Halftrack and Scout Car speedo face and odometer restoration

[Darryl L]

Hi all,

I’ve been watching the various posts about the Scout car and Halftrack speedo restorations and faceplate reproductions and thought I would share my experiences.

I went the decal route for both the speedo face and odometer and trip meter and got a local printer to make the decals up for me. I used the artwork for the faceplate that is available on this website and other sites and the printer produced a clear decal for that. I cleaned up the faceplate and painted it an aluminium colour.

I measured the font size of the original numerals on the odometer and also the circumference of the drums to get the sizing of the decal numerals right.

The printer seemed to get it pretty right. The length of the strip of numbers for the odometer and trip meter drums was a bit long and I had to trim them a bit so there wasn’t too much of an overlap. The spacing between the 0 and the 9 is a bit wide, but not too bad overall.

The decal fitting on the faceplate was the hardest part of the job. The decal is very sticky and if you don’t get the position quite right first time you have to peel it off, which can crease the decal. I started by fitting it from the edge but then found the centre was not right. I peeled it off again and worked from the centre which was much easier but as you can see from the photo it is not 100% centred but good enough for me.

I found that there was the odd air bubble in the decal when applied. I figured this was because of the raised portion in the centre of the faceplate and also from my removing it first time when I didn’t get the positioning right. I used a pin to make a pinprick hole in the bubbled area and then gradually pushed the decal down flat with a cloth. The decal just requires trimming around the slots where the odometer and trip meter drums sit.

If anyone is interested in having a go at restoring their speedo in this way, I have some spares of a set of decals consisting of the faceplate decal as well as the odometer and trip meter numbers.

Note that I only have one compete set of the odometer numbers printed with a white background. The others are black font with clear background so with those you would have to paint your odometer and trip meter drums white first.

I figured $20 USD including postage for the set with odometer and trip meter numbers printed with a white background and $15 USD including postage for the set with numbers printed with a clear background.

Please PM if you are interested.

[yd328]

Nice work, how did you crimp the lens back on?

Gary

[bud44750]

the quality of the restoration is amazing. I've been working on the artwork to actually silkscreen new face plates but after seeing how well this turned out and how inexpensive it is, I'm wondering if the decal route isn't the way to go to bring a speedometer back to life as anyone can do it and the cost is so relatively low. Again, nice work !!
Did you see the post on using Krylon # 1403 "dull aluminum" spray paint for the background color ?

[Darryl L]

Hi all,

Gary - I don't have a lens as yet.  This speedo had no glass or bezel left on it.  I have my eyes on  the glass and bezels  that are on Ebay and that will be the next step.

Bud - yes, I saw that.  I couldn't find that brand of paint here so I just picked a stock can of good quality paint in an aluminium colour.  I have nothing to compare the finished product to in New Zealand.  There are only a handful of scout cars here and even fewer halftracks but from my comparisons with photos on the net, it seems pretty close.

The spare set of decals I had with the odometer numbers in white is now sold.  I still have the others available for $15 USD but if others are interested in the odometer numbers with the white background, I'll get my printer to print some more.

 

[Darth_Kitten]

I just picked up a pretty good core today to work with.
Need to take it apart to check it out. Needs a bezel for sure, but the glass is good, and the faceplate may clean up after a beadblast. 

[spec4don]

Darryl, I'd be interested in 3 of sets of odometer numbers. I've been looking all over for those.

Don G.

[Darryl L]

Hi Don

No problem. I've just sent you a PM. 

[Tapper02]

Darryl,
  The speedometer decals came in the mail today.  They look great.  Thanks for sharing with us!

-Tom

[Darryl L]

Hi Tom

That got there faster than I thought!

Yes, let me know how you get on with them. The odometer decal strip is a tad long and will need to be trimmed a wee bit. You have to be careful not to stretch it further as you put it on.   

Good luck and lets see your results!

[spec4don]

I'm running a little behind. I got the odometer numbers the other  day they look great! Looks like I'm down in June for knee surgery so I'll have time to restore a few gauges!!

Don G.

[Darryl L]

Good to hear Don.    Will be interested in seeing how you get on. Good luck with the surgery!

Tom - how did you get on with yours? Do you have any progress pictures?

[Tapper02]

I haven't put them to use yet.  They are my backup plan in the event I don't get my speedometer back.

-Tom

[Darryl L]

Hi all,

I've had my arm twisted to get some more Halftrack and Scoutcar speedometer faceplate decals made up. 

They are $10 USD including postage to anywhere in the world.

Payment by Paypal please.

Please PM if interested.

BTW - I still have some Tachometer decals for $8 USD and Cluster gauge decals for $10 USD.

[Darryl L]

Hi all,

After a request and some assistance from a member with an original temperature gauge (thanks JB), I have had some decals produced for the WW2 White Halftrack/Scoutcar temperature gauge, as per the attached picture.

You might recall I already have the complete cluster gauge set of decals for sale.  The temperature gauge decal with that set though does have different colouring on the numbers and markings.  At the time I had these produced, I had received various advice on whether the gauge I was working off  was just a WW2 variant or perhaps a French or post-war production.

Regardless, this new temperature gauge decal is US WW2 and it is available now.  As per the other decals, you will still need to prepare the gauge faceplate and paint it the silver aluminium colour before applying the decal. 

The price is $5 USD including post to anywhere in the world.

I will be supplying the new temperature gauge decal with the complete cluster gauge set and both versions of the temperature gauge decal will be supplied.  These are $13 USD for the set.

I have restocks of the other decals:

•   Speedometer faceplate and odometer numbers = $20 USD
•   Tachometer faceplate = $10 USD

Please PM if interested.

Thanks. 

[Darryl L]

Hi all,

I have a few decals left for the WW2 White Halftrack/Scoutcar speedometer, cluster gauges and the halftrack tachometer.

The prices are:

•   Speedometer faceplate decal (no more odometer number decals)= $12 USD
•   Tachometer faceplate decal = $10 USD
•   Cluster gauge decal set = $12 USD

The price includes postage to anywhere in the world.

Please PM if interested.