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Question
hi there well i have a 1972 dodge dart swinger and on the spedometer it will get stuck at 50 mph then after a while it will drop back down to the speed i am driving so what can i do to fix it?
thanks bill
Hey, Bill...
This can all be traced to one thing--the speedometer cable. It's needing lubrication, or it's picked up a kink, which is unlikely.
To lubricate it, you need to disconnect it at either end, pull out the center cable, clean it in solvent, and re-lube it with light grease...Lubriplate (white lithium grease) is good stuff for this. Just apply a coating with your fingers as you slide it back into place, rotate it slightly so the square end slips back into the fitting as you push it home, and button it up.
If you don't want to lubricate it, replace it with a new one.
--Paul
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Answers by Expert:
Paul Wilczynski
Expertise
Most questions involving vintage car restoration, mechanical and body, paint and upholstery. Parts sourcing. Extensive experience in wood-bodied station wagons, British and French cars of the '40s through '70s. Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow, Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger, Citroen Maserati, VW Beetle, 1955-65 Chevrolet (especially Nomad station wagons), Corvair.
Experience
Wide-ranging and long-term. I owned a restoration shop in the 1970s, continue to dabble in vintage exotics. At one time, had a seven-car collection of contemporary exotics which I had restored and maintained myself.
When I was 18 years old, I designed a woodie kit for the VW Beetle, which I developed into a product which was featured on television and in over 100 magazines and 25 books at last count. I still own and drive one of my creations.
I owned a design and fabrication consultancy from 1982-2002, specializing in show car fabrication for manufacturers including Ford, Mazda, GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, etc.
Since 2003, I have been a department manager in Industrial Design, and a full-time instructor in automotive design and fabrication at the university level. My students go on to design automobiles as staff designers for major auto manufacturers worldwide.
Organizations
Western Automotive Journalists, Industrial Design Society of America.
Publications
Long list of magazines and books, including Playboy, VW Trends, VW Greats, Hot VWs, and European automotive magazines.
Education/Credentials
I teach design and fabrication at university level. My education is in Industrial Design, University of Illinois (1966-1970).
Awards and Honors
Many awards for restorations in local concours and shows.
Past/Present Clients
Mazda, Ford, GM, Subaru, Mitsubishi, Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, Mercedes, Porsche.
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