I have recently seen two 51-52 trucks with the speedo and gauges opposite to the way mine are. So which position is correct?

Here's how mine are placed. Gauges on the left, speedo on the right.



Here's how two others are placed. Speedo on the left, gauges on the right.

 

Yours is correct, Joe.






Both of these are (were) untouched originals.

 

I don't think there is any question but your first picture is correct with the gages on the left.
Here is an old farm truck I bought that I don't think has ever been touched.

TractormanBill

 

Factory manual agrees.

 

Here is mine now, but it was swapped the other way when I first bought it. (It had a 48-50 speedo face too!) The new wiring lead me to this configuration along with a lot of research here on the forum!

 

my gauges are on the left & the speedometer is on the right

 

Thanks for all the responses guys.

My wife suggested looking in the Shop Manual and I found that illustration also. I don't know why I don't always look there before I ask questions.

I wonder if the two I've seen the other way were copied from the 48-50 placement of the speedo on the left?

I just put mine back the way I found them, but it seems to me the speedo cable is already stretched enough without moving the speedo farther away. And I would think it's easier to glance at the speed with it centered on the wheel, but maybe not.

 

It would not surprise me one bit if both versions go back to the the factory or dealer. Think about it, a simple mistake is made a few hundred or maybe more roll out before it's caught. Then there are the dealers. Then the spec trucks like Coke A Cola so the swapped gauges could indeed be period.

 

The stock wiring harness would not reach to the "wrong" positioning, so I really doubt any could have come from the factory that way.

 

I would venture to guess that a common denominator in all of the trucks seen with reversed gauges would be the fact they've been "messed with" and are not original or stock. The truck in Joe's picture has aftermarket stereo and gauges, switches, etc. It has clearly been modified.