I like the appearance of the '66 Barracuda dash, specifically the instrument cluster. It has two big center dials for the speedo & tach (or vacuum gauge) with two smaller gauges on each side. The outside edge of the dash bezel is chrome plated and is separated from the inner Argent portion by a thin channel with black paint. It looks fantastic and could be installed in any '64, '65 and '66 Barracuda, Dart or Valiant.
But they are now typically found with the chrome plating and paint oxidized and worn off. They can be rechromed and restored to better than new but I figured I would try the do it yourself route using spray paint and try to mimic the original appearance as close as possible. I never expected the results to look as new but my intent was to make it presentable.
I used Mopar Argent wheel paint ( part number P4529876) and Krylon Premier "chrome" that I found at Hobby Lobby. The Argent wheel paint is available at any Chrysler dealer and even if they have to order it that will take two days at most to arrive. It cost about three times more than typical spray paint but it does appear to adhere very well and be very tough. A good alternative is Krylon dull aluminum, it is a very close match to the Argent. The Krylon "chrome" paint seems like it is just a very shiny silver paint.
To start I took apart the instrument cluster bezel. The cluster bezel is more complex than first appears with lots of attached components such as clear lenses. Most of the parts are heat staked onto long posts. I had to be careful or I would have broken off all of the posts, but these would be needed during re-assembly to align various parts such as the clear lenses. While everything is apart you can use this opportunity to use plastic polish on the clear lenses, paint other parts like the black lids that go around the instruments and repair nicks or scratches before primer is applied.
To strip the original paint and chrome I soaked the bezels in Simple Green overnight. Each piece took two days, I would wash and scrub with an old tooth brush, then would soak it overnight again 'cause there was usually some stubborn areas. Finally I would give one final rinse with water. One problem was finding a container big enough to fit the instrument bezel in, I had to buy a large roll under the bed container which then needs more Simple Green - all these expenses start to add up.
When using spray paint I place the cans in really hot tap water for five minutes. This gives great results but you must be careful and use light flash coats because the paint is thin and will run very easily.
After two coats of white primer I applied the Mopar Argent wheel paint over the whole exposed surface of the bezels. After a few days of letting the Argent dry I masked off the center portion to paint the chrome outer border. The glove box door and passenger side end piece were straightforward to mask. But the instrument cluster bezel has many complex shapes with tiny portions to mask. For some of the trickier areas I used some Tamiya hobby masking tape that I've had for years. This was very time consuming.
After it was all masked off I applied the Krylon "chrome", like any silver paint it will run easily so light coats are required. To finish off the painting I added two light coats of clear provide a little bit of protection.
There is a little bit of a contrast between the flat Argent and the brighter outer border but it is not as noticeable as with the original chrome. If I was to do it again I would NOT bother with the chrome paint, there just isn't enough contrast with the argent and the task of masking off the center would not be required.
I wasn't sure how I was going to paint the thin black line separating the outer "chrome" and inner Argent. I didn't want to mask it off with tape and I didn't think I would do a decent job painting it with a brush. I found a paint pen at WalMart for $2 in the craft section. I found I could use the edge of the little trough to guide the tip of the paint pen and get a nice edge on the black border.
The bezels for the glove box door and the small piece for the right side have very straight and simple patterns to paint. It wasn't too hard to do those pieces but the instrument cluster bezel would be a lot more challenging because it has a lot of detail. The paint pen I had bought was just a bit too large for the cluster. But I found that Hobby Lobby has two sizes of paint pens and their fine size was just a bit smaller. So I ended up using the Hobby Lobby fine paint pen to make the edge and the one from WalMart to fill in the rest. Using these two cheap paint pens allowed me to paint the channel quickly. I should have taken a bit more care when I did this.
Once all this painting was completed I attached items like lenses with clear silicone.
Overall this approach does improve the appearance of a dash that has the yellow plastic showing through the chrome although This is definitely not for a show car. I spent about $70 on supplies so it wasn't as low cost as I had hoped. And now that I'm done I can see the value of sending it to get re-chromed.
A before & after comparison pic.
But they are now typically found with the chrome plating and paint oxidized and worn off. They can be rechromed and restored to better than new but I figured I would try the do it yourself route using spray paint and try to mimic the original appearance as close as possible. I never expected the results to look as new but my intent was to make it presentable.
I used Mopar Argent wheel paint ( part number P4529876) and Krylon Premier "chrome" that I found at Hobby Lobby. The Argent wheel paint is available at any Chrysler dealer and even if they have to order it that will take two days at most to arrive. It cost about three times more than typical spray paint but it does appear to adhere very well and be very tough. A good alternative is Krylon dull aluminum, it is a very close match to the Argent. The Krylon "chrome" paint seems like it is just a very shiny silver paint.
To start I took apart the instrument cluster bezel. The cluster bezel is more complex than first appears with lots of attached components such as clear lenses. Most of the parts are heat staked onto long posts. I had to be careful or I would have broken off all of the posts, but these would be needed during re-assembly to align various parts such as the clear lenses. While everything is apart you can use this opportunity to use plastic polish on the clear lenses, paint other parts like the black lids that go around the instruments and repair nicks or scratches before primer is applied.
To strip the original paint and chrome I soaked the bezels in Simple Green overnight. Each piece took two days, I would wash and scrub with an old tooth brush, then would soak it overnight again 'cause there was usually some stubborn areas. Finally I would give one final rinse with water. One problem was finding a container big enough to fit the instrument bezel in, I had to buy a large roll under the bed container which then needs more Simple Green - all these expenses start to add up.
When using spray paint I place the cans in really hot tap water for five minutes. This gives great results but you must be careful and use light flash coats because the paint is thin and will run very easily.
After two coats of white primer I applied the Mopar Argent wheel paint over the whole exposed surface of the bezels. After a few days of letting the Argent dry I masked off the center portion to paint the chrome outer border. The glove box door and passenger side end piece were straightforward to mask. But the instrument cluster bezel has many complex shapes with tiny portions to mask. For some of the trickier areas I used some Tamiya hobby masking tape that I've had for years. This was very time consuming.
After it was all masked off I applied the Krylon "chrome", like any silver paint it will run easily so light coats are required. To finish off the painting I added two light coats of clear provide a little bit of protection.
There is a little bit of a contrast between the flat Argent and the brighter outer border but it is not as noticeable as with the original chrome. If I was to do it again I would NOT bother with the chrome paint, there just isn't enough contrast with the argent and the task of masking off the center would not be required.
I wasn't sure how I was going to paint the thin black line separating the outer "chrome" and inner Argent. I didn't want to mask it off with tape and I didn't think I would do a decent job painting it with a brush. I found a paint pen at WalMart for $2 in the craft section. I found I could use the edge of the little trough to guide the tip of the paint pen and get a nice edge on the black border.
The bezels for the glove box door and the small piece for the right side have very straight and simple patterns to paint. It wasn't too hard to do those pieces but the instrument cluster bezel would be a lot more challenging because it has a lot of detail. The paint pen I had bought was just a bit too large for the cluster. But I found that Hobby Lobby has two sizes of paint pens and their fine size was just a bit smaller. So I ended up using the Hobby Lobby fine paint pen to make the edge and the one from WalMart to fill in the rest. Using these two cheap paint pens allowed me to paint the channel quickly. I should have taken a bit more care when I did this.
Once all this painting was completed I attached items like lenses with clear silicone.
Overall this approach does improve the appearance of a dash that has the yellow plastic showing through the chrome although This is definitely not for a show car. I spent about $70 on supplies so it wasn't as low cost as I had hoped. And now that I'm done I can see the value of sending it to get re-chromed.
A before & after comparison pic.
