VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1946-1948 Speedometer & Clock Hands

So are you guys sure your clocks and spedos are of the correct year?Were earlier units produced with clear hands and changed to red in 47-48?Gene what do you think

I'm sill voting for the lighter, amber colored hands in 47-48 as original. I'll post a picture this evening to support my case. :-) Not sure what to say about all this red handed clocks. I have always thought they were from 1946, but that's just because I thought the '47 and '48 hands should be amber. As you say, hard to believe they faded that completely from red, but who knows. All I know is that in 1973 when I started buying '48 cars, they were the amber color. No trace of a real red color.

Ok?

Okay. Here is a copy of a piece of literature I have advertising the 1947 wind-up clock. I realize this picture isn't going to carry the day, as it's pretty difficult to tell much of anything from it, but to me, looking at the original, the hands are a very light color, not at all like the dark background of the clock face. I always thought that if the hands were red, they would be more distinctly dark than what this shows. It still leaves me at a loss to explain all the red hands on the NOS clocks around, plus I guess we don't have anyone who has an NOS clock with anything but red hands...

Well Dale you may be correct
Here's a black and white pic of my NOS 47-48?clock
with the red hands
Maybe we have a clock restoration guy who could straighten out the mystery..or maybe "Chevnut"

I repair/restore antique car clocks. The 46/47/48 clock hands were originally red and yes, they can fade all the way to clear. I have seen nos clocks with faded hands.

Rest assured, Bruce, they were red...

I have some "spare" amp/gas and oil gauges...and they have faded to white...Got them off eBay...

You made my day which I hope is verification...As I have been looking around I have seen lots of both colors

I'm at Hershey this week (where it happens to be pouring down rain unfortunately) and this afternoon just saw a very low mileage (13,000 miles) 1948 Stylemaster that was for sale in the car corral. Being a Stylemaster, it did have the clock delete, but has a very nice looking speedometer. Unfortunately (since I was pushing for the hands to be a light amber color), the speedometer has a pretty red needle. It's starting to fade a little, but definitely in the red family. So, okay, I'm willing to admit defeat and agree that the clock hands and speedometer needle were originally red. :-)

Left out in direct sunlight does that to them...They fade to amber...or white or clear...