Discussion
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 
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?
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?
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!!
Oliver is obviously correct regarding the insignificance of matching instruments back in the day! Part of the charm let's say!!
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!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
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?
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?
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! 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.
I know there will be plenty of people on here who will say 'does it matter'?
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