Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Right now I have stickers on my speedo indicating 30, 50 and 100 kmh, but at night I can't see the stickers, so it would be nice to have a speedo with the numbers on the face switched around.
Anybody ever take apart a speedo (53 clipper or similar) and have any idea how easy/difficult it would be to relocate the numbers?
Used instrument clusters seem to show up on Ebay pretty cheap. (Converting the odometer doesn't really seem feasable) Or can I somehow multiply the speedo cable speed by 1.6? Would be a good winter project.
Thanks, Prosit!

Don't know what year Packard you've got but they offered metric gauges including speedometers for all years from the 20s thru 1956, and perhaps even earlier than that. You might be able to find one on EBay, I rarely but occasionally see them there. If you have a thirties era Packard, the faces were just printed paper and reproductions are made, and perhaps in kph.

I have a stewart warner speedo cable reducer/overdrive unit. It is about the size of 2wo zippo lighters. It screws onto the trans and the cable screwss into the unit.

I know it can be geared to 1/2 actual speed and have the gear chart for it. It's been over 25 years since i've used it so i don't remeber alot of details about it but i'm pretty sure i can put my hand on it rather quick if u want to see a pic of it. Not sure exactly what the trade name is for it.

My car and speedo are from 1953. And it is an intersting idea about the 'transmission' on the speedo cable. I'll search to see if there is anything available anywhere. I don't know if the gearing on the output shaft (to the speedo) on the trans could be changed. I know for GM transmissions you change a gear depending on the rear axle ratio. Perhaps something like that could be had for the packard trans?

I don't know what your speedo looks like but on my 38 just about all of the painted numbers flaked off (they are on the glass in the 38). I drew up a reproduction on the ole computer and took it to a vinyl sign shop and had them cut a "sticker" in reverse and stuck it to the inside of the glass. I put it on such that the glue side faces me and the white matches perfectly. Looks great at night too.

I was planning on buying a Navigation system, they usually have an integrated speedometer in the display, so I guess that will be my speedo. More accurate than a cable driven speedo, except in tunnels!

Isn't it easy to just work out the mental conversions in your head as you go? Though I'm used to mph, I've driven many miles in Europe with kph speedometers and within 1/2 hour or so the conversion was pretty much just second nature.

I use a GPS in my Packard. I bought a 6 volt (+) ground to 12 volt (-) ground converter and wired it into the cigar lighter which I would never use anyway for it's intended purpose. I plug the GPS into the lighter socket and stick the suction cup mount on the speedo glass. The cable speedo is out by about 5% with the slighly smaller tire diameters I have on the car. The GPS is accurate and can be switched to MPH or KPH as well as giving other information. The speedo on my Canadian cars are in KPH and I travel in the USA quite a bit but like Owen stated conversion is pretty simple anyway and I have never had a problem.