Volvo RWD 120-130 Forum

Some of the very early Amazons came with an electric clock as standard equipment. It was mounted in the dash to the right of the radio where the grab handle is in the later models.

The first link below is from an early Amazon brochure and shows the clock very clearly. Unfortunately, the brochure is not dated. If my memory serves me correctly the electric clock came only in the 1958 and 1959 model years.

http://rogers-ben.com/personal/Scannen0004.jpg

Two other brochures dated Jul and Aug 1959 (model year 1960) do not show the clock as standard equipment.

I was fortunate enough to obtain one of these original Amazon clocks a few years back. The clock has the date Jan 1959 stamped on the back of the works. My intention was to mount it where the ash tray normally is. Two things slowed me down: 1. the clock of course runs on 6 Volt current and 2. although the clock face is not any bigger than the ash tray, the works are and the ash tray hole must be increased and then the clock face would be too small for the hole.

I knew that these two problems could be relatively easily overcome, but I still hesitated because I was concerned that the end product would not look “original”. Finally, last fall I gave the clock to a friend who tinkers with everything. He was able to convert it to 12 volt, but since it had not been run for a number of years the clock did not work. With a little more tinkering he solved that too. Another friend who works with metal made a plate to fit over the clock’s original frame and it looks relatively original.

Now I had no choice, the clock had to be mounted. So, I took out the ash tray and cut out the dash hole, wired the clock so that the built in light comes on only when the dash lights are on and BINGO……here is the final result……..

http://www.rogers-ben.com/personal/DSC01894.JPG

http://www.rogers-ben.com/personal/DSC01895.JPG

http://www.rogers-ben.com/personal/DSC01900.JPG

Jerry
1969 123GT