[ncwitte]

I'll try to describe all the broken parts. It's at the office and I am at home, so I am doing this from memory based upon a five-minute inspection last night when I was there to pick up the cat (long story).

First, there is a chrome housing that holds the dial. On a '63, this is located vertically on the left inside of the dash overhang. There is a set screw in the bottom of this, and a loop that goes to the left of the dial. That thin loop was broken off, apparently in shipping. That housing appears to be die cast, and will have to be repaired. The hoop on the top is what the set screw turns against, so I am doubtful that JB Weld will solve this one. I have to examine how the button that turns the cruise off attaches to this part, but assuming this can be removed without destroying it, I think my best bet here is to send it to a place that specializes in restoration of pot metal parts. Whether they can weld or otherwise reconnect these parts, I just don't know yet.

Second, the dial itself has a broken section. This I think I can repair--one of my four thousand hobbies is building plastic models, and I think this is one I can fix. By the way, the dial has an "OFF" position, and then just numbered settings going I think to 8, no speeds indicated. The lighting on it is a real sweet green. I like the look of this piece very much.

Third, the white nylon piece that attaches to the cable appears to be broken off where the cable goes into it. I think this part has to be reproduced.

Fourth, the black piece inside of which the white piece rides that clamps the cable sheath is broken off where it steps down to two sides from four. I think that I probably could repair this with some JB Weld and some reinforcing material. Plan B would be to have this part reproduced in metal, because, let's face it, plastic degrades over time and it will probably just break again.

Fifth, from what I can tell, there used to be a right angle bend in the end of the cable where it went into the white nylon part. Now, there is just the start of a bend in the cable. My current thinking is to cut off what is left of the bend, pull the cable out of the sheathing, scub it down with 0000 steel wool, coat it in WD 40 or maybe some graphite, slide it back into the sheath, clamp it in a bench vise with about 3/8 in. sticking out, heat it with a torch, and put a new 90 deg. bend in it. Hopefully, it won't be too short for the unit to work right. However, without lubing this cable, I don't see how I can make a permanent repair.

I really appreciate your experience with these units as it is all new territory for me.