Does anyone know if there is a difference between the console clocks in the 68 vs. the 67? I seem to remember the arms being different colors or something. Were the Camaro clocks altogether different than the Firebirds?

Thanks for your help!

Sounds like something for Brett...
maybe come monday ( if hes not on vacation) he`ll chime in...
he`s got a 67 w that clock.....

'67 clocks were black background with orange hands and light green phosphorus numbers to match the '67 instrument clusters.

'68 clocks were a blue/grey backround with white hands (but an orange sweep second hand) and white numbers to match the '68 instrument clusters.

Clocks were the same - Camaro or Firebird.

Thanks, guys. This website is awesome - and it's due to guys like you. I really appreciate the quick response! Hopefully I can return the favor sometime!

Yes, That's right, 67's and 68's were different, and in addition, the mounting brackets were different, but not a big deal.

I have some pix of the 67 clocks if you need...

And I have an incomplete 67 clock (just missing part of the electro-magnetic mechanism, and the actual mounting bracket) but has all the rest that I've been piecing together to be able to sell as a complete unit someday... and then I'm just refurbishing another 67 clock for my 67 drop top...

Anyway, if you need or want more info, just let us know, and we'll try to help!

Brett - 67 Drop Top 455!
brett@cisdirect.com
http://firstgenfirebird.org/show/closeup.mv?CarID=129

Firebird 400, I just noticed too that you are in Ohio, by chance do you know Bill Edmunds? aka FireBirdBill...
he`s in Canal Winchester and is a great source for parts,knowledge....
his email is earlybrds@aol.com . you should definitely contact him...

Thanks, Bjorn. I just sent Bill an email. Once again, thanks for all your help!

After reading all of the info that I received here, I will be looking for a 68 clock. If anyone knows of one, please let me know! Thanks.

Good , you`ll get lots of help/info /parts from Bill....he might even have that clock you`r e looking for...if not try "chicago muscle car"...

and their web... web page

I saw a '67 clock on E-Pay over the weekend. Starting bid was $85 I believe.

Just for kicks, heres a 68 clock on ebay:
http://tinyurl.com/3e65k

and here's a 67 on ebay:
http://tinyurl.com/3cbwm

You can see the difference in the face pretty well between the two... Good luck!

Brett! - 67 Drop Top 455!
http://firstgenfirebird.org/show/closeup.mv?CarID=129

Huh. $85 and $76 already, (before the last minute sniping begins) for clocks that don't work. How much should I pay for a used clock? I'm assuming that it won't be cheap to get them re-furbished and working again. Do any of you have an idea of what would be a fair price? Thanks.

Refurbing is relatively reasonable. These guys claim they can refurb your clock for $40. I think some FGF people have gone there.

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

Bjorn, It's funny that you mentioned about Bill. The name rang a bell. I saved a copy of 8th annual earth angel cruise from 94' because he had himself listed in there. I gave him a call for the 1st time approx. 4 years ago to ask him a question about my 68'. Without him knowing me, he was very helpful and knowledgeable. Thanks again Bill.

I got my '68 clock off a fellow Firebird owner for $50. It cost me $160 to have it converted to a quartz movement and completely refurbished including a new lens and face rescreen. It looks great!

Another thing to note is that I have seen NOS clocks go for $300 - $400 on e-bay WITHOUT any guarantees that they even work!

That's interesting. I guess you would think that since it's NOS, that it would work! But I guess it has been sitting around for over 30 years.

I'm getting sick of the prices out on Ebay. It's nice because you can find a lot of rare parts, but it is what it is - a worldwide auction to the highest bidder! I'm wondering if I can find some of these parts at the swap meets this summer and pay a lot less.

I recently investigated clock repair and the $40-50 advertised by Clockworks and Clocks & Guages is their minimum-no parts price. As soon as you start adding parts (which you will), the price goes up steeply from there. A quartz conversion starts at $109. There are do-it-yourself kits for the Vette guys but I don't know if they would work for us. I've had some yet to returned emails to Clocks & Guages asking about this.

The thing that most commonly goes wrong with these is the coil. Rather than a motor, there is a coil that winds a spring. As the spring winds down, electrical contact is made and the coil rewinds the spring. A replacement coil is about $30 and complete internals are about $90.

I watched the e-bay clocks for a long time. The used ones go for around $150 and the NOS for $200 plus. Once in a while they go cheap. I found my '68 for $59 just a few weeks ago because the guy couldn't spell Camaro an so no one found it. I don't know how I found it come to think of it! LOL I was able to repair the coil but it burnt again when what appears to be a broke spring shorted it.

Sonic Motors will sell you a used or NOS clock at roughly the same prices as above.

There is a guy on ebay, skybob1, that auctions repair services that seem very reasonable. I plan to work with him if Clocks & Guages doesn't want my business. I didn't care for the attitude of the person I spoke to at Clockworks so I won't go there either.

Good luck,

John

Here's a link to a 1968 firebird clock kit to convert it to quartz - cost is $80.72. I have not purchased this, just ran across it the other day.

1968 Firebird/Camaro Quartz Clock Conversion Kit

"Huh. $85 and $76 already, (before the last minute sniping begins) for clocks that don't work. How much should I pay for a used clock? I'm assuming that it won't be cheap to get them re-furbished and working again. Do any of you have an idea of what would be a fair price? Thanks. "

You can and or should expect to pay atleast $75 for a good condition console clock with all the parts that may or may not work. Anything under this would be a good deal, anything over this with in reason (up to say $130) should be ok as long as the higher the price, the better the condition and working order.

That last post with te Quartz Movement kits is a great find, Thanks... I'll have to look into that!

Brett - 67 Drop Top 455!

I learned a bit more about these clocks and what it takes to repair them today.

First the manufacturer was General Time Corp. also known as Westclock, a company purchased by General Time. General Time was also the OEM with a very similar clock for the T-birds and Cougars and this is where I believe Brett and others saw the Chrome clocks.

The coil and mainspring are indeed the most common failure points in these clocks. Evidently a low battery can burn the coil.

Clocks and Guages does NOT fix General Time clocks but only the Borg manufactured clocks that were installed in Vettes. The will do a quartz conversion for about $112.

Clockworks, which had a much better response when I spoke to them this time, indicated that a repair of this type would cost $59 with a 1 year guarantee and a quartz conversion would cost $122.

There is a guy in VA whose name I did not keep because he charges $160 for repair.

skybob1 on ebay wants $41 for repair with new parts but does not do quartz conversions.

All prices include return shipping.

I could find no one willing to sell replacement parts.

If you open one of these up, you'll see that they are made with very solid materials. As I don't want to be the first guinea pig to try the DIY quartz kit, I'm going to have skybob repair mine after a refinish the case.

John

the ClockWorks did a very good job on my 69 dash clock , also priced OEM for $59,but I went w Quartz for $115 , very happy w their work , I would assume they would do a very similar good job on the console clock...
FYI, just my Clockworks experience..

Brett and I have been trying to find out why some of the console clocks had the chrome trim[ which mine has] and the others all black. Iam talking about the part that pulls out of the black casting. Brett said, he has seen a couple others that way but mine is the only one I have seen. My clock does'nt run and would like to get it too but would like the lense redone. what do you guys suggest Thanks

Gary, just a thought on the lense... you can polish them back to like new, if they are not damaged too badly (no bad scratches etc..)

Thanks for the info John... I've ben looking to try and find possibly another model clock to be able to replace the workings with instead of putting too much money into the now extra incomplete clock I have to get it working or at least closer to that point!

Brett - 67 Drop Top 455!

Brett,There is no scatches on the lense but could be better. will they clean the lense?

Gary,

If you're talking about the bezel that pulls from the main case after the two side screws are removed then I'm guessing you might have a Cougar clock. I caught a glimpse of one during my extensive internet travels yesterday and it looked identical to our console clocks but for the chrome bezel and perhaps the dial face.

Try some Maguire's Plastic Polish-it does a fantastic job on plastic lenses. You can even fix CDs that skip with it.

John

Yes hammered, that is what iam talking about. The hands and lettering and back ground is the same for a 67 just the chrome bezel