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| Joined: | 04-07-2022 |
| Location: | Oregon USA |
| Posts: | 65 |
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I worked a bit on my instruments. Clearly the car had been left exposed to the weather with no cover for an extended period, despite being a southern CA car. The instruments were heavily rusted, and some dirt had migrated inside the instruments. I tore them down, thinking a wash and wax would get them looking presentable.
Once they were disassembled, the paint began flaking off the dials and the cans were rusted internally. <sigh> I investigated getting them refurbished, but nixed that idea when I learned it cost $100-200 US per gauge. I was going to buy some used gauges, and hope that they had not been abused.
But then I found a supplier on eBay that offered a set of four Smiths reproduction gauges including shipping. Cost $40 US for all four, made in India. Well, $40 won't get a weeks worth of Starbucks (miserable coffee BTW, but ubiquitous) so I thought "what the heck."
OK, no one will get fooled into thinking they are real Smiths gauges, but they do look the part of a little British car. So I will be installing them and seeing how they perform. They are cadmium plated, so they have a tad bit of rust protection - the only issue I see is that the oil pressure gauge is electric, so I will need to get a sender for it. The original gauge uses a capillary and is mechanical.
I believe I will tear down my motor as the next job. I will be porting the head, installing 9.6:1, 0.030" over pistons and a performance cam. To start with I will only cam the exhaust. David Vizard (my HP hero!!) says that dual pattern cams with more duration on the exhaust are the hot ticket. So I will have about 10o more duration on the exhaust. From there I can add more duration and experiment with 110o or 115o lobe centers and perhaps add more intake duration until I find a combination that pleases me.
Stay tuned for more inane information on my restoration.
Vance
Attachment: repop gauges [small].JPG (Downloaded 8 times)
Last edited on 12-10-2024 01:14 am by vnavaret