Voltmeter/Ammeter Combo gauge Restoration

 Our classic Weston combination voltmeter/ammeter gauge set was broken.  The previous owner had tacked on another volt meter rather that fix the original.  

Dale Nichol our resident electrical expert came to our rescue.  He took the meter apart and determined that the two original precision resistor packs (two mica boards wrapped with 1200 wraps of AWG-44 (OD=0.0022 ...that's tiny!) had open windings.  Much too small to repair.  So he determined the required values and replaced them with modern resistors.  He attached them to the original mica boards so that it would all fit back in the meter movement case.

There was also the issue of the original leads into the case being frayed, brittle and broken.  Dale attached the original leads to a sturdy Jones terminal block which will ensure that leads stay intact and are easy to attach to.

Motor Bearing Maintenance

 The manual says that the front and rear motor bearings are "easily withdrawn" but that did not prove to be the case.  Don, Buzz and Robert but the Model 63 up on the lift and removed the rear end and the electric brake to expose the bearings.  They did not want to come out.  So rather than destroy a bearing that we could not replace, they used a needle greaser and greased them in place.

Other Detroit Electrics that we know of...

1917 Detroit Electric Model 68 B

Revs Institute
2500 Horseshoe Drive S.
Naples, Florida 34104

Found an article in Hemmings on this car.  March 2021, made a contact with John Arsenault.

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2018/06/07/back-to-the-possible-future-the-revs-institute-adds-a-1917-detroit-electric-to-its-collection

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1917 Detroit Electric Model 68

PDF detailing Donald's restoration.

Restored by Donald Davidson 

https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1100087_1917-detroit-electric-vs-2014-bmw-i3-a-century-of-electric-cars

YouTube video of this car in action.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1IinQf0q3Q

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1917 DE Model 64 Brougham owned by Neil Shelton in Portland, OR.

An article from Curbside Classics talking about Neil Shelton's.

https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-american/curbside-classic-1917-detroit-electric-brougham-charged-up-for-another-century/

Front and Rear axle work

 

Steering Tiller Handle Rebuild

 The Speed Tiller handle was wrapped up in electrical tape the horn button was just hanging out of it.  Once we unwrapped it, we found that the original Bakelite handle was broken.  We printed a new one in PETG and rewired the horn button.

Cable Rebuilds

 

Controller Cleanup

 

This is the Motor Controller for the Detroit Electric.  There are 10 copper fingers contacts that contact copper plates attached to a drum.  The drum is rotated in 5 increments (notches in a semi-arc).  This selects which of the five speeds you are using.

Before

After