Canadian Speedometers in Kmh???

[crustysarge]

I have a question, were the Canadian sold trucks eqipped with a Kilometer speedo? I need one for here in Europe and before I doctored my nice original with a cover....

[68 50th]

I have been told the kilometer speedos did not come in the Canadian trucks until later in the 70,s, around 76 I think.
Saw one in a truck in Sweden, that truck were sold new by a GM dealer in Sweden in 1970, those trucks are very hard to find.
Have been searching for kilometer speedos at junkyards and asking GM dealers for old stuff but no luck so far.

This have also been discussed before on the board, see the links.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s....php3?t=122657

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s....php3?t=125583

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s....php3?t=122208

[HeavyD]

Sorry, all the Canadian trucks were only in mph until at least mid 70's.

[72MARIO]

I have a 72 Chevy and It's in MPH. I have seen a stock speedo with a GM Kmh sticker over lay. I dont know where you could find one though.

[special-K]

What about European GMs?Not alot of them,but they are over there.Also australia,Africa...

[purple gas]

If I'm not wrong. ( and I very well might be) I think England used miles till not too long ago too. Not sure about Australia. I gotta think there's a minor market for some kind of authentic looking fix for us Canadian boys who hate to drive & do math at the same time.

[Longhorn Man]

I'm sure someone could make an overlay for the lens. I'm thinking that if the lens was polished untill the lettering came off, and the overlay was done in mirror immage and applied onto the back of the lens, it would look about right (esp if all markings on the lens were replaced) and they may even light up with the dash lights. If applied to the outside of the lens, there is nho chance of lighting up...but some one with the proper know how and time and resources...
Anyone in real good with chevychick? She did a real nice overlay for the 73-87 guys. Her kit was so nice it made me want to go get a 73 - 87 truck just for the overlays.

I know I wasn a KPH speedo. I've been wanting one for years.

[longhorn71]

In canada the speedometers changed to km/h in 1978.This was the year the metric system come in.I had a 77 chevy it was in miles and the oil pressure was in PSI.The 78 I had the speedo was in km/h and the oil pressure gauge was in KPA.the coolant temp gauges took longer to change to C,but i think that was in the late 80's

[special-K]

Does it help you guys get out of speeding tickets?

[longhorn71]

Originally Posted by special-K

Does it help you guys get out of speeding tickets?

with the older trucks yes.just rember our speed limit on most hi-ways is 100 km/h or 63 mph.If you drive somthing with a mph speedo in it the RCMP will let you get a way with a few mph over but if you are driving 75 mph it is a different story

[crustysarge]

Wow, would have never guessed there were other topics on this. Looks like I will have to do an overlay of some kind. In order to pass Italian vehicle inspection for the first time after import I gotta have a KmH on the speedo. Can come off after that. Also had to install a green LED that comes on when headlights are turned on. Turn signals in the reverse lights and I am good to go.

Now for my Pontiac, man that is another story. Might have to give up an Xmas envelope to the inspector....

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Hey crusty did you really mean turn signal's in the reverse lights if so what's up with that??? Btw heather (chevy chick) lives here in oregon and was making those guage set-ups at work I think?????

[68 50th]

Originally Posted by FRENCHBLUE72

Hey crusty did you really mean turn signal's in the reverse lights if so what's up with that??? Btw heather (chevy chick) lives here in oregon and was making those guage set-ups at work I think?????

In many European Countries we can´t have red turn signals, they have to be orange/amber.
The easiest way to solve that is to put amber bulbs in the reverse lights and connect the turn signal wire to them.
I have seen some really ugly outside mounted turn signal lights on some imported US cars and trucks.

[crustysarge]

Yep, just that, had to rewire and put yellow 1156 bulbs in the reverse lights. Got an old fog light and will wire up under the rear bumper out of sight for a reverse light.

[pissonNOS]

Originally Posted by longhorn71

with the older trucks yes.just rember our speed limit on most hi-ways is 100 km/h or 63 mph.If you drive somthing with a mph speedo in it the RCMP will let you get a way with a few mph over but if you are driving 75 mph it is a different story

it also wont help you if you just started driving your truck and have no idea that ur speedo is out 20 MPH and u get a speeding ticket for going 157 in a 110 haha i was young at the time and didnt take the time to think of the conversion but i soon learnt

[oldsub86]

I don't suppose they have made them in years but there used to be things called "kiloverters". It was a doodad that you plugged into the side of the transmission in the spot where the speedo cable installed. Then you plugged the speedo cable into the end of the adapter. I assume there were gears inside that changed the speed of the cable so that the mph speedo read in kph. I had one of these on a 1977 Mercury. The interesting thing was that the speedo only went to about 120 so I could bury the needle fairly easy. Pull out to pass and look at the speedo - needle pointed straight down.

Worked fine. Changed the odometer to kilometers as well. Wasn't expensive - I think about $15 in about 1978. Probably possible to make your own or maybe just to change the gear on the end of the speedo drive so that it reads the right value. A kilometer is about .6 of a mile so not a huge change.

[gonebad2]

Originally Posted by pissonNOS

it also wont help you if you just started driving your truck and have no idea that ur speedo is out 20 MPH and u get a speeding ticket for going 157 in a 110 haha i was young at the time and didnt take the time to think of the conversion but i soon learnt

How in the heck did the mounties catch up to you at that speed?? j/k :-)

[Longhorn Man]

oldsub, if you happen to remember where these were sold, or if you come across one, I would be very interested in getting my hands on one.

[Gee_Emm]

Here is one of those speedo adapter thingys, it came on my Jimmy I think. I tried it on my 69 to try and get the speedo a little more accurate but it didnt adjust it much. It is made by Stewart Warner.

[oldsub86]

I bought the kiloverter thing at a local autoparts chain here in Winnipeg, now know as Piston Ring. (don't reall if that was what they called themselves then - might have been Bumper to Bumper) I don't recall who made it and it went with the car when I sold it so I don't have it now to look at. It looked similar to the unit shown by Gee_Emm above but I think the one I had was longer.

[Longhorn Man]

Hmmm, one up on e-bay for 35 bucks, no mention if he'll ship overseas...

[crustysarge]

What is it listed under?

[Longhorn Man]

All I did was a google on kiloverter, then went to the e-bay listing that came up on the search. After looking a bit more, there is about 4 of them up for grabs, and another 2 on another auction web site.