289 SW Speed/Tach Question

[LMH]

Hey all,
Was the standard 289 Stewart Warner speed/tach unique to Cobra?

Been looking for them for a while now in eBay and I see vintage units but they still aren't the same. Numbers appear to be smaller and/or wrong number of hash marks. So I wondered if they were Cobra-only gauges.
Anybody know?
Larry

[Dan Case]

Based on the SW documents that have surfaced the speedometer and tachometer were made just for Shelby American and not sold otherwise.

The speedometer SA offered as a service part as early as May 1965 was a normal retail SW item.

So far the only originals I have come across are in Cobras or came out of a Cobra. I have never come across a tachometer sender that a Cobra uses (and the wiring harness that goes with it) in anything but an original Cobra.

[1985 CCX]

There is a SW speedo available that is close but Dan is right as far as I know it on original. I will use Rotunda tach as they were used in comp applications and are available at a price. It is my understanding that Unique cars are 289 FIA so that said the larger gauges are different that 289 std street SW gauge clusters. Diameter is the difference as is where they are placed.

Hope I didn't add to the confusion.

[LMH]

Never Jeff! Any info is always good.

Thanks Dan! I saw a SW speedo on eBay that looks period correct though not the same as Cobra. I think the seller wants around $800 for it. I didn't spend too much time looking at it.
I'm looking into someone who may be able to silkscreen the correct face on the more common 160 mph gauge. More research yet to come though.

Thanks a bunch!
Larry

[xb-60]

Larry, this one...
Vintage Stewart Warner 160 MPH Speedometer 3 3 8" Hot Rat Rod | eBay
is on eBay at the moment at $157.
The only differences from an original appears to be that the graduations are 5mph vs 2mph, and the odometer numerals are white on black vs black on white. Everything else - font type and size, needle shape and size - appears to be very close.
Cheers,
Glen

[LMH]

Thanks Glen!
I saw that one and in fact, I have it saved to my watch list. They are very similar.
On the original Cobra gauge, it looks like to me that it doesn't have the original needle.




Larry

[Dan Case]

Cobra speedometers don't show tenths of miles.

I don't recall the details but the guru of SW/Cobra parts, the person that has done an incredible amount of research and located some extremely rare SW factory specifications for Cobras, told me that it would be possible to take parts from I think three different big truck speedometers, a little custom work, and some mix and matching of parts to build a Cobra specification assembly. The next problem he ran into is now those truck parts are very rare themselves.

SW made unique assemblies of quite a few different gauge and their sensing applications for O.E.M's (like Shelby American) for many years and something else similar for the general aftermarket. Most of what is offered for sale is usually the retail aftermarket parts.

From what I have seen and what my friend tells me the competition for any version or speed range of SW speedometer, the competition that makes NOS tough to win, is the street rod owners/builders.