MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

TR parts and Triumph parts, TR bits, Triumph Car Spares and accessories are available for TR2, TR3, TR3A, TR4, TR4A, TR5, TR6, TR7, TR8, Spitfire and Stag and other TR models are available from British car spares and parts company LBCarCo.

Triumph TR6 - Gauge refacing

Hello Gents,

does any one know who might restore or reface gauges... I have a late model 6 that needs the oil gauge refaced: just the outer face needs to be silk screened in the proper fonts with 'OIL' and "Smiths". Attached is a picture of my dash partially installed... it is CNC cut from a solid blank of Pacific Yew wood and finished with 8 coats of clear gloss spar urethane. I'd like to install a fresh gauge before the dash becomes less accessible.

It was a perfect weekend here in lovely Qualicum Beach for top down TR driving... alas the rain is back today but Spring is definitely on its way .... cheer up Rick et al in the Ontario, Michigan area... the snow will melt!

Cheers, Rob

Rob Gibbs

Ron
Looks really sharp.
Can not help you on the gauge but know there has been talk about gauge repair. Not sure if same place does a face lift though.
Rickc
Rick Crawford

Rob,
Check CDII, there a contact for Smith's repair in the supply catalog folder. Don't recall the details and don't have the contact on this machine. If you don't have CDII advise and I'll send you the contact info tonight. Don't know that you'll get a guage repair shop to redo your gauge face, but might be able to replace it.
db
Doug Baker

Rob,
Very nice job on the dash!

If you have a scanner / camera and some photo editing software, you can redo you're own gauge face for just a couple of bucks.

Scan / photo the damaged face and import it into your editing software (I use Paint Shop Pro). Clean up the photo adding whatever text or graphics you wish. Print out on "photo paper". Cut out the face and any holes for needle, etc. then spray with matte lacquer spray. Glue in place with contact cement. Reassemble the gauge and you're done.

If you don't want to do the editing bit, just find a sympathetic TR6 owner who will let you take their spare gauge apart and photo the face of it. In any case make sure you are taking the picture square on, otherwise you'll end up with distortion.

Tom
Tom Sotomayor

OK Tom,
Sounds like you might have an inventory of gauge photos.
Would not mind having for my CD collection.
Rickc

Very good idea by the way.
Rick Crawford

Rob,
Just curious...how do you keep the proper scale when printing?
db
Doug Baker

Brilliant idea Tom! I wonder if the whole "picture" could be composed in Adobe illustrator or the equivalent then printed as you described. This would provide perfect colouring and scale. I have not found identical fonts yet but have not put in the time either. perhaps printing on a very light velum may allow a flatter "lay-down" and conformity to the dial frontal face. If someone knows the true-type font name used that would save alot of searching time.

In the past I have top coated the dial faces I have used an outdoor (UV resistant) water-based semi gloss finish with good results. Here is a shot of the central cluster.

I have found a very effective way to reapply the black edging to the chrome bezels... let me know if you are interested in this process.

Thanks for the response guys!

Cheers, Rob

Rob Gibbs

Rob
looks like bold ARIAL for the name of the gauge...i.e. TEMP The smaller letters and numbers could also be ARIAL.
SMITHS could be Times New Roman
How many fonts could there have been back in 197X anyway?
Your gauges look like new Rob and I think high gloss is the best. Really makes nice wood stand out..beautiful dash.
Yes spring is very near but lots of snow. you can feel the warmth of the sun again:)
Rickc
Rick Crawford

Rick,

I agree with you re- the basic fonts. However , the Times New Roman is elongated and fine bodied while the Ariel is slightly squat if you follow me. Not a really big deal but its nice to get it right and match the others.

It may be of some interest that the eyeball vents can be restored if a guy has access to a small machine lathe... my vents have new felt in them, were polished inside and out while 'apart' and had a 'chrome' edge in-layed into the plastic... takes an evening to do a pair and the 'chrome' will never wear off.

Cheers, Rob... in the land of no snow

Rob Gibbs

Rob,
I'm interested in how you restored the eyeball vents. I too thought to put new felt in, but realized that I'd have to cut the plastic weld seam and lose some amount of body with the kerf. Not having a sure fire way of cutting a smooth and perfectly straight cut around the circumference, I finally gave up and talked Rick Crawford out of a couple of vents. I still have the old ones sans felt and would be interested in exploring your methodology. Perhaps you could be persuaded to experiment with a few other to polish your technique!! Thanks.
db
Doug Baker

Rob, here's the contact for repairing Smith & Jeager instruments...info@nisonger.com. POC is Peter Mayer, or at least it was a couple of years ago when I was trying to restore all my dash instruments. I also put a copy of Smith & Jeager Speedometer and Tachometer Repair manual on one of the CDs. Think it was II, but Rick Crawford'd know. If you don't have it and want a copy, email me and I'll forward an electronic copy.

Peter Mayer will (would) replace the face of the instrument for a nominal fee of course.

email to dbaker04ATaolDOTcom.
db
Doug Baker

Rick,
Alas, I did that for "another marque" and haven't had the need to do it for a TR. So, don't have any library of photos.

Wish that I could claim the idea as mine, but that was swiped from somewhere on the web, don't remember where though.

As for scale, a lot of programs allow you to "print to a scale". Just do a few tests on regular paper and it's dialed in.

Tom
Tom Sotomayor

Doug
CDII has a Jaeger & Smiths Speedometer repair manual by Anthony Rhodes and nothing else. The directory where this is also has some correspondence between you and Peter Bayer (Bayer is the name in the e-mails). They say repair of a speedo or Tach is $115 and small gauges $85 and as you say replacement faces extra. They say they clean the face and do any paint touch up. I will have a look through the CDs you sent me to see if there is files I did not copy.

Rob I wounder if this Peter chap knows the fonts.
Your vent eye balls look cool with the chrome trim. Please elaborate on the chrome inlay.
Thanks
Rickc
Rick Crawford

Rick,

I think its covered in "Eye Ball Restoration"... let me know if I should add more

Rob
Rob Gibbs

The gauge guys
DON KELLY

This thread was discussed between 11/03/2008 and 14/03/2008

Triumph TR6 index