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1957 Desoto Benrus steering wheel clock mount or retainer Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [50 messages per page] | View previous thread :: View next thread |
Forward Look NON-Technical Discussions -> 1955-1961 Forward Look MoPar General Discussion | Message format |
dlyle |
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Veteran Posts: 236 Location: Morgan Hill, CA | Is there anyone out there that makes the retainer/mount for the 57 Desoto Benrus clock that goes in the steering wheel? I've searched the forums and can find some sketches and pictures of what they look like but cant find anyone that has actually made one or can make one. Seems like there are lots of clocks out the but non of the mounting parts. Thanks, Doug | ||
Viper Guy |
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Expert Posts: 2003 Location: Branson, MO | I bet Wizzard could make one. | ||
FIN ME |
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Expert Posts: 2788 Location: USA - KY | I need one too, come to think of it. . | ||
The Adventurer |
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Elite Veteran,, James Passed away March 2021, He will be Missed Posts: 1028 Location: Melbourne, Australia | Hi Rosy , I have a NOS clock if you need one and can let you know the maker of the adaptor also . Edited by The Adventurer 2017-05-18 7:36 AM | ||
dlyle |
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Veteran Posts: 236 Location: Morgan Hill, CA | The Adventurer - 2017-05-18 4:35 AM Hi Rosy , I have a NOS clock if you need one and can let you know the maker of the adaptor also . Yes, please let us know who makes the adapter. Thanks Adventurer! That would be a huge help. If I can find one I might have it copied so you guys that need one can finally mount your clocks. Thank you to Roadkillontheweb for letting me use his images. Everyone of them here is from his awesome website. http://www.roadkillontheweb.com/desoto_chrysler_benrus.html Edited by dlyle 2017-05-18 3:28 PM (chryslerdesoto002.jpg) (chryslerdesoto003.jpg) (chryslerdesoto006.jpg) (chryslerdesoto025.jpg) (chryslerdesoto030.jpg) Attachments ---------------- chryslerdesoto002.jpg (79KB - 249 downloads) chryslerdesoto003.jpg (48KB - 268 downloads) chryslerdesoto006.jpg (48KB - 254 downloads) chryslerdesoto025.jpg (36KB - 254 downloads) chryslerdesoto030.jpg (36KB - 247 downloads) | ||
Greg P. |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 769 Location: Oley, PA | Yup, the classic problem. Lots of clocks, but no mounting hardware. I've seen quite a few custom-made solutions, some good, some not so good. Not sure if anyone is familiar with these guys but I ran across their website a while back: http://www.arizona-classic.com/nos_benrus_steering_wheel_clock.htm According to their web page: "We reproduce the steering wheel clock retainers or mounts. Ours are made from stainless steel and can be polished to a mirror/chrome finish. Super high quality. When installed they look exactly like the originals. The price is $550 for the retainer kit (bezel and retainer kit only, no clock) which includes everything you need to install your clock." Also this website is cool: http://www.roadkillontheweb.com/desoto_chrysler_benrus.html | ||
imopar380 |
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Expert 5K+ Posts: 7207 Location: Victoria, BC, on Vancouver Island, Canada | That 3-prong adapter looks like the same adapter that you find on the standard steering wheel horn hub. Surely there must be some used ones around. This one is a 1960 horn cap: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/1960-Chrysler-New-Yorker-Steering-Wheel-Horn... | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | Rosy, please keep me in the loop. If they are going to make one, they may as well make two! I know we tried with Raffelle, but it didn't pan out. | ||
Greg P. |
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Elite Veteran Posts: 769 Location: Oley, PA | Also worth a mention that there have been numerous threads on this topic. These ones seem most relevant: http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=47425&... http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=59979&... http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=55071&... http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=40192&... | ||
dlyle |
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Veteran Posts: 236 Location: Morgan Hill, CA | This is all good info. You guys are awesome and much appreciated. | ||
dlyle |
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Veteran Posts: 236 Location: Morgan Hill, CA | Greg P. - 2017-05-18 11:17 AM Also worth a mention that there have been numerous threads on this topic. These ones seem most relevant: http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=47425&... http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=59979&... http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=55071&... http://www.forwardlook.net/forums/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=40192&... I hadn't seen that first link. I know it took you some time to find those.....so thank you! This is a great group of MoPar guys. | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | $550 from Bo in Arizona - that might be the way to go... | ||
roadkillontheweb |
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Expert Posts: 1357 Location: Iowa USA | Thanks for the kind words on my website I have been collecting these clocks for many years and it amazes me how many people are trying to sell them without the counterweight. They will not work without it! and you will never find the weight by itself. there are two different mounts the one for the 57-58 Plymouth ( I make that one) and one for the 57-58 Chrysler and Desoto that is very hard to find but a good machinist should be able to make one. The spring retainer clip is a standard item from the regular horn ring center but everything else is special for the clock. Anyone that says they fit in a standard horn ring center after removing the plastic doesn't know what they are talking about. the frint of the retainer has a registered fit against the outside of the crystal and the rear has a registered fit against the back plate of the mechanism that molds everything in place What is behind the bezel does not matter as long as it holds the clock and mounts in the horn ring. But the profile of the front should at least be correct. I have seen them where it is not even close. I have also seen them made out of aluminum and stainless but they finish never matches the chrome plating of the originals that matches the horn ring. but most people will not know the difference anyway. PS I have three or four NOS mechanisms in the box with the counterweight I will sell for $600 EA but you still need the retainer. | ||
roadkillontheweb |
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Expert Posts: 1357 Location: Iowa USA | Photo of one with an aluminum bezel (mcars8.jpg) (instructions6.jpg) (nosbenrus003.jpg) Attachments ---------------- mcars8.jpg (86KB - 250 downloads) instructions6.jpg (22KB - 229 downloads) nosbenrus003.jpg (44KB - 252 downloads) | ||
The Adventurer |
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Elite Veteran,, James Passed away March 2021, He will be Missed Posts: 1028 Location: Melbourne, Australia | I have a clock for $475 NOS in the box with the counterweight if anyone needs one . | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | So I guess the $550+ question is whether to have it milled and chrome it or order a stainless steel setup from Bo? If there were only an original out there that we could 3D print! That would make the design aspect easy. | ||
dlyle |
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Veteran Posts: 236 Location: Morgan Hill, CA | Lancer Mike - 2017-05-19 7:27 PM So I guess the $550+ question is whether to have it milled and chrome it or order a stainless steel setup from Bo? If there were only an original out there that we could 3D print! That would make the design aspect easy. I think stainless is the way to go. I've called Bo today and left a message for him to call me back. I want to see how accurate the top piece is compared to an original. I was contemplating having some of these made too but that was before I found Bo had already done it. | ||
dlyle |
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Veteran Posts: 236 Location: Morgan Hill, CA | The Adventurer - 2017-05-18 11:59 PM I have a clock for $475 NOS in the box with the counterweight if anyone needs one . Thought you were keeping the clock? I bought another one on ebay right after you pulled it off. | ||
The Adventurer |
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Elite Veteran,, James Passed away March 2021, He will be Missed Posts: 1028 Location: Melbourne, Australia | I thought you were having me on like a few others guys have . | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | So this weekend I thought - heck we have some information from Bob, I have a clock, a caliper, a compass and a steering wheel... I'll just draw it up. Which I did. The first problem I encountered: Bob used mm for his measurements and my eyes only go down to cm (at best). The second problem was there seemed to be quite a bit of missing information. The third problem was that this appears to be a precision retainer and I don't know the tolerances. The fourth problem was that I would have to send the drawings to a machine shop (I don't have this type of equipment) and hope the three previously listed problems were not problems. The fifth problem was that IF that all turned out well, there would still be work to be done with the alignment of the clock, the alignment and drilling of the screws, and the alignment of the spring steel clip. The sixth problem was that if you milled in brass, you would still have to chrome the top piece, and that might create new problems. Enough! I called Bo. I am going to get one of his. (Steering Wheel Clock Retainer.jpg) Attachments ---------------- Steering Wheel Clock Retainer.jpg (239KB - 250 downloads) | ||
dlyle |
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Veteran Posts: 236 Location: Morgan Hill, CA | Still looking for an original mount. Anyone out there have a buddy that has one of these? | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | Sounds like Bo is whipping together an order for us! I am discontented to have that beautiful watch just sitting in my desk drawer any longer! Never say never, but finding an original retainer will just never happen! Does anyone have a Benrus operations manual to share? Edited by Lancer Mike 2017-05-30 3:09 PM | ||
dlyle |
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Veteran Posts: 236 Location: Morgan Hill, CA | Lancer Mike - 2017-05-30 12:07 PM Sounds like Bo is whipping together an order for us! I am discontented to have that beautiful watch just sitting in my desk drawer any longer! Never say never, but finding an original retainer will just never happen! Does anyone have a Benrus operations manual to share? I think he has some somewhere but can't put a finger on them. The manual would be nice to see. | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | I sent Bo an e-mail on June 13 to get a status update, but I haven't heard anything yet. The last I heard, he thought the polishing shop had one and he was going to put in an order for ours and a couple more for his restoration projects. | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | Bo sent me an update on July 17 and said their chrome shop found the last retainer. I was hoping he would sell that one to me, but I guess he is going to use it to get more retainers from the machine shop. He is hoping the machine shop will charge less this time than they did last time... These things are hard to get! I have not heard anything since. | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | Bo sent me an e-mail a few weeks ago - August 16. He said he is having four kits made (two for us, two for his own projects). They should be ready soon! He said last week of August or first week of September. Edited by Lancer Mike 2017-09-05 11:57 AM | ||
Moparbo |
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Member Posts: 28 | We just got 4 kits made last week, they are going to the polisher this week so they will be done very soon. We are having made in stainless, it worked out great the last time. But we will probably try to get a few made in aluminum next time, the stainless ones are very heavy. And the aluminum kits will be a little cheaper also. | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | Sounds great, Bo! Thanks for the update! | ||
dlyle |
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Veteran Posts: 236 Location: Morgan Hill, CA | Would be very cool to see that watch finally in the wheel. Thanks Bo. | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | sent an e-mail to Bo to get an update. | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | Alrighty! Sent payment today and Bo and Sarah are sending the retainer to me soon. Bo said they are missing a very thin washer between the watch and the retainer, but he is working on those too. He said I might be able to use silicone to get the fit right. I am very excited to get this piece! Can't wait until it arrives. | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | The retainer arrived yesterday, most of it anyway! The image shows exactly what came in the package. (01.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 01.jpg (232KB - 220 downloads) | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | As far a being able to use it goes, it was missing the spring steel clip at the bottom. Luckily, I had bought a spare center cap and was able to get the part off that piece (pictured). It was missing the three stainless steel 8 - 32 screws and lock-washers to attach the bottom piece to the top piece. I bought those at the hardware store. The #4 flat head screws provided were a bit long and extended down below the spring steel clip, so I replaced those with the shortest #4 flat heads the hardware store carried, and those worked fine. The critical missing element is a washer that sits on top of the bottom piece. Bo told me they are working on these. The circumference of the top of the watch is smaller than the circumference of the bottom piece, so the washer is necessary as a place for the watch to sit. I did not anticipate this in my design drawings. (02.jpg) Attachments ---------------- 02.jpg (239KB - 214 downloads) | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | Did anyone buy or bid on this parts watch on eBay recently? My bid maxed out at $30, but I might have bid up to $50. I ended up at $113.50, which seems like a good sell to me. | ||
dlyle |
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Veteran Posts: 236 Location: Morgan Hill, CA | I ended up finding an aluminum mount which works for now. The clock keeps great time and works for about 8 days if you don't drive the car. Edited by dlyle 2017-12-29 1:53 PM (IMG_5568.jpg) (IMG_5884 (500x375).jpg) Attachments ---------------- IMG_5568.jpg (56KB - 210 downloads) IMG_5884 (500x375).jpg (84KB - 225 downloads) | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | Nice, Doug! Was the aluminum version less than the stainless steel version? How did you find it? | ||
dlyle |
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Veteran Posts: 236 Location: Morgan Hill, CA | A friend found it for me. I still need to polish it but overall looks very nice. The price was the same as the stainless version | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | Awesome, Doug! It looks fantastic and I suppose the lighter weight makes a big difference. I know Bo said he was going to have some milled in aluminum too. Is it the exact same design as mine? If so, do you have a washer that came with yours that sits on top of the lower cup where the watch sits on top of the washer? If so, I would like to get the specifications (thickness, inside diameter, outside diameter) for the washer. Edited by Lancer Mike 2018-01-02 5:25 PM | ||
dlyle |
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Veteran Posts: 236 Location: Morgan Hill, CA | Mine didn't have a washer. It was just two pieces with 4 small machine screws to hold the pieces together. I saw your reference to the washer and was a little confused. Mine has a nice snug fit in the bezel. I would have preferred stainless but had already sunk the cash in to the aluminum piece. (thumbnail..jpg) (thumbnail.jpg) Attachments ---------------- thumbnail..jpg (84KB - 205 downloads) thumbnail.jpg (79KB - 193 downloads) | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | Very interesting! A totally different design. Basically, mine consists of a cup and a cap. The "cup" part or lower part is milled in such a way that a washer needs to be placed on top of the cup to suspend the watch and the washer acts as a lip for the cup. Without the washer, the watch would just fall down to the bottom of the cup. I e-mailed Bo to see how the fabrication of the washer is going. Haven't heard back yet. I like the design of yours better! Simple, two-piece unit - a lot lest bulky than mine. Edited by Lancer Mike 2018-01-03 12:52 PM | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | Doug, what is the function of this? (Doug's watch retainer.jpg) Attachments ---------------- Doug's watch retainer.jpg (126KB - 201 downloads) | ||
dlyle |
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Veteran Posts: 236 Location: Morgan Hill, CA | Probably to help position it in place. I don't remember the exact sequence but I did have some trial and error to get the clock pointing the right way so 12 was perfectly at the top. | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | Gotcha! Well, so far, I definitely like the design of yours better - especially since I haven't be able to put mine all-together yet! | ||
Lancer Mike |
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Location: The Mile High City | I have sent several e-mails to Bo about the retainer. In mid-January, Bo said it would be another week. I have sent a couple of e-mails since with no reply. I think I'll have to fabricate one myself. The outside diameter should be easy and I think I can figure out the inside diameter. I have no idea about the thickness, though. I am a bit disappointed that I have to figure this out after spending $550+ - but it's time to move on. | ||
dlyle |
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Veteran Posts: 236 Location: Morgan Hill, CA | I guess at this point I'm very glad with the one I ended up with. Stainless would be a little shinier but mine looks great the way it is so I'm happy. | ||
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