First Generation Speedometer Question

[AndyB.]

I picked up an NOS speedometer for my '85. On the new one, the tenth digit is red, whereas on the original, the tenth digit is black. I'm just wondering what color that digit is normally.

 

[Mark_88]

I'm pretty sure my 88 was white on black...but I keep forgetting I didn't salvage it when I scrapped the original...been wanting to go out and have a look at it but it isn't there...I did take pics at one time when it hit 400,000 but don't know what I did with them...

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Not sure why the pics aren't showing up but click on the link to see pic of 86 ranger speedo cluster.

 

[Mark_88]

OK...that's what mine looked like...black on white...I spent 25 minutes looking through all my old truck pics...but couldn't find it...

 

[AndyB.]

Thanks. Sometimes service parts are a little different. Also, my 85 parts book doesn't have half year parts changes, so there may have been an E5TZ or E6TZ I wouldn't know about. The red really faded out over the past 30 years

.

 

[Mike Tonon]

My 87 Ranger was black on white. Maybe the idea for the red was to indicate that the odometer was replaced, as kind of a 'red flag'. not sure

 

[adsm08]

Yeah, all of mine were white on black. Mike is probably on to something with the red digit being to indicate a service part. Either that or the ink was getting low and the pigment was messed up because of it.

 

[AndyB.]

It looks like there was a government mandate in the '70s that all replacement odometers have that digit red.

 

[adsm08]

Makes sense. Then you know if it's been replaced.

My truck is on it's third cluster, but still has the original speedo head.

 

[Mark_88]

It's not applicable to Canada as far as I know. When I told the guy at MTO (they cover licenses and vehicle registration) about my rebuild plan he didn't even as what Odometer I was going to use...

Might check deeper into that though...since I put the 96 dash in my 88 cab it might make a difference as to what year it registers as...

 

[adsm08]

Yeah, Canada does some strange things with vehicles, registrations, and VINs. I've heard you have to get re-vined in you replace the engine.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

^^^ never heard that. It some areas you need to save receipts to prove that the used parts you used are not stolen, tho that seems to be used for commercial vehicles most. But the cops can be Dink's if they want to, tho most aren't.

Sent from my XT1032