Here I've been saving my stock S-W 160 mph speedo for a rainy day thinking I could at some point sell the thing and make some bucks. Not a lot. I'm not greedy. Historically, this gauge in particular has always been on most everybody's wish list as it was always in limited quan***y and desirable. Recently the sales prices have dropped down into doo doo land and it seems like everybody has one. Where have they been hiding all this time? Maybe folks just dug through their parts stash and discovered that they had one and seeing how the market has grown decided to sell. Is that all there is to this story? The price drop and the growing availability of this item has me scratching my rapidly thinning hair on my topknot. Just for kicks I bought a used one and paid maybe 40 bucks for the thing. It arrived with some miles on it (literally) and in good shape and decent but what threw me was that it looked just like my "vintage" and "valuable" piece of rodding history. So much for my sales pitch and so much for my "rainy day" plans. I sit here with my plans dashed and like the cartoon guy (sheepdog, Chihuahua, Crazy Lenny et al) mutter to myself through clenched teeth, "which way did he go Vern, which way did he go?) What the heck happened?
As far as price drops, it could be a supply and demand issue. The supply hasn't changed much but quite possibly the demand has. Scrolling Ebay I'd have to say that being able to do***ent what you have as to it's age and original part number carries weight along with condition. Some of them for sale look like they did their time in the swap meet box without a lot of padding or care. Or were pulled from cars that had had a rough life.
I remember when kids would see a 160 MPH speedometer in a car, and thought that was how fast the car could go. IMO, a Stewart-Warner 120 MPH speedometer was more rare. I have had several 160 MPH speedometers over the years, but only a few 120 MPH speedometers.
Part of the problem is there are so many aftermarket gauges now that look retro or have a new look that builders like. And they don't want to mess with a 50 year old part that may need repair.
Saying you have a “160 SW speedo” is like saying you have a “Ford”. What year? What model? What condition? Those things can make all the difference to the value. The good ones will never go down in value in our lifetimes. The common ones will always be common.
Could be market ebb and tide as well as supply and demand. As soon as someone lists a $400 part on ebay, you can bet you'll soon see a slew of others listed. This happens instantly, whereas in the old swap meet days it took time for prices to creep up. Another thing that drives prices over the years is what's "hot fashion". I remember early 80's (?) the first time I ever saw a police special speedometer. It was in a roadster at a show. Everyone was talking about it and walking over to check it out. Some went bat **** crazy and had to have one. Next Pomona a swap they (came out of the woodwork) were being "featured" by sellers, placed right up against the edge of swap spaces with signage and exorbitant prices. In the 80's American Torque Thrusts became very hot. That drove demand and price to the point their were 5 spoke dealers at Pomona swap meet. Folks see the prices and say "hey, I've got those parts in my shed and will be glad to unload them for that price". Suddenly the market is diluted with said part and not so "rare" or "novel". Also, some will say they were going to run ___ part on their car but decided not to because "everyone is running them". Demand goes down & supply goes up = lower price. Not true with every part. If overnight, everyone hoarding 34 grilles took them off the wall and listed them, they'd still be going for $2000. Just my luck, lol. As BJR mentioned, new, vintage looking sets as well as "reintroduced" (not "repop" as they're a bit different from the original) lines such as S/W Green lines. Makes it "easier" to buy a full, new set with senders and lighting than to build a set one at a time. Condition is everything with vintage gauges. Dented or badly pitted chrome rings, snipped off senders drive down the price considerably.
I was given a complete set of gauges from a late friend's stash. The speedo is at O miles, but as dirty as the back is, it must have been spun back. It will fit the bill in my 29 RPU, and I will think of Frank every time I drive it.
If you wanted to buy parts that stay rare or rose in value you shoulda been collecting Duesenberg or Packard 12 stuff decades ago. Ok, so that's not for everyone (thankfully) but marinate in that thought for a moment. They're always important, always at the very top of the scrotum pole. So in our stuff if you think that way and buck the trends you can make out now and then. When **** gets hot move right then. Tomorrow it kools off. Maybe you get lucky and pick stuff that only kools a little. Maybe you didn't make 400% profit but all black ink is good ink be it 20 bucks or 200. Am I making sense? Take another approach too. Help your fellow enthusiasts get stuff from you vs being only profit driven. Be ready to trade, but above all be fair n earnest. There's some who love me and some who hate me, but none can say they didn't get the real. I sleep real ****in good. Hello? Is this thing on? Happy New Year y'all...
Problem sometimes is things get over used. It's like going to a car show with 10 pre 67' GTO's, just about everyone is going to be a 3 duece setup even though the 4 barrel was the most prevalent option. Some do things because it's different then it becomes popular and every car has to have one. I actually looked at buying one and installing it in my 31, but after seeing prices and about every car with one it was time to pick something else. .
I bought a complete set of SW Gauges (160 MPH Speedo) in 74 or 75 and they are still in the car. I've got three 120 MPH speedos but they were in Stude Hawk dashes so they don't have the logo. One will be in the T I am building and the newest Hawk gauges are 61.
The Avanti`s came out with 160 or 180(?) mph from the factory stock. With a supercharger equipped car.
I believe the Golden Hawks had the 160 speedo (either a 352 Packard engine or a blown 289) not many of those.
This is one of my true talents, holding onto stuff until the price hits rock bottom. I rarely loose much though, due to low initial investment.
'Scrotum Pole'? The wife of a famous muffler guy used to tell her friends he had a pole that you could stand 13 canaries on! (San Jose local legend)
My S/W 160 speedo in my '55 F100 clocked 49K miles, then locked up tight. New gauge set is Auto Meter. (black face cl***ics, with arrow head pointers...DeLuxe!) Also warrantied.
Yes, they did. Here's one that I have for sale here for $175 (to reference the poster's original comment)...not expensive, in relative terms. It has a later standard needle & uniform sized numbers. The ones from the one year only 1955 Studebaker Speedster had the fat (Coke Bottle) needle & big & little numbers. These were coupled with a matching 6K tach, but it was (very unfortunately) electric & needed that conglomeration of plumbing & those crazy rare senders.
I got my still-in-the-box speedo off Ebay about 18 months ago. Bidding activity was lively; possibly because everyone was still COVID quarantining?
I think the 160 is a cool piece , but prefer the 120 , normal ranges of all my gauges the needles are near straight up , easy to read at a glance .
The Jalopy Journal
