Nearly seven decades in one trade means a bench that has seen most of what gets fitted to a dashboard. Below are the instrument makers and car marques we see most often. If yours is not listed it does not mean we cannot help: send us a photograph and we will tell you.
VDO
German-made and the most common instrument on our bench, fitted to Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and BMW from the 1950s onward. We work on both the mechanical units and the later electric ones: movements, dials, needles, lenses and bezels.
Smiths
The British standard, found in Jaguar, Austin-Healey, MG, Triumph, Aston Martin and Land Rover. Smiths instruments are rebuildable almost indefinitely, which is why so many survive. Chronometric and magnetic types both come through here.
Veglia
The Italian maker behind the dashboards of Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo and Fiat. Veglia dials have a particular look that is easy to get wrong in a reproduction, which is why originals are worth restoring rather than replacing.
Jaeger
French and closely related to the Smiths and Veglia families through a long tangle of licensing. Seen in Alfa Romeo, Facel Vega, Citroën and a good deal of pre-war and early post-war European machinery.
Motometer
Another German maker, best known for early Porsche and Mercedes-Benz instruments and for the radiator-cap temperature gauges that gave the company its name.
Kienzle
The German clock maker behind most of the electromechanical clocks fitted to Porsche and Mercedes-Benz. They are the one instrument we rarely save: the movements fail as a matter of course and are not repairable, so we fit a new quartz movement inside the original case. The exterior looks no different and the front reset knob still works.
Stewart-Warner
The American maker, found in hot rods, early sports cars and a good deal of period aftermarket equipment. Less common on our bench than the European five, and entirely welcome on it.
Modern Instrument Clusters
Alongside the restoration bench we program mileage into modern digital instrument clusters, for dealerships and for private owners replacing a failed unit. We are a preferred vendor for Hyundai, Kia, Honda, Acura and Genesis among other brands. See mileage cluster programming for how that side of the shop works.
Marques We See Most Often
Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Jaguar, De Tomaso, BMW, Volkswagen, Lamborghini, Triumph, Lotus and Fiat, with Maserati, Austin-Healey, MG and a good deal else besides passing through alongside them. Japanese cars come to us for mileage cluster programming rather than for restoration. Our gallery shows recent work across several of them, and the case studies follow individual jobs from what arrived on the bench to what went back.
What We Do to an Instrument
Depending on what it needs: strip and clean the movement, repair or replace worn components, re-finish or re-print the dial to the original artwork, renew the luminous material on needles and pointers, polish or replace the lens, re-plate or re-paint the bezel, then calibrate and test before it goes back in the box. For a full description see restoration, repairs and customization.