'68 Dart Instrument Cluster Refurbish

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charliec

charliec

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I will need to refurbish my instrument cluster. As you can see, there is a combination of black and silver/chrome currently showing, but I don't know what the actual colors of everything is supposed to be...black with chrome highlights, vice-versa, etc.
Labelling on the bottom tier has raised letters molded into the plastic; are the raised letters highlighted with a contrasting color? It would help is someone will post a photo of a correctly painted cluster. Thanks.
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That is rough, you may want to get a better one to start out with. I have some, unfortunately they are 60 miles away.
 
cudamark said:
Send it to Gcar or Instrument Specialties and let them to it.
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I've certainly considered that, but I'm not sure it's in the budget. If I have someone do the cluster, I might as well have them restore the entire dash as a turnkey unit so everything will match. Instrument Specialties will evaluate and quote if I send the whole unit to them. Before I go to that trouble of sending an entire dash unit, has anyone here done that so I can at least get a ballpark $ figure?
 
Not with that particular dash. I had my entire facia from a '66 Barracuda done (no gauges, just all the dash plastic pieces) with Gcar, and it was expensive. Approximately $900. Looks great though!
 
What color is the rest of the dash plastic trim?
 
As far as costs, and cost versus quality, a search for vacuum metalizing or plastic chroming will turn up a number of experiences (and some speculation you can ignore).

www.forabodiesonly.com

Search results for query: plastic chroming

www.forabodiesonly.com www.forabodiesonly.com

I can't help you with that particular dash details as when I did it, I was focused on the ralley panel.
As I found there is no substitute for asking and looking for unrestored originals as reference.
 
ch1ll said:
What color is the rest of the dash plastic trim?
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All that same combination of black/chrome, but the other pieces are not in as bad a shape as the I-cluster. I can probably use them as a more accurate go-by. thanks.
 
The cluster trim I have is tan and is out of a 69.

I have a black 68 which I’m not sure I want to part with as I have the complete dash. I could send you a picture of the cluster trim sunday or so when I get back home, hopefully it would be hard to find.
 
ch1ll said:
The cluster trim I have is tan and is out of a 69.

I have a black 68 which I’m not sure I want to part with as I have the complete dash. I could send you a picture of the cluster trim sunday or so when I get back home, hopefully it would be hard to find.
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If it's easy to get to, thanks. Otherwise, I will probably use a color combination that I can lift from the other plastic dash pieces. I'm not building a contest car; I just want it to look like it's the right color...not obviously jacked up.
 
The bezels are reproduced for 68 -69.

In 67 at least, there is black, chrome, and argent.

The letters are painted white
 
I'm fairly satisfied with how the bezels have turned out so far. I've been masking and painting sections with satin black and silver argent. I've only got the instrument section left to do. The part that has me stumped is the plexiglas in the speedometer/guage window. It's scratched, cracked, clouded, etc. I haven't found a way to remove it without totally destroying it, and the plexiglas cleaner/polisher won't do the job. It seems like its glued in place. Then, even if I got it out, I don't know what the next step would be because the plexiglass has a slight curve in it; it won't be replaced with a plain flat piece of plexiglas. I guess I can go to Gcar or Instrument Specialties as suggested above, but they are pricey as hell. Plus, the work I've done so far wouldn't match. Has anyone on here ever replaced the plexiglas lense successfully?

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charliec said:
I haven't found a way to remove it without totally destroying it, and the plexiglas cleaner/polisher won't do the job. It seems like its glued in place
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The lense is held in place by melted posts.

VERY careful drilling out the melted posts will remove the lense.

I would recommend you look for replacement clusters that have good lenses.

I have purchased many to get good gauges from 25.00 to 150.00 depending on quality.
 
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