Convert your clock to quartz for less than $5

[Mavaholic]

Picked up this clock at Walmart for $4. You will also need a good glue. I highly recommend E6000 also available at walmart for a few dollars. I have used this glue on many things and has never failed, including gluing the soles back on my everyday tennis shoes almost a year ago. Its very thick and doesn't run. Downside is it takes 24 hrs to set and 72 hours to fully cure. Anyway disassemble the clock and cut off all the wires except the blue and red battery wires.  Then carefully remove all the arms off the front. they all just pull off. You will not need the alarm indicator arm.

[Mavaholic]

Next take the 57 clock and disassemble it. Notice how the face plate attaches to the mounting plate. It is the same mounting plate that the knob and shaft hook to to set the time. I cut everything else off the plate. Take the clock face plate and drill or file the center hole until the new quarts clock assembly sits flat on the back side of the face plate. Then glue the quartz body to the face plate. I also ran a bead of glue on each side to lock it down. Take the mounting plate and cut it into a U shape so that it fits around the quartz body. Once that is done just attach the clock face to the U frame. I used 3M double sided sticky mounting tape to space the U frame from the clock face plate, then put beads of glue to lock it all down.

[Mavaholic]

Once all the glue sets up you need to extend the battery wires. If you solder new wires on the board like I did be very careful. Those runs are delicate and can easily detach. Which ever you do, put a bead of glue to attach the wires to the frame so they can't accidentally be pulled off. The 2 knobs on the back are to set the alarm and time. I wanted the ability to adjust the time so I used a sleeve from an ink pen and cut it down, then drilled it out to 1/4 so it fits over the knob. A little more glue and its there for good. Then drill a matching hole in the back outer case.  I just cut the battery tray off the clock and used that. A good blob of glue over the wire solder point and its good to go.

[Mavaholic]

Next take the arms and shorten and shape them so they look closer to the originals. Then a little paint and they are ready to reattach. Then just reassemble the clock assembly into the rear and front covers.  The neat thing about this clock is the second hand increments rather than a continual sweep. As far as mounting the battery, if your going to put it in the glove box then I would solder the wires to the holder after you run the wires through the glove box wall. Much smaller hole needed. I think for now I'm just going to tuck mine under the dash. I have looked into a converter and found for $10 you can buy one that plugs into your cigarette lighter and drops down to 1.5v. It would be easy to get it, disassemble it, and attach it to the regular 12v clock feed wire. I probably will in the future but too much going on right now to worry about it.

[59meteor]

Wow, that is pretty cool and clever.

[lalessi1]

SAY WHAT? Way pretty ingenious!!!

[suede57ford]

Thanks for sharing.

[Limey57]

Brilliant, it's posts like this that seem simple and only cost a little, but are priceless in value!