Repair Vintage Mustang Clocks

If you're old enough to remember the '60s and '70s, you have some memory of car clocks that actually worked. Seems they worked when these vintage cars were new, but as the years passed, the ticking stopped, and so did the hands. We learned quickly not to depend on these seemingly archaic timepieces.

Why did vintage-car clocks quit, and what can we do to get them ticking again? Vintage tickers from the good old days weren't actually "electric" clocks at all. In most Fords, they were electro-mechanical wind-up clocks with electric solenoid rewind. If you remember their operation, car clocks ticked just like the Big Ben on your nightstand. They ticked away, punctuated by the occasional "click" that most of us never paid attention to. We noticed this mostly while sitting in the car back in the '60s, waiting for the parents to finish a shopping trip. Along with the din of traffic, slamming car doors, spinning starters, and your burping kid brother in the back seat was the sound of a ticking clock, punctuated by the occasional "click." It was subtle, yet certain.

However, if having a ticking clock without the occasional "click" doesn't matter to you, you may opt for a quartz clock movement from Mustangs Etc. The quartz movement uses very little power and is smooth, with no ticking or clicking. It is most certainly silent. When you've had enough maintenance required to achieve the occasional click, slip an affordable quartz movement into your vintage-car clock.

Garrett Marks of Mustangs Etc. shows us how to install a quartz movement in a '65-'66 Mustang Rally-Pac. Although the Rally-Pac differs from Mustang clocks that followed, the basic principles of the swap are the same.

The quartz movement from Mustangs...        read full caption The quartz movement from Mustangs Etc. is a nice, tight little package that is easy to install into a Rally-Pac or any other Ford clock face.	Remove the screws on the back...        read full caption Remove the screws on the back of the Rally-Pac that hold it together. Then remove the clock; there are two connections at the clock. One powers it; the other is a light socket for it.	Remove three screws that tie...        read full caption Remove three screws that tie the clock to the fascia. Remove the fascia and clock.
Pull out the clock reset stem...        read full caption Pull out the clock reset stem and grip the shaft with a pair of needle-nose pliers. Twist the knob counterclockwise. It unscrews from the shaft. Lift off the glass face. This is a good time to replace the glass, which is available from Mustangs Etc.	The movement support structure...        read full caption The movement support structure is retained with three E-clips, which are removed as shown with needle-nose pliers. Remove the movement support.	When the movement support...        read full caption When the movement support is free, you will see a series of gears that drive the hands.
These gears must be removed...        read full caption These gears must be removed carefully and set aside in order.	Take note of the order they...        read full caption Take note of the order they came out.	The movement support is retained...        read full caption The movement support is retained by small bushings and E-clips. The three bushings are installed first.
This is the quartz clock movement...        read full caption This is the quartz clock movement from Mustangs Etc. Everything needed to do the conversion is here. Not all gears and parts shown will apply to your application.	The minute-hand gear/shaft...        read full caption The minute-hand gear/shaft is installed first.	Don't forget to remove the...        read full caption Don't forget to remove the tiny wavy washer pressed on the shaft. It must come off before the minute-hand gear is installed.
This red idler gear, included...        read full caption This red idler gear, included in the kit, is installed next. It meshes with the minute-hand gear just installed as well as the hour-hand gear to be installed next. This gear drives the hour hand.	The hour-hand gear/shaft is...        read full caption The hour-hand gear/shaft is installed next as shown.	The movement support is installed...        read full caption The movement support is installed next. Fit the towers through the rubber support bushings.
Install the tiny cups and...        read full caption Install the tiny cups and E-clips. Use a 1/8-inch socket to press the E-clips in place. Check the gear mesh for a proper marriage.	The assembled quartz clock...        read full caption The assembled quartz clock performs well because no maintenance is required. Once installed in the Rally-Pac housing, no one will know it's there.