Vixen Speedo

Author
Discussion

tomtrout

Original Poster:

595 posts

162 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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I've just had a bit of an issue with my speedo which was working perfectly right up to the point when it wasn't! On investigation my cable had snapped at the gearbox end. Very strange, so on checking I discovered that my speedo had in fact seized solid! Using Frank's very useful decision matrix wink I soaked the internals in some rocket 40 and gave the the drive socket a good old graunch with a suitably sized screw driver! I would have hit it with my ball-peen hammer but I didn't know which bit to hit! Anyway, freed it up and all appears to be ok.

I was thinking of fitting a spare mk2 GT speedo, which I happen to have as a spare but it is very different to the one originally fitted to my S2. Apart from the small fact that the cable connection has a bigger thread size, the speedo, although matching the rev counter beautifully, is only rated to 110mph. I'm not particularly bothered by the limitations of the top speed indication because I won't be going there!

Just in case my speedo fails again, I would like to try and source a replacement. Isn't it a bit odd that my OE speedo doesn't match the rev counter? Oh it's a TVR - why should I be surprised! I guess it's possible that either my speedo, or tach is not OE but I would be very surprised. I did have a whizz through the hundreds of Smiths speedos being touted on the net without joy. I have asked this question on this forum before and was informed by the classic TVR royalty that the correct speedo is Cortina 1600 GT - which I'm pretty sure it isn't. It also isn't the Lotus cortina so is there anybody out there with a clue as to what other motors share the 120mph speedo, with trip but no full-beam lamp indicator?

tomtrout

Original Poster:

595 posts

162 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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Just found this piccy of my tach and speedo which I took when I stripped the car down. Can't really believe that TVR thought these were a good match!

thicksliced

130 posts

200 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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Your tacho and speedo look very similar to those on my S2. Don't know why but I have assumed that the speedo is from an MGB.

Moto

1,230 posts

252 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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Andy,

I thought OE instruments on Vixens were AC, not Smiths. However most Vixens I've seen have Smiths, I think because the original AC ones broke and you can't get replacements so the Smiths were easily available. I'm sure someone with more knowledge will be along to confirm or otherwise.

In the meantime, this photo shows my instruments. The Smiths part number on the speedo is SN-5324/40A 980




oliverb205

705 posts

225 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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They look like the instruments I had in LVX1686/4, and I always assumed they were original because it was only 16 years old when I bought it and just 10 years old when it had been parked up.

Could TVR afford to worry about minor details like the gauges not matching...

Oliver.

tomtrout

Original Poster:

595 posts

162 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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I'm pretty confident the Smiths rev counter and speedo as shown in my pic and Steve's S3 were OE. The bank of 4 smaller gauges were indeed AC and all are present and correct on my car. Defo not an MGB speedo and I thought possibly the same as fitted to the Lotus Cortina but I think they are rated to 140mph.

Oliver is obviously correct regarding the insignificance of matching instruments back in the day! Part of the charm let's say!!

Stevo302

392 posts

137 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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My Smiths goes up to 160mph. So no idea where that came from. Be lucky to do 100.

bluezeeland

1,965 posts

158 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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tomtrout said:
Using Frank's very useful decision matrix wink I would have hit it with my ball-peen hammer but I didn't know which bit to hit!
Glad to've been of help, but noted you contemplated using a hammer, which is advanced engineering, Andy !

This is what you've got ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Cortina-Mk-2-Speedo...

Pity you can't match them/find an adaptor !

Frank

magpies

5,129 posts

181 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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tomtrout said:
I would have hit it with my ball-peen hammer but I didn't know which bit to hit! ?
Precision Percussion Maintenance!!

tomtrout

Original Poster:

595 posts

162 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
quotequote all
bluezeeland said:
Glad to've been of help, but noted you contemplated using a hammer, which is advanced engineering, Andy !

This is what you've got ?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Cortina-Mk-2-Speedo...

Pity you can't match them/find an adaptor !

Frank
Yep, that's the one I've got as a spare Frank. I could fit it if my original permanently dies but I would like to keep the original if that's what the guys in Blackpool fitted. Not least because of the odometer reading showing the 55,000 miles covered from new. It would be interesting just to know what other models share the 120mph speedo. Can't for one second imagine a custom order to Smiths for Vixen speedometers!

alphaone

1,019 posts

172 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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http://www.zen11896.zen.co.uk/vixen/parts/dashboar...

I was sent the above link when asking about gauges

bluezeeland

1,965 posts

158 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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alphaone

1,019 posts

172 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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these might also be worth a try
http://www.speedycables.com/

Stevo302

392 posts

137 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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Whats the corect speedo speed for my 71 2500? I might get round to change it one day..........

tomtrout

Original Poster:

595 posts

162 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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Thanks for the links gentlemen. I have been through that parts list a number of times over the last few years and I don't think its the speedo ref that is the only one that's wrong. A useful guide all the same so I'm not knocking it.

I think a refurb by a specialist is the way to go if it breaks again. Perhaps a much rarer OE item than we might think?

Mr Tiger

406 posts

127 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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Stevo302 said:
Whats the corect speedo speed for my 71 2500? I might get round to change it one day..........
I think the 160 mph speedo is correct for the Vixen chassied 2500. That's what's in mine at least. I'm guessing it's the same as in the Tuscan V6. I'm sure Andrew will be able to clarify. From memory (not too reliable) I've seen pics of S4/Hybrid 2500s with the 140 mph speedo.

I'd also like to know what car these speedos were from originally. The 120 mph Vixen one is not like any MGB speedo I've ever seen.

Chris

missingbadly999

348 posts

114 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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Mine is
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Cortina-Mk-2-Speedo...
on a 1970 S2, it came with it and when I had it out to change the cable there were dead 1970's spiders at the back still wearing flares so it must be an original.

RFC1

1,107 posts

196 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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My Tuscan V6 has a 160mph smiths speedo.


Sandy

octanetorque

144 posts

136 months

Thursday 27th November 2014
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the 120 speedo comes from a Lotus Cortina... also known as hen's teeth.

tomtrout

Original Poster:

595 posts

162 months

Friday 28th November 2014
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missingbadly999 said:
Mine is
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ford-Cortina-Mk-2-Speedo...
on a 1970 S2, it came with it and when I had it out to change the cable there were dead 1970's spiders at the back still wearing flares so it must be an original.
love that! But does your car also have the blue full beam indicator bulb on the dash separate to the speedo? All the Cortina GT speedo's have integral full beam indicators build in. I believe that even the mk 1 Lotus Cortinas were rated to 140 mph so perhaps the Vixen speedo is even rarer than a chickens dentures!

I know there will be plenty of people on here who will say 'does it matter'?