i met these two guys today and we're talking cars.they both have some bad ass cars and i start showing them pictures of my new model A.when i show them the pic of my dash jesus says the gauge cluster looks familiar.so he goes in the house and gets a book with pictures of the joe nitti roadster, and i have to admit the gauge clusters do look very similar(except for the fact that i only have one in my dash)What do you guys think?what is it from?any info would be greatly appreciated heres my dash the joe nitti roadster
I'd say they were both made by SW, but the Nitti dash panels are slightly different than your's. Notice his has a small point in the outer rim on the bottom. Your's has the same bead all around. I do know that his panels are originally made by Stewar Warner for boats, and probably also used in industrial equipment as well. Probably mid 30's through 50's. My brother has a Studebaker dash, about 1930, that has a bead and outward shape on it's insert, just like your's. But the overall size is smaller. Have no idea what the Studey gauges looked like though. If you wanna sell your panel and/or gauges, PM me.
Wonder if Nitti's gauge pods were Stewart Warner "Ensign" units? They made them for boats too. I think The Rodders Journal had an article concerning them? A bumongous forklift with a healthy sounding "Y" block I used to drive had that dash panel in it. Hottest rodding forklift ever. Damn,if it didn't cackle the sweetest song one ever heard.Like Thunder Road. Boy,I miss that thing.
The gauge panels in the Nitti Roadster are Stewart Warner "Straight Five" panels. They were also available in a Three and Four Hole version. Nitti's redundant gauges were very cool. The one that Haneline now refers to as a straight five is the SW "Ensign" panel of old. I have an original Ensign panel in my 5W Deuce and a Straight Five on the shelf for ???? That is a very cool panel in your photo, don't know what it's name is. Johnnie.
The Stude gauges from 29 to 31 were square-faced gauges in a squarish panel, in 32 they went round, and the panel itself was a long oval. The Ensign was also referred to as the "Straight Five", from at least the early fifties. The type that Nitti has adapted, and the thread starters, are marine usage generally, rarely equipped with fuel gauges, and when they were they were usually 24V Tony
i was told by a very reliable source that it is a stewart warner marine panel.and all the gauges are SW except for the speedo which is 32 ford.
Is the panel cast? It looks like it is...the stewart warner straight five panels are stamped. Its a killer panel, could be from a stocker that sombody snagged and put their own gauges in. Kinda cooler than the SW panel cause I've never seen the one you've got. The Speedo is a 32' and those rear mount gauges are worth a few bucks. What era was the car built? John
im not sure on the history of the car.the guy i got it from just told me they chopped it in the 50s or 60s.but it does have some cool shit on it.juice brakes front and back,its chopped about 2 inches (that s what i was told)40 ford master cylinder.banjo rear(not sure what year).checkerboard firewall,an old eelco 2 carb fuel block.ive posted this before
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