63 64 Lark 160 Speedo... Black or Green

[sals54]

Are the 63 Lark 160 speedos black while the 64s are green? I'm trying to figure out which one I have.

sals54

[starliner62]

63 has the red "crosshairs" on the face. (I think) 63's are balck, 64's are greenish.

Jamie McLeod
Hope Mills, NC

[58PackardWagon]

Starliner you are correct. I have been looking for a replacement nice 160 mph speedo for our 63 R2. If anyone knows of one, please send me an email. Thank you

57 & 58 Packards
62 Daytona
63 R2 Lark

[starliner62]

How cool, I got something right!!
Actually, I bought a whole box full of speedometers and clocks and gauges, mostly Lark stuff, and did a whole lot of studying to figure out what years they were. Still having a hard time with 59 and 60 gauge clusters. The oil and amp lights are vertical on some and horizontal on others. Anyone know which is which?
Jamie McLeod
Hope Mills, NC

[Skip Lackie]

quote:Originally posted by starliner62

63 has the red "crosshairs" on the face. (I think) 63's are balck, 64's are greenish.

Jamie McLeod
Hope Mills, NC

This issue has been discussed before. The 63s do have the red crosshairs. But the 64s started out being a very dark grayish-black, but sunlight bleaches out the red and turns them into the greenish color. Take a look the next time you see any NOS 64 gauge -- it will have a very dark gray background.

Skip Lackie
Washington DC

[StudeRich]

Remember that the CLOCKS being made by Borg, and not SW were more Gray, and never did match. I remember noticing that on the '64's and '65's on the showroom floor.

I do remember in that last post someone showed a NOS Gauge Cluster that appeared quite Gray almost Black in the photos, and we do not know how it was stored, if it came over the NET correctly or if different batches varied. It may be best to say they were Silver/Gray-Green and forget which was predominant! Please don't take this as an argument, just stating the facts I know from experience.

It is also true that the Speedo, Tach, Instrument Cluster and Gauges all faded to lighter and more Green when exposed to years of Sunlight, I have taken the Clusters apart and seen that gauge faces hidden under the Cluster Mask that are not faded, are less green and darker.


StudeRich at Studebakers Northwest -Ferndale,WA

[Jessie J.]

I have several sets of '64 instrument clusters, some NOS, including a 160mph Speedometer which I bought but never installed because its dark coloring was such a miss-match to the rest of the gauges- and the fact I'm unlikely to ever exceed even half of that.

[Jessie J.]

I'd rather use all '63 instruments with their plain black with red cross-hair face, than the greenish '64s that fade to Forty shades of green as they age, although they do look nice new, and when they all match.