Speedometer trivia question

[CiscoKid]

Just curious, I've seen some speedometers in Fiats that read upto 140 miles an hour. My '81 tops out at 85, with a nice idiot circle around the 55 MPH point. What year did they make this switch? Anybody know?

[ChrisSRT]

the Federal Government mandated the 85mph speedos starting in '79, it only lasted about 3 years, but most manufactures didn't change back right away.

[So Cal Mark]

isn't it fun to discover relics of our politicians at work?

[mbouse]

it was a lotta fun when i first switched from the 85 mph speedo that was stock on my '80, to a 140 version. i could actually see what i was doing as far as speed (or so i thought) at or above that limit. i honestly think that sometimes my needle was bending on that pin that restricted needle movement above that self imposed, government regulated reading.

now that i have a speedo that exceeds the output of the car, i find that according to my GPS, the speedo is off a full five miles per hour when it says 90. Speedo - 90 GPS - 85.

only once was i brave enough to "force" my new speedo to register 100 mph. and by brave, i mean to brave the wrath of the gendarmes. I literally cannot afford another written proof that i can exeed the posted limits allowed by law; at least for another five years or so. i wish i had the GPS installed on that day. even so, there was still pedal left...not much, but some.

still fun to occasionally see what the potential is.

[perthling]

I changed the km/h speedo to a mph speedo in my '74 a few months back. My dad drove the car back to my place after a show a little while ago and wondered why he had been passing every car on the freeway - then he realised that the 100 figure on the dial was mph not km/h.

Car was still handling quite well at that speed apparently....

[mbouse]

i recall my first trip driving in Canada. I thought... WOW! these guys really know how to drive!! Speed limit 100.

took me a while to figger out why everyone was driving so slow.


yes, they still let me out of Michigan every third year or so.