Hello you guys,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Has anyone ever seen a FACTORY installed gauge cluster that looked like this? Hard to see but it does have a green high beam indicator lense.
NEED HELP.
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Never seen a black speedometer with the silver inner bezel
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- #3
Yea, and with oil and charge LIGHTS!!
I suspect the black speedo face. Here's a crappy pic of a '62, green high beam, idiot lights. Every early cluster I've pulled has had a tiny month and year in red ink stamped on the back, I think on the speedo, I'll have to check where it is, it could be a clue.
Memory is an evil thing. I knew there was a date, but not as described. A reminder never state something absolute, especially with cruisers. Here is the date tag , it has been on all the 25 speedos.This is a '59tag and there is a TEQ ink stamp to the right of the speedo cable. . There is an inspection stamp just left of the speedo cable.
Now on the '62 there is an ink stamp TEQ to the right of the speedo cable, and a ink inspection mark on the left of the speedo, no idea what the numbers mean. It looks like there was originally a sticker right near where I wrote '62 that area is not oxidized like the rest of the unit.
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- #7
Hello Cruiser_Nerd,,,,,,,,,,,,,Thanks alot for that assist. Could you possibly do me one more quick favor. On the 1962 speedo head could you unscrew that speedo and check to see if the numbers on the inside of the white face plate match that 37-8-2 or close to it. That would be huge and that would really help me. Thanks, FJFJFJ
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- #9
1965 gauge cluster pictures of numbers.
Hi Cruiser_Nerd,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Thanks for checking for me. That is very interesting that NO numbers were on the backside of the white face plate from your 1962. I will check that on mine on Monday when in the garage. That could be a good clue also since you DID have those numbers on the back side of your odom. ATTACHED IS A PICTURE I just took from a 1965 gauge. You can see that the back of the black face plate has numbers. They are 38.11.15. That other picture shows back of odom and those numbers are 38.11.22. Interesting that those numbers are similar to each other. I am hoping that when I open up my 1962 gauge on Monday that either there is NO numbers like yours or,,,,,,,,,,,,,,numbers that match each other ( for the most part ) like the 1965. If the numbers from my 1962 match then that might be very helpful in determining that they were put in there at the same time. I know it is weird that I have a black speedo plate but I think it is original to my 1962. If I find that it has no numbers on the back of the speedo face plate like yours then that would be helpful also, showing of course that Toyota did not use a number system on that face plate back in those days but did later on. Anyway, if you happen to see numbers on the back of an early faceplate please let me know. Thanks, fjfjfj
Hi Cruiser_Nerd,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Thanks for checking for me. That is very interesting that NO numbers were on the backside of the white face plate from your 1962. I will check that on mine on Monday when in the garage. That could be a good clue also since you DID have those numbers on the back side of your odom. ATTACHED IS A PICTURE I just took from a 1965 gauge. You can see that the back of the black face plate has numbers. They are 38.11.15. That other picture shows back of odom and those numbers are 38.11.22. Interesting that those numbers are similar to each other. I am hoping that when I open up my 1962 gauge on Monday that either there is NO numbers like yours or,,,,,,,,,,,,,,numbers that match each other ( for the most part ) like the 1965. If the numbers from my 1962 match then that might be very helpful in determining that they were put in there at the same time. I know it is weird that I have a black speedo plate but I think it is original to my 1962. If I find that it has no numbers on the back of the speedo face plate like yours then that would be helpful also, showing of course that Toyota did not use a number system on that face plate back in those days but did later on. Anyway, if you happen to see numbers on the back of an early faceplate please let me know. Thanks, fjfjfj
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- #10
1962 gauge cluster pictures
Hello again Cruiser_Nerd,,,,,,,,,,,,,I went ahead to the garage and took my 1962 gauge apart. These attached pics are what I found. Very interesting. I found the TEQ ink stamp on the BACK SIDE of the 1962 speedo face plate. That also matched that to my TEQ ink stamp on the back of the odom casing. I found these numbers on the backside of the speedo face plate = D2842 and either the number 5 in a circle or the letter S in a circle in that same area. On the back of the odom casing I found the TEQ ink stamp and the numbers = 37.2.7 . I do not know that they mean. I am impressed though to have found that TEQ ink stamp in both areas, especially since my speedo face plate is BLACK. I think it is original to the 1962 cruiser. What is your opinion? Also, other opinions out there? Could someone else check the backside of their 1962, 61 or perhaps 63 or earlier white speedo face plates if you happen to have them out of your cruiser. I am really trying to confirm that mine is original to my cruiser since I am doing this restore. Thanks you guys and especially thanks to Cruiser_Nerd. fjfjfj
Hello again Cruiser_Nerd,,,,,,,,,,,,,I went ahead to the garage and took my 1962 gauge apart. These attached pics are what I found. Very interesting. I found the TEQ ink stamp on the BACK SIDE of the 1962 speedo face plate. That also matched that to my TEQ ink stamp on the back of the odom casing. I found these numbers on the backside of the speedo face plate = D2842 and either the number 5 in a circle or the letter S in a circle in that same area. On the back of the odom casing I found the TEQ ink stamp and the numbers = 37.2.7 . I do not know that they mean. I am impressed though to have found that TEQ ink stamp in both areas, especially since my speedo face plate is BLACK. I think it is original to the 1962 cruiser. What is your opinion? Also, other opinions out there? Could someone else check the backside of their 1962, 61 or perhaps 63 or earlier white speedo face plates if you happen to have them out of your cruiser. I am really trying to confirm that mine is original to my cruiser since I am doing this restore. Thanks you guys and especially thanks to Cruiser_Nerd. fjfjfj
I have 2 or 3 1962 gauge assemblies at home. I'll check when I get a chance
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- #12
Found another black speedo face 1963 with idiot lights.
http://media.collectorcarpricetracker.com/auction_data/2010/1/23/180456198601/180456198601.pdf
Interesting to note: I found another BLACK SPEEDO FACE WITH IDIOT LIGHTS ( oil and charge lights ) in the link above. It was on a 1963 FJ45. That is the only one I have ever seen besides mine. Has anyone ever seen that style black face with idiot lights on another FJ45 FROM THOSE EARLY YEARS 61, 62, OR 63? Check out the link above. I assume that is what Toyota used on mine, rather then the white face. Any opinions would be great. Thanks, fjfjfj
http://media.collectorcarpricetracker.com/auction_data/2010/1/23/180456198601/180456198601.pdf
Interesting to note: I found another BLACK SPEEDO FACE WITH IDIOT LIGHTS ( oil and charge lights ) in the link above. It was on a 1963 FJ45. That is the only one I have ever seen besides mine. Has anyone ever seen that style black face with idiot lights on another FJ45 FROM THOSE EARLY YEARS 61, 62, OR 63? Check out the link above. I assume that is what Toyota used on mine, rather then the white face. Any opinions would be great. Thanks, fjfjfj
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- #13
SPLANGY,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,THANKS ALOT FOR CHECKING THOSE FOR ME. Interesting I found a black face plate with idiot lights on a 1963 fj45 also. Link above.
I suppose if those marks are consistent with later black faces nothing is proven, unless maybe the later faces have nothing. Here is a thread from Jim C on carb date codes, which isn't consistent with what you're seeing. I'm thinking the three numbers are inspector marks since the earlier version had an OK in the stamp.
Here is the backside of my '62 face - nothing. as well as the two FJ25 faces - nothing.
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- #19
CRUISER_NERD,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Thanks for the effort. Appreciate it. My 1965 BLACK Speedo face does NOT have the TEQ ink stamp. Only my 1962 has the TEQ ink stamp and that TEQ ink stamp matches the other one on my 1962 behind the odom on that back plate. Interesting.
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The FJ25 must have been a lot slower since the speedometer only goes to 80 not to a 100.
I looked at a speedo yesterday from what I believe to be a 62. It was off a soft top that was in a junk yard years ago. Thought the speedometer was black but when I dug it out it was silver. No date code I could find. I am now back at in the oven where I have my tub I bought from a 62. That speedometer is silver. The title, VIN plate and frame were sold to TLC to make a ICON (not sold by me) but I found a insurance card in the glove box so I know the VIN. Guess we could figure if your 62 is newer than all the other 62s around being the reason for the black speedo or possible the speedo was changed. Dealing with Toyota for years I could see two things happening. One because of the cost of a new part someone bought one from a junk yard. I bought my 68 back in 74. With in a week I found it was much cheaper buying use than new from Toyota. Two it was common for Toyota to drop a old design if the new design would fit even if the new design meant a small mod was needed. Look at the bib lights. From our first FJ25 thru the 67 FJ40 they were clear. 68 and 69 they were amber. Amber lenses will fit the clear lens housings so Toyota dropped the clear lenses. I remembering having issues with my 68's speedometer and to be honest I could tell you for sure original or a used one I picked. The mileage on the odometer seems right so it's probably could be original.
