VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1946-1948 Speedometer and clock

When I purchased my '46 coupe it was a junkyard rescue and the gauges had been shot with a BB gun. I have replaced the glass in the clock but can't recall if the glass for the clock and speedometer are installed as convex or concave.It seems that the clock was convex, but I recently acquired another speedometer out of a '48 and it is concave. Anyone want to weigh in on this one?

Both the clock and speedo on my 47 are convex and the speedo on my 41 was also convex.

In my '46, all were convex as well.

Hate to disagree with the others, but my '48 and a neighbors '46 speedo are concave ( curved in towards the face).

They are concave to reduce reflection and glare.

Both of my 47' are concave
Dick

They were even concave on my 1934.

I could have sworn both lenses on my '46 were convex, but I have slept a lot since then, However, the speedometer a friend gave me for a replacement ( never dissect more than you need to) from a '48 is concave, so having replaced the face of the speedometer to match '46 style and installed same, I will redo the clock to match. Perhaps there was no right way, or maybe it varied from certain years

The clock IS convex, due to the minute hand sticks up so high. Only the speedometer in concave.

I have a Chevrolet document touching on 1942 model changes and one thing it mentions is "a functional improvement was incorporated...the speedometer lens, formerly convex, now is concave to minimize reflections and thereby permit better vision of the dial."

"And now you know the rest of the story. " Paul Harvey, good day! Good thing I didn't get to the clock. Now we are all a little more educated. Thanks BetoB ! And Thanks Russell !

Same for my 48' fleetmaster, speedometer is concave, clock is convex due to minute hand stick.

Do you know a place where i can find replacement glas?

Possibly Ronell Clock Company

And now I have another problem! I applied a '46 sticker type decal to the face of the '48 speedometer and installed it. Two weeks later the decal is peeling and curling up, so it looks like I will have to redo my speedometer face. Needless to say I am not happy. This product is from a reputable source. Any one else have this problem? And if so, how did you correct it?

I am sorry to hear that. I know how demanding work on instruments can be.

My thinking is that the failure is due to a shelf life issue with the adhesive on the decal. That is a real problem for all decals regardless of source. Plus the conditions in the storage area can shorten the adhesive life even more. Excessive temperatures (high or low) as well as temperature and humidity swings make the problem even worse.

My prediction that even if you get a "new" replacement face decal you have a pretty good chance of the same problem unless they just received a new shipment from the manufacturer.

While I know this is a some extra work I suggest that you might do some experimenting with a few different types of contact adhesives to apply as a supplement. Remove the curling up decal and cut it in smaller pieces. Then test a few different adhesives on a similar surface to see which one makes it stick the best

Thanks Rusty. I thought about trying some thin bodied adhesive possibly from a hobby and crafts store.