Found this on Ebay, repro 1930's -1940's GM compass.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1940-41-G...=item4cedfe8b7c

The screws should not be depressed below the plastic like that. Originally they stuck out a bit to allow adjustments with a coin. Last time it came around, the bidding went somewhere around $800 and it did not sell. May as well just pay $1500-$2000 for the real deal instead of one that is obviously not og. If only people didn't hoard these little gems.

These are being auctioned off on ebay by Dick Moffit's Chevy Parts in Springfield, OH.


dtm

He has these things made I believe. I've purchased a couple of his items and the quality on both was not the best but that was the only place to get them since he's the only one repoping them. I bought a knob for my ash tray and a knob for my parking brake extension handle.

I did notice that the mounting strap is not as good as an original item, is this why the photos of the items are not the best quality aswell?

I wonder if the top will fit the original bracket. Anyone know?

As to the adjusting screws, they will be screwed in and out to adjust it to a compass rose. So some may slightly stick while others may be slightly recessed.

(COMPASS ROSE) I have not used those word for a while. It's been a long time sense I had to do a compass swing on an aircraft.

Tell me about it! Been a long time for me, also. I was just thinking that a compass rose would be the only way to calibrate the compass with any reasonable degree of accuracy . I don't know how you'd do it otherwise except, maybe, using another car with the compass built in and mirror its movement headings through 360 degrees. Wouldn't be very accurate but would be better than having one of these new compasses, where you can actually read the ball, parked with the sun coming through the rear window at high noon and the heading ball indicating due south. That heading would work for our friends in Australia and other points south of the equator, only.

I guess just having a correct compass (original or reproduction) is the most important thing.

Charlie

Gene: That's another thing. If the compass doesn't read right within , say, plus or minus 10 degrees, then a point should be taken off. Nitpicky, I know but we'uns from down southeast don't want no west coast folk inadvertently a-wandering around down here merely because they didn't have a compass that reads "W" when they intend to return to a faster way of life. Clogs the highways, you see. And it makes it even more difficult for us to take the old Chevrolet out for a leisurely Sunday afternoon drive at a cruising speed of 25 MPH or so, down winding, two lane, Southern country roads without stacking up longer lines of traffic behind us. All the added horn blowing would be an even greater nuisance and negatively impact our ability to nod off now and then whilst behind the wheel. Intolerable!

I wounder if you could use one of those GPS units to swing a compass they used the aircraft electronic navigation system in the later aircraft to swing the stand-by compass.

On the other hand, they might be nice for one who likes accessories but does not demand original.

The price of the originals really has gone out of hand. This ones not even gm: Compass on ebay

Sometimes it is a matter of hearts ruling heads.(and wallets)

I wonder if the GM originals were only available in the variagated red color (1937-39), and plain ivory color 1940-48), and the ivory variegated color were the ones available as US compasses from the auto retail outlets?

Its interesting to note that the bidder, 9***g bids against him self twice with in a minute when the bidding gets stuck for 24 hours at $900. On the last day, then he bumps it up again in the last few minutes bidding against him self again after the bid is stuck for several hours. This time he is bidding against him self 10 times with no one bidding against him bumping the bid up another $500 till the fish takes the bate in the last minute taking it to the $3250.00 mark.
Even if those people that were bidding on that thing are listening, I gotta say, there are some incredibly rich but at the same time incredibly ignorant people out there.
I think it’s obvious that 9***g and timingear are one in the same and that once again the seller jacked the price up when the auction was getting stale. And I would bet the farm that you would have seen that compass back up for bid in a few days had he not snagged a sucker in the last few minutes.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I have been reading this thread with interest, I do have to offer some comment. When I bought both the cruise control and compass for my 62, I bid on it three times because I wanted it that bad and knew that if I were to ever find one I would have to pay a certain amount, there were no deals to be had on those parts. So I took a breath and asked myself how bad do I want it and raised my max bid. I think everyone knows going into any auction the possibilty of a schill will be in the process. Remember when you buy at an auction you paid more than anyone else did

John

While it's possible Denny is right it's also possible the John is as well. I've raised my max on numerous items and each time it shows as a separate bid. I'm not bidding against myself, just raising my max. I guess we'll really never know what happened in this case unless someone want's to track down the bidders and ask them.

Denny, I'm lost. What are you talking about? The compass referred to in the original thread here is still open to bids and just a little over $500 or so. Was it some other compass recently on Ebay? Please unravel this for me. Thanks, Charlie

It's possible that the bidder, being referred to, was continuing to bid to get up to or beyond the reserve price. I assume you are referring to a previous auction and not the one in this thread?
Richard

Charlie, this is the second compass refered to in this topic.Click on the blue underlined:
Compass on ebay

Jack, thanks. I'm back with you now. Charlie

Sorry Charlie, that was the one I was referring to also, i.e., the one that Jon brought to our attention, it ended on Mar 04, 2010 and 19:00 PST and went for $3250.00 plus $6.90 shipping and it wasn’t even GM branded but a U.S. Gauge.
http://cgi.ebay/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220561053560&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
For that kind of money I could go to a custom fabricator and have exact replicas made from scratch, boxes and all!

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I wish I could find a large stash of them as it looks like I could fund my retirement with the procedes of selling them,I cant believe anyone would pay more them a couple hundred for one. When I seen the reproduction heading past 500 I was thinking it would be nice to find one like you could get from a Western auto type store but one of those went for 3250.00,I wish now I would of kept the one that was in my wagon when I bought it but it was the first thing to come off as it was something a old man would install and I put a hula dancer from a surf shop in its place.

Those Hula Dancers are going for a couple hundred bucks now a days. Now back in the 60's when I was stationed in the South Pacific you could get one for ten bucks.

But back to the compass discussion. And once again I gotta say, if they're that popular and bringing that kind of money, I just amazed that they aren't being reproduced off shore. I mean these weren't navigation grade compasses, they were just cheap auto accessories like the Airguide, Dinsmore, Ritchie, Danforth, Sherill, compasses being sold today between ten to twenty dollars and the list goes on and on. You can Google automobile compass and spend an afternoon looking at the different offerings.
I suppose I'm just gripping because I'm jealous that I can't afford to indulge in that sort of decadent behavior. I get the same sort of feeling when I hear about MJ dropping $100,000 by loosing a round of golf, or someone spending a quarter mill on a Ford Mustang at a Barrett-Jackson auction.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I checked on ebay and there are quite a few that are not going for much money but I dont think I want to put one in my 37 just yet,I am thinking about putting other accessories more period correct for a truck in it.

As these compasses sold for $2.95 when new in 1939, I think that due to Depreciation over the last 71 years, that the owners of these antiquated pieces of cheap plastic and metal should freely hand them all over to all of the 1937 -1948 VCCA members free of charge.

The Electric clock was 3 times the cost of a deluxe auto compass at $9.95, so should it be worth $9000.00 dollars??? no, they also have been subject to 71 years of depreciation, and they should be surrendered to VCCA members free of charge, at the owners earliest convienience.!!

I thought I was nuts to pay over 300 for the 36 car glove box door with the clock and ash tray that fits my 37 truck and should of bought the first one I seen back in the late 70s but it seemed expensive at 75 dollars.