C1 Speedometer Housing Gap

[Christopher R.]

I'm rebuilding the instrument panel in my '62. I fixed the broken gauges and had the panels repainted. Now that I've put the 2 panels back together, there's a gap between the lower housing and the speedometer housing. See the photos.

1. Does this seem excessive to you? Or, am I going to have to live with this?

2. Is there a way to close up that gap? Shimming the tabs didn't help. And I know the tabs are pot metal and can't be bent.

[John F.]

Re: C1 Speedometer Housing Gap

Chris, Not sure what you are talking about with the glare in your pictures from the bounceback from the flash. Try taking a few pictures with your hand blocking the flash to prevent the glare.
John

[Howard M.]

Re: C1 Speedometer Housing Gap

Hi:
The gap is not excessive at all. I tried various approaches to get the two halves together such as shimming and milling the speedometer housing. I gained a little but still have a gap. All of the cars I looked at had about the same gap (as you might expect since the castings were made from the same mold). Just something else to live with.

[Bruce B.]

Re: C1 Speedometer Housing Gap

Chris,
I have owned a number of C1 cars and your instrument cluster fit looks about average.
Some are better and some are worse.
If you try and massage yours, keep in mind that pot metal breaks so be gentle if you tray to move anything.
Personally I would leave it alone.
Bruce B

[Mike E.]

Re: C1 Speedometer Housing Gap

Welcome to mass-production quality control, circa early 1960's, USA.

[Loren L.]

Re: C1 Speedometer Housing Gap

There are differences between lower and upper clusters during 1958-62.

[Dennis C.]

Re: C1 Speedometer Housing Gap

There are differences between lower and upper clusters during 1958-62.

Loren,

I never noticed the differences. Would you mind listing some of them?

Thank you.

Dennis

[Keith R.]

Re: C1 Speedometer Housing Gap

Actually looks good to me - my 60 fit the same way. As the song goes, "That's just the way it is, baby".

[Christopher R.]

Re: C1 Speedometer Housing Gap

Thank you, gentlemen. That's exactly what I wanted to know. I can now rest easy.

Some of the jobs I'm now doing on the car are being done for the second, or third time. I do not wish to go back and do this one again.

I did the speedometer about 30 years ago. Of course, then it was a huge hurry and crisis to get the car back together. When I replaced the needle, it ended up resting on 5. When I hooked the ammeter back up, I touched one of the wires to the wrong post, and that needle slammed into one of the posts, bending it. For 30 years, I looked at those needles reading incorrectly and was reminded of my screwups and that I didn't have the time then to do the job right.