Converting Speedster Instrument Panel to MPH\US

Hi I am looking at a Speedster my friend is selling but the dials are all in metrics. How complicated is it to have them switched over the US MPH. Is this something I could do myself? If not I need a ballpark estimate on having this down so I can factor into my offer.

Thank you

I can sympathize. I just ordered a Beck Speedster. I test drove one and when I saw a cop, I looked at the speedo and had no clue how fast I was going. When I went back to the shop I added the mph conversion as an option. I know that cops are going to be keeping a close eye on me and doing math while I'm enjoying my speedster doesn't sound like fun :)

While your tire size and gear ratios will affect it some, you can take the tach reading in 4th gear and double it to get a close approximation. For example, 3000 RPM is shown as 30. Double that is 60 which would be correct for my car if I didn't have low profile tires.

It's not perfect, but it's pretty quick.

Easy - sell the Kph speedo to me and buy a new one

Do all Becks have metric gauges and what do they use?

I need a set of gauges for my wifes build.

Get a portable GPS it will tell you accurately how fast you are going and how far you've been (and need to go). Get one that plays MP3s for occasional tunes. You can also have the face change to MPH (and the odo swapped out too). Hollywood Speedo among others can do it.

Or memorize the important speeds...is 1.6X more for KPH


The important speeds, simple enough to remember...

MPH KPR
20 30
30 50
50 80
60 100

You can also do a quick, though not completely accurate conversion by taking whatever the 10's of KPH the speedo reads and multiplying it by 6. You come up with the same think Mike posted, i.e., 100kph = 60mph, 80kph = 48mph (actually closer to 50), etc. The real conversion is about 0.62, but 0.6 is good enough. That's easy to do in your head quickly.

Robert - Yes, all Becks are metric (kph). Until recently they used Brazilian VDO, but VDO wants to get out of the business of making small runs of reproduction guages. I'm not sure who they use now. Send Carey Hines an email (sales AT beckspeedster.com).

Thanks, any problems or concerns registering a car that is metric in the US (New York)? I guess if you are saying all becks are metric I guess not..

Shouldn't be any problems.

Bring on complete sets of metric gauges - I am in metric Thailand and need 2 sets
rgstraghan AT yahoo.ca

Send the gauge to North Hollywood Speedometer, or Palo Alto Speedometer, and have them redo it in MPH. While you are at it, tell them your wheel size, and get it calibrated for the car.

Just to add to Stan's comment. When I had my Beck speedometer redone at Palo Alto, they had me measure a distance on the ground and count revelutions of the wheel. They will tell you how to do it.

When JPS put in my 944 Euro (metric) gauges, he offered to have the gauge faceplate re-done in SAE or to add SAE subtly to the existing metric faceplate. Can't recall who was going to do the conversion? My guess would be a call to Hollywood Speedo and Tach would lead a solution.

Why do you need SAE? Having driven mine for nine years with metric, I have NO issues with that calibration. Like Lane says, do the mental math or just flow with traffic.

My car is in MPH, I calculate in reverse...

Can Vintage Speedsters supply a speedo in MPH? And, is it difficult to change it out with a speedo in KM's?

I understand Beck uses KPH because the MPH replica gauges available are pretty much third world crap. I don't drive mine often enough to remember, so I finally taped a little conversion chart to my dash. 25 mph up to 75 in 5 mph increments. If you drive a lot you will quickly memorize the conversion.

kirk has mph speedos, easy to swap. i sold my kph speedo to a guy in canada.

It may certainly be that there is only one or two places on the planet that use MPH..... you probably can get it but more than likely since Mr Ying is making them all there will be a surcharge.

Soon enough the US will be metric and we will all be by a campfire singing Cumabya....

Mike, the first half of that sentence was supposed to happen by 1976 in time for our bicentennial. Can't remember why they didn't follow through, but my class was one of the first that had to learn both Imperial and Metric measures, and how to convery back and forth.

Permanently engraved on my gray matter!

I agree, Dan, we should have followed through with the metric conversion when we started it. It's really easier when you get used to it. In the meantime I have placed a very small white dot of painter's tape on the guage at where 20, 40, and 60mph would be and you can tell at a glance how big the ticket will be. Some of you guys might need another dot at 80.

Hi, If you are really patient try some white dry rub decal transfers, available at hobby and model train shops/ sites. Put them on the surface of the glass/ plastic speedo lens. They are fragile. After application spray w light coat of Krylon clear. Worked for me. Tom. {dry rub this,you know who you are}.

That's a great idea.... green for safe speed 50KPH, Orange for side road speed 80KPH and Red for HWY speed 100KPH....

That's a wonderful idea...

why not just buy the correct speedo and sell the other.