Clocks

a HORNET would have an electric wound clock, a Hornet Special would have the Wasp a wind-up as standard equipment.

Hornets and Commodores (back as far as '41 if not earlier) had the electric as standard

Lower models had a manual wind clock

the clocks should be similar mechanically and the same shop should be able to handle the necessary repair - which like most old watches is mearly a good cleaning and oiling.

As I understand it, it is a low battery which causes the points to fail to open properly and as a result burn. Seems like I heard they wind every 18 minutes or so. Frequently, at any rate. Surprised a quartz convresion uses so much power. I have one of the quick disconnects on mine. Useful when the car is not driven for a period, and if you are fooling around under the hood with the two open junction blocks for the lights...



Walt-LA.

I believe this is the outfit who rebuilt the electric clock for my '54. I want to say it was 50-60 dollars though nearly 10yrs ago. they do the quartz and 12v conversions as well.



http://www.clockwks.com/CLOCKWORKS/The_Clock_Worx.html

I see they have a fully reconditioned 48/49 Hudson clock for $139.95!

My two Centavos’ on this… I was able to get the clock in my 53 Hornet working and have it run on 12 volts. It did not work when I got it, but after prying it out of the housing (gently) it was reasonably clean and unrusted inside. I gently wound it by hand and when I’d “spin-start” the little wheel in there to get it going it would run for about 5 or 6 clicks then stop. I filed the points a little with what I think is actually an old points file and it wound itself when 6 volts was applied, but it still needed a nudge to that little wheel to get it going. This time it ran for almost a minute! I used some of that “Air duster in a can” for computer parts to blow out any unseen dust or flakes of the white paint from the housing. (Just don’t give it a close direct blast) Then I used some sewing machine oil on a toothpick to put just the smallest amount I could on the moving parts. Started itself when wound now. After that I just watched it run for a while. Somewhat soothing just watching as the old machinery ticks away. To convert to 12 volts I just used an old Chrysler Ballast resistor in the power lead. Polarity did not seem to matter, it wound either way. I put +12 to Ballast then to the stud and grounded the case. Ran all night that way but was about 20 min slow the next day. I slid the little adjustment all the way, but one more day and it was still 15 min slow. Opened it back up and shortened the windup spring by one coil. I’ve let it run as long as a week on my bench and it keeps going until after I turn the power supply off. It did loose about twenty minutes in that week, so I guess I could pull another coil out of the spring. Don’t think I will, as I don’t want it to run fast then. I’ll just adjust it now and then. We don’t want “Hudson time” to go by too fast anyway, do we?
Also my Dad I think once told me that the old car clocks needed to see some vibration from driving to keep running. Makes sense I guess, when these cars were new I’d bet they got driven most every day.

The wind-up clock in one of my (daily driver) '49 Super Sixes was the most accurate and dependable clock that I've ever had in the one hundred plus cars I've owned in my life. Undoubtedly the digital and quartz ones that I've had in my newer cars are superior in many ways, but they've never performed any better. Minnesota weather never effected it's accuracy a bit. I'm fairly certain that the wind-ups are all "eight day", so they shouldn't require winding more than once a week. I might suggest that you consider getting your clock back from the speedo man and taking it to any reputable clock shop in your area. (One that services all types of clocks). Clock mechanisms like yours are pretty standard fare. I'm sure that a competent clock man will find nothing different inside of yours than he would find in any household eight-day. Worried about the spring winding down before the next time you drive your '54? So What? Simply reset it by your wrist watch. It doesn't keep track of AM or PM, so it's very quickly reset. (Not at all like the fancy clock radio on your nightstand). Thus, you keep your '54 original and experience the pleasure of hearing your clock ticking away in quiet moments.