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1937 Cadillac 7019 speedometer - Opinions?

Started by Edward Hurst, February 24, 2011, 12:24:53 PM

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Edward Hurst

I have a speedometer for a 37 7019 Cadillac that is left over from a rebuild of the car.  I got the speedometer out and cleaned it up a bit.  It looks Excellent.  Good enough for a show car in my opinion.  The lens is scratch-free, the face of the instrument looks very good with no fading and good color on the needle.  It shows 1802 miles on it.  It has a trip odometer with a knob on the back that allows you to reset it.  The biggest surprise of all was when I was looking it over, it has illuminated lights across the bottom.  "DRIVE"   "PARK"   "CITY"    "PASS"
The speedometer was operational when removed and turns freely.  I suspect that it might have been rebuilt at sometime because inside the cover it is marked with a previous mileage of 63,XXX.  It does need a new seal for the lens.

Is this typical for a 1937 speedometer?  Can anyone tell me what it is worth?  I would like to see someone get this that needs a really nice one but I also need to get a fair price.  Thanks for any information.
Ed


Hurst Engines in Jeffersonville, Indiana
MSF RiderCoach
Aircraft Machinist USAF (Ret)
Viet Nam Vet (U.S. Army)
Disabled American Veteran
Streetrod Builder/enthusiaist
1929 Buick 29-27
1937 Cadillac 7019
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
Mortec SBC Engine (Moderator)

Jim Stamper

     
     My 37 Cadillac 60 coupe has more than one light indicator at the bottom too. I would have to look to see if it is three or four.

     I have owned two 37 LaSalles and this 37 Cadillac and some spare speedometers and clocks. They all needed that seal, but were in terrific condition. I have been on the lookout for a 1940 Buick convertible for quite some time and so look at all of the ads. I am amazed at how many Buick faces are cracked, not the glass, but the face itself.  Some Cadillacs have faded, best to keep our cars in the dark, I suppose.

                               Jim Stamper CLC# 13470

John Washburn CLC 1067 Sadly deceased.

The 37 and 38 all had the four headlight settings. The fun part is, and I am not going to tell, is that when one was switched it turned off one headlight and hit the high beam for the other....

Now guess the answer. What fun.........

The Johnny
John Washburn
CLC #1067
1937 LaSalle Coupe
1938 6519F Series Imperial Sedan
1949 62 Series 4 Door
1949 60 Special Fleetwood
1953 Coupe DeVille
1956 Coupe DeVille
1992 Eldorado Touring Coupe America Cup Series

Edward Hurst

Ed


Hurst Engines in Jeffersonville, Indiana
MSF RiderCoach
Aircraft Machinist USAF (Ret)
Viet Nam Vet (U.S. Army)
Disabled American Veteran
Streetrod Builder/enthusiaist
1929 Buick 29-27
1937 Cadillac 7019
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
Mortec SBC Engine (Moderator)


Edward Hurst

I would like to know what their intentions were on this speedometer, why it had the "DRIVE", "PARK", "CITY" AND "PASS" on it.  It is interesting.  The more I look at this speedometer the more I like it.  It is a beautiful instrument.  No one has ever said, what is this worth if I sold it?.  I wish I could post a picture if it.  I can't, or haven't taken the time to try and reduce the picture to 500k to post it.  I recently upgraded my operating system on my computer and it is different to change the sizes of the pictures and I haven't taken the time to find out how.
Truth be known, I have ADD and can't keep my thoughts focused on how to learn the process.  It really ticks me off.

Edward Hurst
Ed


Hurst Engines in Jeffersonville, Indiana
MSF RiderCoach
Aircraft Machinist USAF (Ret)
Viet Nam Vet (U.S. Army)
Disabled American Veteran
Streetrod Builder/enthusiaist
1929 Buick 29-27
1937 Cadillac 7019
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
Mortec SBC Engine (Moderator)

Jim Stamper


     I think "Drive" is high beams"  "Park" is parking lights.   "City" is low beams,,  and "Pass" maybe dims the right light sothe car being passed is not blinded in by your light in his side mirror.  I have read what they mean, I will try and remember where and check further.  Jim Stamper CLC#13470

John Tozer #7946

From the 1937 Owner's Manual:

"The headlamps are controlled by two switches: a three position button on the instrument panel and a foot switch at the left of the clutch panel.....

When driving on lighted highways, set the hand control in the second position and select the "city" beam with the foot switch.

When driving on unlighted straight roads, set the hand control in the third position. Select the "driving" beam with the foot switch, but change to "passing" whenever a car from the opposite direction approaches within 500 feet.

When driving on unlighted winding roads, set the hand control in the second position, and use the foot switch to select the "driving" beam and to switch to the "city" beam whenever another car approaches. The "city" beam is the only safe passing beam for winding roads."

Simple really, Eh?????


There is then a an "aeriel view" sketch of the car with "city" beam shown as low beam, "drive" beam shown as high beam and "pass" beam as the left hand headlight on low beam and the right hand headlight on high beam. Park meant just that - since the '37's did not have parking lights, they used a separate parking beam filament in the globes (presumably) or low current to the "city" filament. Anybody out there know the answer to this last one?

Regards,



John Tozer
#7946

John Tozer #7946

Forgot to answer the last bit.......

These speedos appear regularly on Ebay and go for about $60. I think I have 3 or 4 in various conditions and states of assembly/disassembly. All needed new seals between the glass and face panel. No biggee to replace.

John Tozer
#7946

Steve Passmore

"Park" is a smaller bulb fitting clipped into the headlight reflectors just below the main beam bulb, and about $60 for a good one is about right.
Steve

Present
1937 60 convertible coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe
1941 62 coupe

Previous
1936 70 Sport coupe
1937 85 series V12 sedan
1938 60 coupe
1938 50 coupe
1939 60S
1940 62 coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe x2
1941 61 coupe
1941 61 sedan x2
1941 62 sedan x2
1947 62 sedan
1959 62 coupe

Edward Hurst

Thanks Guys,

If I was in need of one and actively looking, I would gladly give $75 for the one I have.   I have had it on the counter for the last couple of days and every time I walk by it I have to admire it.  I was not very impressed at first but after I got through cleaning it up it just catches my eye every time I walk by it.  All of this has been some interesting information.  I could only have guessed about all of the different lights in the bottom.  The first thing I thought of was that it possibly may have had an option for an automatic transmission with overdrive and the DRIVE light might have been for over-drive with the PASS light being for passing gear.  I feel kind-of silly now but we all know how the imagination can run trying to figure out things.  The more I learn about the old car the more I like it.  When I get it completed I will post some pictures of it.  Right now, knowing what it looked like when I first saw it unloading off the truck, I am impressed by it.  The car was destined to go to the scrap yard.  It would have cost much more to restore it to original that it could possibly have been worth. :(
I would venture to say that not a lot of people would be impressed by it as it sits though.  This particular car belongs to a good friend and neighbor.  I am doing the restoration on it with him helping.  He is not very mechanically inclined but I told him from the get-go that in order for him to be able to lay claim on doing the restoration / rebuild that he had to be there and help through it all.  So far I have (or he has) spent close to $61,000 on this car. :o  The chrome alone cost a bit over $18,000 to have done but I get a discount and it only cost him a bit under $16,000.  I had a set of six chrome wire spoke 16" wheels built from scratch for it.  They all have the Cadillac insignia in the hub cap and are absolutely drop-dead gorgeous.  This is why the side mount covers are not going to be used.  He doesn't want the side mount covers to be covering up the new wheels.
I bought about 8 cow hydes to have the interior covered with.  This car will be a show car at it finest with modern amenities for over-the-road comfort.  I know that there are those that will think it awful to change the car as I am but the alternative was the scrap yard.  Other than the wheels it will look as it did new outside, but has a complete frame-off rotisserie rebuild.  I can't tell you how many hours I spend fabrication sheet metal for the rear fender wells and trunk area.  The complete rear was gone around the trunk lid.  I have hand-built the complete exhaust from stainless steel and hand polished it to look like chrome.  The gas tank has been fabricated with stainless and polished the same way.  The suspension has been totally up-graded with power rack & pinion and 4 wheel power disc brakes and IFS in the front and coil-over shocks in the rear.  I had the complete interior wood refinished and it is to die for.  383 cubic inch fuel injected Corvette engine and four speed automatic transmission, 430 Horsepower.  It is to have a drop-down TV / DVD player in the rear and equipped with Satellite navigation and the finest stereo symphonic sound system I can stuff into it.  Not only will the car have tilt-wheel but you pull a lever and the steering wheel slides to the side.  I am fitting it with air conditioning also.
The car is not original by any means but I feel I saved it from the crusher.  It will still be a Cadillac and a piece of history rather than in a Chinese steel mill to be shipped back here as a piece of inferior junk.  It will sit proud, as most old Cadillacs do but with a whole lot more sparkle ;D   I have done it all to this car to keep it on the road.  It is close to paint.  I will add that owner of the last car I painted had his paint job appraised at $12,700.  This will be a car that you could only dream about.
Ed


Hurst Engines in Jeffersonville, Indiana
MSF RiderCoach
Aircraft Machinist USAF (Ret)
Viet Nam Vet (U.S. Army)
Disabled American Veteran
Streetrod Builder/enthusiaist
1929 Buick 29-27
1937 Cadillac 7019
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
Mortec SBC Engine (Moderator)

Glen

Glen Houlton CLC #727 
CLCMRC benefactor #104

Edward Hurst

Thanks Glen,

I think it amazing at the technology that was around in that year.
Ed


Hurst Engines in Jeffersonville, Indiana
MSF RiderCoach
Aircraft Machinist USAF (Ret)
Viet Nam Vet (U.S. Army)
Disabled American Veteran
Streetrod Builder/enthusiaist
1929 Buick 29-27
1937 Cadillac 7019
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air
Mortec SBC Engine (Moderator)