SPEEDOMETER 1.5

I find that a fair percentage of speedometers I receive for reconditioning have broken speed needles. This one happens to be for a VW Beetle, shown with the stainless outer ring, seals and trim plate removed.The speed needle is a little short, though only on one end.....

These speed needles are made of unobtainium, so it was up to me to figure out how to make new needles, which had to be not only light, but shaped exactly like the originals and the same color.

The first order of business is to remove the needle without damaging the face of the speedometer. I use my special puller for that job, shown here. This particular speedo is a VDO for a Saab, but all the analog VDO speed needles--from Audi to Volvo--use the same needle mount system, so their needles can be removed with the same tool.

I make up a super light needle blank with the same cross-section as the original needle [at bottom in the photo]. Next up in the photo is a needle center cap with what is left of an old needle, plus one of my needles, sanded to the correct cross section, but not quite small enough. At the top is a finished, repaired needle, ready for installation. I get the length, shape and section exactly the same as the stock speed needle.

This is the VW speedometer, reconditioned and with the new speed needle installed. I set this odometer at 00000, at the owner's request. I also provide the owner with a data sheet showing all the work that was done, plus the original, and current odometer readings, since some states are "picky" about this sort of thing, and demand such documentation.