynes" is a style that began about 1917 or 1918, and came in many slight variations in size and weight, from quite thin up to somewhat chunky! From more than a few feet away front or rear, they look alike. The bezel rings, glass, and the inner plates are "mostly" interchangeable, although I have seen a few variants in the thickness of the glass. I have seen a few of that style with wreathed bezels, but not many.

Your "Buick" one I think came about a couple years later, but I am not sure exactly when. Wreathed bezels are much more common on these than they are on the "Haynes" style Motometer. However, most Motometers had the plain bezels. 

Both styles were common throughout the 1920s.

 

I mentioned earlier that the face plates between these can be exchanged one way. The plates are cut differently. The "Buick" one's plates can fit and look good in the Haynes' Motometer, however the "Haynes" plates generally will not fit or work in the Buick's Motometer without some significant modification. The screw positions are the same, and the bezels are different, although I have seen a few Motometers with incorrect bezels used.

Boyce classified their meters by size, midget was the smallest, then Junior, Universal and Standard. The last three were available in base trim with smooth bezels and Deluxe with the wreath design bezels and upgraded logo plates. There was also an open face style with no lenses for truck use. Th Universal and Standard were the large "Senior" styles. The Haynes in my post is the Standard style and the Buick is the Universal.

[bob staehle]

On 2/24/2023 at 12:30 PM, TexRiv_63 said:

I have seen a lot of Motometers but never a Hudson branded faceplate. I may be able to help with a generic Boyce plate, which type of larger meter do your have, Standard or Universal?

Don I have a Hudson motometer faceplate in my desk drawer. It says super

six on the face, and in small print on the rim made especially for Hudson motor co. It is 2 1/4” dia. If you send me your email I can send you a picture 

 

[wayne sheldon]

Thank you TR_63 for your reply! I may have been in this hobby a long time, but I am always still trying to learn more.

The open face meters were also one of the earliest styles marketed, and came in several sizes from about the size of the later midget meters on up to ones about the size and general appearance of the Senior Standard, except thinner and without glass or bezels. After the Senior Standard was marketed, the open face ones were generally marketed as "truck and tractor" models. I have seen copies of Boyce advertising from about 1920 showing them that way.

I am not sure when the midget and junior meters with glass front and rear first went on the market, however I think it was a couple/few years before the larger Senior (glass front and back)  Motometers hit the market.

I love nickel era cars, and love the look of a Motometer front and center!

[TexRiv_63]

19 hours ago, wayne sheldon said:

Thank you TR_63 for your reply! I may have been in this hobby a long time, but I am always still trying to learn more.

The open face meters were also one of the earliest styles marketed, and came in several sizes from about the size of the later midget meters on up to ones about the size and general appearance of the Senior Standard, except thinner and without glass or bezels. After the Senior Standard was marketed, the open face ones were generally marketed as "truck and tractor" models. I have seen copies of Boyce advertising from about 1920 showing them that way.

I am not sure when the midget and junior meters with glass front and rear first went on the market, however I think it was a couple/few years before the larger Senior (glass front and back)  Motometers hit the market.

I love nickel era cars, and love the look of a Motometer front and center!

The open face models are pretty scarce, I've only come across a few over many years of buying and selling.

[wayne sheldon]

That is a really nice open face Motometer! I have one almost identical to it myself. In fifty years, I have had about twenty Motometers, and only the one open face one. I don't think I have seen more than about a dozen open face ones up close and personal in fifty years. A longtime friend has one on his very nicely restored and era correct model T racing car, and I have seen a handful of others on other cars over the years. The rest of the few I have seen at swap meets. 

Most people aren't familiar with them. The one I have, I bought off eBay for less than what I had paid for much more common later ones (and I was/am a bargain hunter usually buying cheaper ones and fixing them!). When it arrived I was very pleased with its nice condition, yet nobody else bid it up beyond the point I was willing to pay! I was planning on using it on one of two pre1916 cars I had, but then I had to sell them.

[zeke01]

Don: For a reference, this is the faceplate on my 1923 Speedster. I’m not sure,but I believe it is an original. Zeke