C3 Tech/Performance V8 Technical Info, Internal Engine, External Engine, Basic Tech and Maintenance for the C3 Corvette
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Metric speedometer?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Sep 20, 2007 | 02:15 PM
  #1  
spf72's Avatar
spf72
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Supporting Lifetime Gold
20 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,196
Likes: 47
From: Scarborough Maine Fredericksburg VA
Default Metric speedometer?

What is the first year a metric kph was added to the regular speedometer?

Thanks
Reply
Old Sep 20, 2007 | 02:25 PM
  #2  
ha_pe_1968's Avatar
ha_pe_1968
Advanced
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From: Hohenems
Default

Since 1969 export cars (Germany, Switzerland, Austria) where delivered with km/h speedometers. Thought a company in switzerland / zürich was produced a foil with the km/h and delivered the speedos to the importeur of this cars. One time i heard that the foil was delivered to GM and they fitted the export cars with km/h speedos. So if you see a corvette speedometer with 0-320 then it is not a extraordinary fast car its only an export car :-)
Peter
Reply
Old Sep 20, 2007 | 02:55 PM
  #3  
HamadUP's Avatar
HamadUP
Melting Slicks
Supporting Lifetime
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,877
Likes: 13
From: Doha
St. Jude Donor '08
Default

Thats interesting. I really would like to have that kind of speedo into mine, since I live in a "metric" place! .. I always thought that early corvettes only came with a SAE scales, until mid 70s when they used both at the same time.

Is there anyone that still produce that kind of conversions? or can I still find some old ones in ebay or something?
Reply
Old Sep 20, 2007 | 03:07 PM
  #4  
ha_pe_1968's Avatar
ha_pe_1968
Advanced
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From: Hohenems
Default

Have never seen an (old original) foil or a speedo with the foil for sale. But think today each good lithographic studio can do this job?! - they only need a special foil. If you need i can send you a picture with the km/h speedo from my 1970. But need your mail then - seems i am to stupid to post pictures here.
Peter
Reply
Old Sep 20, 2007 | 03:43 PM
  #5  
7T1vette's Avatar
7T1vette
Team Owner
15 Year Member
Community Builder
Community Influencer
Top Answer: 5
 
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
Default

I'm not sure when C3's started putting two speed scales on the dial face...probably in the mid to late 70's. But the first electronic "switchable" speed readout was in the 1984 C4 dash.
Reply
Old Sep 20, 2007 | 04:20 PM
  #6  
HamadUP's Avatar
HamadUP
Melting Slicks
Supporting Lifetime
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 2,877
Likes: 13
From: Doha
St. Jude Donor '08
Default

Originally Posted by ha_pe_1968
Have never seen an (old original) foil or a speedo with the foil for sale. But think today each good lithographic studio can do this job?! - they only need a special foil. If you need i can send you a picture with the km/h speedo from my 1970. But need your mail then - seems i am to stupid to post pictures here.
Peter
PM sent!
Reply
Old Sep 20, 2007 | 04:51 PM
  #7  
Tewski's Avatar
Tewski
Pro
Veteran: Marine Corps
St. Jude 10 Year Donor
20 Year Member
Liked
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 703
Likes: 153
From: Central FL
St. Jude Donor '06 thru'17, '23-'26
Default

First year was 1975
Reply
Old Sep 20, 2007 | 06:03 PM
  #8  
Tomi72's Avatar
Tomi72
Racer
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 369
Likes: 1
From: Finland
Default

Originally Posted by ha_pe_1968
Since 1969 export cars (Germany, Switzerland, Austria) where delivered with km/h speedometers. Thought a company in switzerland / zürich was produced a foil with the km/h and delivered the speedos to the importeur of this cars. One time i heard that the foil was delivered to GM and they fitted the export cars with km/h speedos. So if you see a corvette speedometer with 0-320 then it is not a extraordinary fast car its only an export car :-)
Peter
It would indeed be nice to have km/h face on the speedo. Did the odometer still show miles on the original export cars or were they altered to show kilometers?
Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-7

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Sep 20, 2007 | 06:07 PM
  #9  
spf72's Avatar
spf72
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Supporting Lifetime Gold
20 Year Member
Conversation Starter
All Eyes On Me
 
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,196
Likes: 47
From: Scarborough Maine Fredericksburg VA
Default

My 70 has both - primary is the mph with a smaller kph scale. My 72 is just mph - looks like the spedo was replaced sometime in the last 38 years.
Reply
Old Sep 20, 2007 | 07:16 PM
  #10  
7T1vette's Avatar
7T1vette
Team Owner
15 Year Member
Community Builder
Community Influencer
Top Answer: 5
 
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,118
From: Crossville TN
Default

I believe that your 70's speedo is the one that was changed.
Reply
Old Sep 20, 2007 | 07:27 PM
  #11  
wfo76's Avatar
wfo76
Drifting
 
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 2
From: MS
Default

Yes, 1975 was the first year for the dual scale with the MPH dominant and the smaller KM/H.

Beginning in 1978, cars exported to Canada and other metric countries got the reverse with the KM/H dominant.

Never heard of a St Louis installed export speedometer with anything other than the normal MPH scale until as noted above and think the importer would have made any necessary mods before 1978.
Reply
Old Sep 21, 2007 | 01:32 PM
  #12  
ha_pe_1968's Avatar
ha_pe_1968
Advanced
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From: Hohenems
Default

The odometer is in km (more or less :-) ) the speedometer shows only km/h. And only if you know it and if you look very exactly you can see a small difference about the speedo and tacho. I think too that the importeurs of the cars had this speedos or speedo foils and changed them but i am not sure a lot of years ago i think GM had a company in switzerland and maybe the cars where modified there - have 3 unusual RPO's at my tanksticker (V78 – Delete certification plate, ZX2 – Export procedure =2, ZY7 – Export non taxable status) maybe the ZX2 have to do with it

Peter
Reply
Old Sep 21, 2007 | 02:16 PM
  #13  
ha_pe_1968's Avatar
ha_pe_1968
Advanced
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 67
Likes: 0
From: Hohenems
Default

HamadUP - picture is sent
Peter
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Metric speedometer?





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:00 PM.

story-0
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-8
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE