smith guages

[misfit41]

ok guys,,I need opnions here,,I am shaping up this used car i bought,,it is going to be very nice,,and as accurate maybe as one could make a shell valley with a solid axle,I am down to guages,I have already made a new dash panel with the s/c layout,,the kit had a strret rdst type layout,not to ditch the sw guages,i was thinking of the autometer vintage set,,they are nearly identical to the smiths,,I doubt the casual observer would know the difference,,or..should I plunge 300 more bucks and have the real deal,,i mean my car isnt real,,but it looks identical inside,is it worth it ?
thanks,,Tim

[Mr.Fixit]

The autometer ones are actually better in my opinion. You don't need to tap them to get the needle to move.

[shaps]

Have heard that the smiths are VERY fickle from several good sources. Hope this helps...

[Bud Man]

Well, lessee.......My Smiths..............

Speedo - OK
Tacho - Not OK (Won't go above 2K)
Oil Temp - OK
Water Temp - OK
Fuel Pressure - Not OK, (jumpy)
Oil Pressure - OK
Amps - OK

From what I've heard, 5 working out of seven is good...

Get the Autometer

Bud

[misfit41]

thanks Bud,,,thats 300 I can spend elsewhere,,I really wanted the smiths name,but then again,,who looking in the car,,who knew what smiths are,,wouldnt know it is a freaking Shell valley anyway,,thanks,,tim

[KobraKarl]

tk,

have the Smiths and they work great, but mine are almost 20 years old . Smith has since been purchaced by another manufacturer, and from what I read, they are not so hot..The autometers look nice.

KK

[misfit41]

thanks KK
I am too assume,,if my dash is already cut and drilled for smiths,,the vintage auto meters will fit right and look right,,true ?
thanks,,Tk

[Tinker51]

Not a long term report but the Smiths in my car all work perfectly (looking for some wood to knock on now).

[Janusz]

Looking to add another SW to my guage grouping. Anybody have an oil temp gauge that they would like to part with?

Thanks,

[Harris]

Just bought a set of AMs from Mota Lita. High quality and I'm very satisfied.
Harris

[misfit41]

thanks again guys,,I just still wanna see that smiths name there,,not sure if I can get past that,,or the 300 bucks first,
BTW Janusz,,what year is your shell ? I have a complete shell das with sw guages,,havent ecided what to do with it yet though,,if i break it up,,u can have the oil temp guage
Tim

[Janusz]

Tim,

My Shell Valley is an early 90's build, with the SW's being the same age. Drop me a note back if you decide to part with the dash, and we'll see whether we can come to an arrangement (based on this post, sounds like having some spare SW's is a good idea ).

John

[misfit41]

I have alread built a new alloy dash,,Iwanted the s/c type layout as opposed to the roadster style,not sure why most kits uses that,,I didnt think much of it until I saw the dash in an spf,now I gotta have it,just trying to decide between 450 for autometer,or 700-800 for smiths,,I want the car accurate,,but then again,,it is a shell valley,how accurate can it be ?
My dash is th efab one,,with all guages,2 of the small ones are mismatched though,,black bezels,what would the whole set up be worth ? any one have a clue ? it would look cool hanging on my shop wall,,heheh
Seems your car and mine are about the same years,I have heard horro stiories about older shell frames,but I think mine is the good one,has the fabricated front cross member instead of a stamped one,and seems very strong and rigid,I can jack it up from any corner and it doesent effect the door fuction or gaps,I can say that about a new mustang convertible.
how does your car drive ? mine has some issues,,Tk

[Janusz]

Tim,

I didn't realize there was as much of a $ spread between the Autometer and SW gauges. I guess if I was starting from scratch, I would tend to lean towards reliability, since my SW gauges are by no means perfect. Looking at the new Autometer 427 S/C gauges, they look to be identical except for the SW logo, but in the end you have to be satisfied with your selection. I also can't speak for the reliability of the new SW gauges versus my older units.

My SV frame looks identical to the current frames and is as rigid as you noted, with no noticeable deflection when jacked up. The ride is good. The older SV's used a longer rear coil-over with lighter spring rates, so I found by tightening up the spring, the rear went up slightly but the handling improved. I'm looking to change out my rear springs to a higher rate. One other CC member (HighPlainsDrifter) indicated that he has installed a panhard rod on his SV, which would be interesting to see. SV indicates that a panhard is not required or recommended, but that could be a point of contention. What issues are you experiencing?

John

[misfit41]

On the guages,,I was referrign to the Smith versus the autometer,,I want an authenic looking dash,simular to an spf car,,sorry if I misled you,,
my car is a bear,,it darts in the rioad when any dip or irregulaity in the road is present,,like an old pick up,,and it is impossible to drive at speed,
i think an alignment,new front coil overs will do the trick,,nothing seems to be worn,except the tires on the insides,as soon as I get the cosmetic stuff in order,,I will get it on a rack,,thanks again,,Tim
p.s.,,I looked again today,my dash has no oil temp guage,,but a clock instaed,,,sorry

[misfit41]

well,,against better advice,I ordered the smiths yesterday,just bugged me not having them,I know it is stupid since my car is a Shell,,but it is the most correct cobra in my town,,hehe,hell maybe my state,and I will keep my old dash,if I ever upgrade cars,I have the option of trading back,,Tk

[Tom T.]

And the Lord Lucas said unto him, be not afraid of positive ground, because the world is flat, not round. Hey man, good luck! My Contemporary has had Smiths gauges since it was built, and I've never had a problem with them. The gas gauge needle sometimes does this wacky little dance sometimes, but that's just character. Character is a good thing, right?

TT

[Tom T.]

Misfit,

Do a bumpsteer check on your front end, asap.

TT

[misfit41]

Thanks Tom,,
I am ashamed to say being thr old car guy I am still unclear on the bump steer issue,although I see it mentioned a lot ,,what excatly is it ? and how do I check ?
thanks,,T

[Janusz]

Misfit,

The attached Heidt's Tech section on their site does a good job of reviewing the MII IFS and explaining bumpsteer.

http://www.heidts.com/heisinfo.htm

J