Speedometer placement

Does anyone know why Vintage places the speedometer to the left of the tach instead of to the right as per the original? Has anyone tried to move it to the right or is the speedo cable too short?

Lars: The VW Beetle speedometer cable is not long enough to reach the right gauge position. If memory serves me, a VW bus cable is longer. I just moved my speedometer to the right, but have not yet begun the quest for a new cable. Someone else may be able to confirm whether the bus cable will work.

Chuck

It is not that the cable is too short, the cable receiver on the back of the speedo hit the cross member frame and causes the cable to bend and eventualy it will break. Ask me how I know this!

Actually Lars; the speedo placement on 356's varied so that at one time in production the speedometer was placed on the left. As you rightly say, though, 356A's (after which our replicas are modeled)had them on the right.

Od; do you mean that if we shift the speedo to the right side with a bus cable it will break eventually?

I noticed that the JPS cars have the speedo to the right.....

perhaps it is just mine? but I had my speedo to the right of the tach and the cable receiver on the back of the speedo butted right up against the cross memember frame under the dash. It fit, but it was very very very tight, and the speedo had to be puched with force into the dash in order for it to lay flat on the dash. Any bouncing or moving around and it will begin to bend the cable at the speedo receiver and eventually wear out the lining of the cable and burn off the silicon that the cable is filled with then frey then snap. A direct answer from me... it has already happened to me and I have not had the car for a year, nor have I driven more that a thousand miles. I think for me, visually, it is easier to see it on the left as I am right handed and most of the time only have one hand on the steering wheel when driving.

Super Beetle cable is a bit longer and fits the right pod position

Alan, you think that's true for a CMC also??

Yup, that's the same for a CMC.

 

If I remember right, the super beetle cable is a few millimeters longer than an older sedan (just enough to get to the speedo on the right and the same as a Type 3 cable) and the bus is a few mills longer than that.  I used a bus version, everything fit with nice gentle bends, it's been working well for twelve years and I had no interference at the back of the speedo to the cross member.