You can probably get some better leads from other list
members for accurate smiths gauges. I've just been
cruising the Ebay auctions for SMITHS style gauges.
My oil pressure gauge was actually a 2" MGB O/P gauge
from early 70's. The bezel, cover and back plate were
wrong as was the style of the gradiations (0-50-100)on
the indicator plate of the gauge. But I then bought a
fragged/smegged/toasted spitfire fuel pressure gauge
and stripped out the plates, sanded and repainted them
with model paint (Testors TEAM LICENESED racing colors
"Racing Satin Black" No. 52968) and some rub-on greek
block letters and numbers. All of which were available
at the local craft store. The dashes for the
indicators were the rub-on letter's large "I"s cut in
half or 3/4"s (depending on the size of the hash mark)
before it was rubbed into place. A steady hand is
really all that's needed.
The ammeter was a TR4 ammeter. The plates on the TR4
are correct for a late model spitfire but still the
chrome bezel was (and still is) wrong, the gradiations
were too arched and the numbers too large just like on
the MGB O/P. The TR4 also read upside down. Using the
same technique as on the O/P gauge, I repainted and
rubbed-on the new hash marks, numbers and letters.
The TR4 ammeter is also too short to be used on a
wooden dash, so I cut about an 1/8th of an inch off of
each side the mounting bracket.
If you had a close-up photo of the AMP gauge you'd see
the letters are a bit too fat for "AMPS" (I should
have kept the set of letters I did the O/P gauge with.
OIL came out perfect). And I couldn't find any narrow
"times new roman" style rub-on letters to put SMITHS
back on the bottom of the face-plates.
But it's close enough for goverment work.
-Terry
P.S. Sunbeam also used some gauges just like on the
spitfire, but you may need to swap out the bezels
again. And personally, I'd have prefered a Volt gauge,
but I got a pretty good deal on the TR4 ammeter. ($50?
I think)
> Terry, could you identify the matching O/P & AMM
> gages you mounted? Are
> they the ones from the TR-6's? If so, what is the
> Smith's number?
> availability (Mountjoy's?), cost, etc.? [At
> present, I have a proper
> Smith's voltmeter mounted in the middle of the other
> 2 gages (headlight
> switches moved to the left) & a S/W 3-gage mini-unit
> mounted in the ash-tray
> hole which gives me electronic O/P readings. The
> S/W mini-unit fits fairly
> decently atop the dash, but I'm really not entirely
> happy with the
> appearance - besides that, I smoke. Also, I'd
> prefer to have an ammeter in
> place of (or in addition to) my voltmeter.] BTW,
> that Smith's O/P gage is
> mechanical, right?
>
> Thanx for any enlightenment (and for killing all
> those Maryland snakes).
>
> Cheers, Ree G. in Silver Spring, MD - 78 Spit
> FM73070U O
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