check this thing out.

[colbystephens]

Found this in my buddy's new to him 70s 'Burb. His rig was owned by a power company, and had no options. Only gauges are fuel and speed, otherwise just idiot lights. Ever seen anything like this? No screen, just some kind of blinking lights. It doesn't work now, but I wonder what it'd take to fix.

 

[toomany]

Does that say JcPenney on it? I tried doing a quick search for it, but came up empty handed.

 

[colbystephens]

Yep!

 

[dremu]

Relevant Google hits include a newspaper containing this ad:

And a closed Ebay auction

http://www.ebay.com/itm/JC-Penney-T...agement-computer-Parts-Only-vtg-/281248330597

UP FOR AUCTION A VINTAGE JC Penney Travel Data System 28 Trip & Fuel Management computer with original box and two manuals. Please note, I'm selling item for parts only, I do not know if all parts are present, or if any of the items work, you are buying as is, no returns. Please review pictures as they are part of the description, I do not know anything about item. Box reads: "For cars, truck, vans and rvs, Computes Current or average mpg and mph, Fuel used and distance driven on trip or since fill-up. Time, distance, and amount of fuel until empty and more."

The manuals appear to be in good used condition, they do have some creases and a few stains. The actual command module is used has many scratches and marks on it, it's dusty and back cover comes off, no screws attaching it to mother board. The mother board is dusty. Also included in box are as follows:

1. Bag of screws and accessories are new, unopened.

2. Flowsensor

3. Fuel line hose is dirty

4. long bracket and two short ones, not sure the short ones belong.

5. Wires and connectors, not sure if they all have correct ends and or work.

 

[tRustyK5]

Old school trip computer, kinda like the "driver information center" most new cars have. My 96 Bimmer had similar, although it was factory.

 

[mr.smartass]

Didn't find to much on it...

Here's one for sale with a few pics.
http://www.k-bid.com/auction/2216/item/41

An old sales ad for one.
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1338&dat=19810610&id=T1tOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TvkDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1476,2947860

And this forum thread mentions one briefly.
http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/archive/index.php?t-63566.html

This one mentions the luxurious Travel Data System 44!
http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19820516&id=bT9PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pwIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2870,192592

That's all I was able to find in a few minutes worth of googling...

 

[dremu]

This one mentions the luxurious Travel Data System 44!
http://news.google.com/newspapers?n...bT9PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=pwIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2870,192592

I bow to your superior Google-fu, btw.

The model 44 says "works on most cars, except fuel injection and diesel", because those were unusual then

-- A

 

[bigjbear]

They used to sell them with the Mr. Gasket brand too (or one of the brands they owned). My dad had one in his '76 K10, got it as a gift from one guys at Mr. G when his pattern shop was doing a lot of work from them. I remember him playing with it when he first installed it, but after a few weeks the only feature he still used was the cruise control.

 

[dremu]

No screen, just some kind of blinking lights. It doesn't work now, but I wonder what it'd take to fix.

Oh, and to this point, the display is what's called a VFD, vacuum fluorescent display. (It was the only way you could get blue, before blue LED's became affordable in the late 90's.)

The display itself prolly won't fail, so it's likely either bad solder joint on the VFD unit (it's kinda like a Nixie tube, one big glass piece with lots of solder connections) or the power supply circuit has gone bad.

OTOH, unless you dig in or find a TV repair guy who wants to do it for fun (mail it to Fordum? ), I can't imagine it'd be cost effective. Might be simpler to find a NOS one on Ebay, since apparently they're still around.

-- A

 

[colbystephens]

You guys are awesome. If I could get a working one for cheap, I think it'd be kind of cool to have in the Blazer for vintage novelty purposes.

 

[campfire]

Oh, and to this point, the display is what's called a VFD, vacuum fluorescent display. (It was the only way you could get blue, before blue LED's became affordable in the late 90's.)

The display itself prolly won't fail, so it's likely either bad solder joint on the VFD unit (it's kinda like a Nixie tube, one big glass piece with lots of solder connections) or the power supply circuit has gone bad.

OTOH, unless you dig in or find a TV repair guy who wants to do it for fun (mail it to Fordum? ), I can't imagine it'd be cost effective. Might be simpler to find a NOS one on Ebay, since apparently they're still around.

-- A

I love those vacuum displays! The glowing blue (kinda greenish, even) color is so much prettier than the color of the blue leds that replaced them. Pity they're not used for much anymore...

 

[dhcomp]

My 96 Bimmer had similar, although it was factory.

Main difference being that the BMW ones work, and are accurate.....

 

[82355]

Cheesy, but cool.

Martin