Was just wondering about the Winged guages. What years they were made and how long the present design has been around. What did late 50's early 60's S&W's look like?
There was a very good article on all the early SW gages in Rodder's Journal a while back. Not sure what issue though.
A short history... Stewart Warner used to make the best guages in the world. Today everything they make is dog ****. End of story...
Add this to Chaz's to sum up Stewart Warners History,& Their future...... is sure to be bleak as well if they continue to produce substandard instruments and ignore their customers plight after buying same [**** guages]......
So are you guys using something that works better or did you just dig until you found some good old guages? Or are you just stuck with **** guages?
Don't have a thing against autometer but its a shame to build a trad car then drop the ball on the gauges. I still use S/W gauges and have never had a problem with them. guess i'm luckey. I don't recall ever seeing winged gauges until the 90s. It seems to me all the S/W gauges I saw as a kid had plain faces with the exception of saying S/W or Stewart Warner on them. The gauges they produced in the '60s had flat lenses as I recall I think the curved lenses went by the wayside in the '50s. But I'm not a world reknowned expert on them.
This should help you out... http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache...tewart+warner+gauges&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=5 Terry
I think they're made in China or something. I have no experience with the new SW gauges, but I hear a lot of complaints about them and very little praise.
They are made down mexico way. As is much in the sensor industry. But I'm with Porkn******. That's all I've ever used, and have never had a prolem Craig
Stewart Warner also used to make speedometers and hubs for bicycles, starting in the early 1930's through the 1960's and possibly later. Check this out http://nostalgic.net/index.asp?L=193
They must have had good legs back then. Even as an energetic kid I couldn't do 50 MPH (smile). All guages are made by robots now.
On my road bike, spinning a 53 / 12 top gear, I was clocked at 60 mph, tucked in behind a big truck on a downhill stretch of highway going south from Whistler, BC. Dave http://www.roadsters.com/
The original winged were the Deluxe Series and made from '48 to '54. Then came the "big logo" revision which were the exact same gauges except for the new square logo. Then they went to flat gl*** about '56. Then about '58 they made the square logo slightly smaller and changed the lettering on the face to a smaller font, as well as shortening the pointer on the electric gauges. And these black face gauges looked the same until the '80's or so when they started to paint the tail on the pointers black. And now they sell the new "winged" series, which has nothing in common with the original except the shape of the bezel.
I hit 118 kph (about 72 mph) going down the Tourmalet in France in 2004 on my road bike (bicycle). Was actually racing a foreign car (won't mention the brand here.) but I did outrun him, couldn't stay with me on the curves! Back to the point, original winged guages can get really pricey, and the sending units can be hard to find. I have used both the original and "new" winged gauges and haven't experienced problems with either, I have heard of problems with the new ones though. I like the look of the originals better too. Lately I have been going with stock gauges from different cars to get the look I am after.
So what's a guy to do? I was in Oreilly's again over the weekend and saw some pretty decent looking gauges and the price wasn't bad either. I'd rather have SW but if there twice the price and nothing but junk then why bother? I'm at the stage in my build that I need to make a decision about this and I don't think I want Autometer, rice burner gauges in my A. Any suggestions? Edit: maybe I shouldn't say ricer burner but seems like that's all I see em in lately. I guess they're good or nobody would have them. I just want a black face with steel trim ring and white lettering instead of the silver blinger stuff.
Buy your new Stewart Warners at a reputable place so you can keep taking them back until you get a full working set.
Look for a nice stock panel or gauges as I said before. 33-34 Dodge panels are really cool, but pricey. I have seen 49 Merc gauges in a Deuce four door that looked right. Even some 50's cars have very cool clusters that you could use. Scour the swaps or dare I say try ebay.
Whenever you buy old gauges, remember that the cost of having them rebuilt is very high; and there's often a long line ahead of you. I know you wouldn't want Auto Meter gauges in a traditional hot rod, but to be fair, I've never considered them "ricer" gauges. To me, they're pro-category drag car gauges. Dave http://www.roadsters.com/
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