23 replies to this topic

[vintageautomobilia]

Hi,

I don't know if its proper to ask for help like this in this forum, but it is one of the last pieces I need to complete my Motto-Cisitalia spider 1100. I've owned this car for 31 years now, and I've never heard it run. But I'm so close!

The french Jaeger rev counter (tachometer or comte tour) I need is like the one in this picture:



It is 125mm (about 5 inches) in diameter, and can be either black face or white face. Zero is at the top at about 1 o'clock, and 70 is at about 11 o'clock. I have an early Ferrari rev counter to trade, if necessary.

Here is a picture of the car it will go into -- my Motto-Cisitalia 1100 spider corsa:



I really appreciate ANY help at all.

Thank you!

[vintageautomobilia]

Oops, the rev couner photo didn't show up. Lets try that again:

[Andrew Fellowes]

Many years ago I used a firm in Kent in the UK to restore Jaeger gauges. I know that they were making tacho’s for Maserati owners at that time too. They might still advertise in the Classis car mags, I guess someone here will help with a name ‘cause if they didn’t have one I bet they could make it. Real quality, just beautiful.

[David McKinney]

Originally posted by Andrew Fellowes
Many years ago I used a firm in Kent in the UK to restore Jaeger gauges. I know that they were making tacho’s for Maserati owners at that time too. They might still advertise in the Classis car mags, I guess someone here will help with a name ‘cause if they didn’t have one I bet they could make it. Real quality, just beautiful.

By coincidence, I had made a note to phone them today, to find out if they stock old instruments (I don't think they do) because that's what Peter wants. I'm sure they could make a perfect replica.
Will report back

[David McKinney]

The situation is as I thought. They have a website:
http://www.mgcars.org.uk/vr/
and you can contact them at instruments@vintagerestorations.com
Hope this is what you want

[vintageautomobilia]

Thank you Andrew and David. I would prefer an original old gauge, but if that turns out to be close to impossible, I guess I'll have to settle for a replica. I'll contact the people you've suggested, but still hope somebody on TNF might have one they don't need.

[Peter Morley]

I assume you are nowhere near Paris.
I'm pretty sure that you would be able to pick up one of those rev-counters at Retromobile (which is on now).

I've certainly seen plenty of them fitted to cars, so it is safe to assume they aren't incredibly rare.

Problem is finding anything in France is difficult - they are only just coming to terms with the internet (having had their own Minitel system for many years they had less need than most other countries).

You could try contacting someone like Paul Grant from Garage Vanderveken here in Brussels, he can probably help.

Anc. Ets Vanderveken SA
15-17 Chaussée de Roodebeek
1200 Bruxelles
Belgium

Tel : 00 32 (0)2 7707292
Fax : 00 32 (0)2 7725745

Email : info@vdvgrant.be
http://www.vdvgrant.be/

[Richard Neale]

Nice 'Nardi' wheel on the pic too!

[vintageautomobilia]

Thank you for the lead Peter. I had asked in the TNF Retromobile thread if someone would keep an eye open for this gauge, but no response from that thread. If any TNF person at retromobile sees this post, please help.

I don't think this is a particularly rare instument either, as Jaeger sold them over the counter to anyone. Abarth, Maserati, Talbot-Lago, Bugatti, and a bunch of specials used it.

Richard: That's the Nardi woodrimmed steering wheel on a 1955 Abarth 207A 1100 Boano spider. My Motto-Cisitalia 1100 spider has a similar Nardi wheel, but on mine the rim is pressed cork -- like a wine bottle cork! It's original to the car, and really cool!

[Richard Neale]

I've never seen a cork rimmed one but I just love cork as an eco friendly material.
We must find new uses for it, especially as it's use as a stopper for wine bottles is reducing its viability.

[David Birchall]

Peter, I will trade you a bunch of old instruments-none of which will suit your purpose-in exchange for the Cisitalia 1100 spider!

[vintageautomobilia]

Originally posted by David Birchall
Peter, I will trade you a bunch of old instruments-none of which will suit your purpose-in exchange for the Cisitalia 1100 spider!

Thanks David, good idea, but if I did that then I wouldn't need the instruments!

[Cris]

We have some gauges they restored in one of our cars...sorry for the distant photo, but the quality of their work is very good indeed.

Originally posted by Andrew Fellowes
Many years ago I used a firm in Kent in the UK to restore Jaeger gauges. I know that they were making tacho’s for Maserati owners at that time too. They might still advertise in the Classis car mags, I guess someone here will help with a name ‘cause if they didn’t have one I bet they could make it. Real quality, just beautiful.

[dbw]

i would assume that john and monica marks still run vintage restorations...john supplied me with some french jaeger instruments for a bugatti project...in the uk on business,i was able to sit down with him and pick out original dial faces and bezels that matched the patina of my existing guages....he rebuilt the "innards" and the result was excellent!...he came to me highly recommended and i would pass that on.....[btw..he doesn't do 356 porsche vdos ..he told me that the best guys were palo alto speedometer...a 4 minute drive from my house!!!]

[dretceterini]

Originally posted by vintageautomobilia


Thanks David, good idea, but if I did that then I wouldn't need the instruments!

Yes, and I'm in line ahead of you on Peter's car, should he ever decided to sell it..

[vintageautomobilia]

Originally posted by dbw
i would assume that john and monica marks still run vintage restorations...john supplied me with some french jaeger instruments for a bugatti project...in the uk on business,i was able to sit down with him and pick out original dial faces and bezels that matched the patina of my existing guages....he rebuilt the "innards" and the result was excellent!...he came to me highly recommended and i would pass that on.....[btw..he doesn't do 356 porsche vdos ..he told me that the best guys were palo alto speedometer...a 4 minute drive from my house!!!]

I had contacted John Marks at Vintage Restorations in England some time ago. Unfortunately, I gave him some incorrect measurements. I'll send him the correct info and see if he can help. I really would prefer an original instrument rather than a repro as so much of my car is original. It has been driven only about 75 miles from 1954 'til today, but I guess, at some point I'll have to take whatever I can get.

I really appreciate these leads. Hopefully some TNF'r will have one he doesn't need, sitting on the shelf in his garage. Hope springs eternal...

[flat-16]

DBW wrote:

i would assume that john and monica marks still run vintage restorations

It's a small world... I met John by accident about 3 weeks ago when visiting the local anodisers! We got chatting about issues relating to machining replica parts, and how tricky it can be to get exact replicas with today's machine shops requiring such large runs to justify programming their CNC machines.

John is very much still running the firm, and from what I've seen of his work I would recommend him in a flash.

Justin

[vintageautomobilia]

Originally posted by Cris
We have some gauges they restored in one of our cars...sorry for the distant photo, but the quality of their work is very good indeed.

Thanks for the great picture.

I have contacted John Marks again, and he does have the Jaeger face like you have pictured here in your car. But this Jaeger looks (to me) very "British", and too modern. He can probably make the face style I need, but I'm going to keep trying to find an original French Jaeger like in my picture.

I've contacted Paul Grant and I'll also try Palo Alto Speedometer. Any other suggestions anybody?

[antonvrs]

Peter, that rev counter is available on Ebay Italia right now. It's at 51 Euros with a day or so to go.
TK

[David Birchall]

Well, did he get it?

[vintageautomobilia]

Originally posted by David Birchall
Well, did he get it?

Yes, I did! It was a hard fought auction, right down to the wire, and it certainly wasn't cheap, but it is exactly the rev counter I needed.

Now I have to pay for it and get it out of Italy. In order to help with the payment portion of that, I have listed, on eBay, a 7000+ rpm Jaeger rev counter (contagiri) for an Abarth, and a very pretty 1920's era Jaeger-Paris chronometric speedometer suitable for an Amilcar, Bugatti, Delage, Hispano, or such. Both instruments are in excellent condition.

THANKS GUYS, FOR ALL YOUR SUGGESTIONS AND HELP!!!

[vintageautomobilia]

Well, I did win the auction on eBay for the contagiri Jaeger I wanted, but that was just the beginning of the saga. The seller in Italy would only accept a bank to bank wire transfer, and that took longer than he thought it should, so he relisted the rev counter (seven days after the end of the auction I won) with a higher reserve. That auction had 25 bids but none met his reserve. Meanwhile I am corresponding with him by email, assuring him the money had already been wired to his bank in Milano, but evidently he was still skeptical, as he then relisted the rev counter again in another new auction. This time it received no bids as his minimum bid was EUR 1,150! Then, after he admitted that the money had arrived, he said that the rev counter was no longer for sale. Needless to say, I was somewhat less than happy . I ended up complaining to eBay, and luckily the seller must have realized "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" because he has sent the contagiri Jaeger to me. Hopefully it will be here by the end of the week, and hopefully it will be in one piece!

[vintageautomobilia]

Just to bring you all up to date:

I finally did receive the Jaeger rev counter from the gentleman in Italy. It cost me EUR 950,00 (at the time about US$1250) but as it was exactly the correct chronometric rev counter for my car, I can't complain. The mechanism portion is in an 80mm case and the face stands out about 20mm, with a 100mm diameter. The 80mm portion fits into the dashboard, and the face portion "rests" on the dashboard. PERFECT!

Peter

[maoricar]

Peter, what a saga....you are clearly a man of great courage and persistence, and I am sure that this is reflected in the quality of the work on your Cisitalia.
Me? I would have given up much earlier and probably settled for less ( and cheaper!!)
Good on you mate.