69 Barracuda dash bezel options

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kdbunn

kdbunn

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I'm still pondering what i'm going to do with my dash bezel. If I repair it instead of replacing it, I started to sand the chrome in anticipation of possibly painting it or maybe hydro dipping it if I get ambitious. I'm also a little confused on why some bezels are black and silver like mine and some are Woodgrain on top and black on the bottom. I've also seen 69 bezels with woodgrain on top and silver on the bottom. Are those all different options packages?



bezel.jpg
 
I redid mine with chrome spray paint and it turned out ok, driver quality. The chrome paint almost never dries unless you bake it. I don’t know what they paint the spray can lids with, but it isn’t what is in the cans.

I did mine myself because I didn’t want to spend $500 -800 on a repop or a professional refinish. There are a lot of DIY threads on here.

I think the deluxe interior cars got the woodgrain. Detroit Muscle makes some really nice woodgrain and carbon fiber overlays.

If I were going to do it again, I would practice painting something else first to work out the process.
 
I saw a YouTube on chrome paint.

Turns out chrome finger nail glitter paint was really good.

It comes as a powder and an adhesive. You apply the adhesive and pat the glitter on, kind of like gold leafing


 
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Dana67Dart said:
I saw a YouTube on chrome paint.

Turns out chrome finger nail glitter paint was really good.

It comes as a powder and an adhesive. You apply the adhesive and pat the glitter on, kind of like gold leafing
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Yes I actually saw that too. There is also a modelling powder that uses the same technique. I think it's mostly graphite powder but it looks really close to chrome when applied over a black base.
 
I have a chrome pen that does a great job BUT you have to keep it wet while applying and you can not go back over it. It also goes dull of you touch it after. Maybe clear over will stop that.

I have used it in some 3D printing plastic parts.
 
As far as silver vs black on the bottom I am guessing the late '69s got black on the bottom because the '70 340 Darts and Dusters I believe those were always black on the bottom.

25 or so years back I bought a good used bezel and sent it out for professional chrome and paint. Back then reproduction bezels were not available. I know my guage centers are supposed to be black maybe one day I'll do something about that.

Console auto 1.jpg
 
340sFastback said:
As far as silver vs black on the bottom I am guessing the late '69s got black on the bottom because the '70 340 Darts and Dusters I believe those were always black on the bottom.

25 or so years back I bought a good used bezel and sent it out for professional chrome and paint. Back then reproduction bezels were not available. I know my guage centers are supposed to be black maybe one day I'll do something about that.

View attachment 1716055332
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Nice looking interior. Same colour as mine. You bring up an interesting point. My gauge centers are chrome but I don't have the deluxe interior. Are they supposed to be black?
 
340sFastback said:
As far as silver vs black on the bottom I am guessing the late '69s got black on the bottom because the '70 340 Darts and Dusters I believe those were always black on the bottom.

25 or so years back I bought a good used bezel and sent it out for professional chrome and paint. Back then reproduction bezels were not available. I know my guage centers are supposed to be black maybe one day I'll do something about that.

View attachment 1716055332
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that looks just lovely!

my 69 is deluxe interior as well, but black instead of wood grain dash. standard 120mph speedo, but with a tach. the rest of the bezel assembly looks the same in silver/chrome

same as others, i redid mine 20+ years ago when stuff wasn't available or a dash resto was like $1200 and didn't include the gauges
 
69cudaownr said:
I was of the understanding;
black with silver - base
woodgrain with silver - deluxe
woodgrain with black - Formula S option
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mine is an all-original dash of a 69 formula S 340

2018-04-23 headliner 006.JPG
 
A bit off topic but I have seen 68 or 69 Dart dashes with blackout and chrome letters vs chrome, argent, black and white letters. I have 2 OEM NOS 67 dart heater bezels and they have all the colors I just mentioned.

At this point it might be a crap shoot as to what you're supposed to have unless you or our family bought the car new and you have build sheets etc. PO could have done just about anything.
 
I think the center caps of the gauges went from silver to black in 69. I thought the argent on the bottom went to black for the 340 dusters, I am no expert.
 
True. My S has the black and silver bezel with chrome pod centers and a 120 mph speedo. (and no tach or vacuum gauge) Very basic. That's not to say it wasn't messed with in the last 53 years.
I read somewhere that the black pod centers were done in 69 because of glare. ????
 
kdbunn said:
True. My S has the black and silver bezel with chrome pod centers and a 120 mph speedo. (and no tach or vacuum gauge) Very basic. That's not to say it wasn't messed with in the last 53 years.
I read somewhere that the black pod centers were done in 69 because of glare. ????
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I bought my car from original owner back in 1979 with 49,000 miles on it and it was all original. The dash bezel in my car when I bought it had the '68 style burlap wood grain and the silver centers on the gauges and silver on the bottom. So the dash bezel that was in my car when I bought it looked like a '68 bezel. Most likely Chrysler had some '68 bezels left over and that what it got when it rolled down the line.

I cut original bezel for aftermarket radio then later bought uncut bezel had it restored. I wanted black centers on the gauges but it didn't some back like that from restorer so just rolled with it,
 
340sFastback said:
I bought my car from original owner back in 1979 with 49,000 miles on it and it was all original. The dash bezel in my car when I bought it had the '68 style burlap wood grain and the silver centers on the gauges and silver on the bottom. So the dash bezel that was in my car when I bought it looked like a '68 bezel. Most likely Chrysler had some '68 bezels left over and that what it got when it rolled down the line.

I cut original bezel for aftermarket radio then later bought uncut bezel had it restored. I wanted black centers on the gauges but it didn't some back like that from restorer so just rolled with it,
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Makes sense. It's like @Dana67Dart said- It's a bit of a crap shoot what you get from the factory, especially in the early years as inventory gets used up.
I have never seen black pod centers without a black bottom. Black centers and a silver bottom portion seems odd to me.
Seems to me that as years go by, most of these cars get the personal touch anyways, and the actual factory look gets watered down some.
 
kdbunn said:
Makes sense. It's like @Dana67Dart said- It's a bit of a crap shoot what you get from the factory, especially in the early years as inventory gets used up.
I have never seen black pod centers without a black bottom. Black centers and a silver bottom portion seems odd to me.
Seems to me that as years go by, most of these cars get the personal touch anyways, and the actual factory look gets watered down some.
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Never thought about black centers with black bottom interesting point. Chrysler knew buyers wouldn't know or care so if some '68 bezels were laying around use them up save some money.
 
My 69 S vert was the same, 120 speedo, blank middle pod, drum brakes. Plain Jane.
kdbunn said:
True. My S has the black and silver bezel with chrome pod centers and a 120 mph speedo. (and no tach or vacuum gauge) Very basic. That's not to say it wasn't messed with in the last 53 years.
I read somewhere that the black pod centers were done in 69 because of glare. ????
Click to expand...
 
4spdragtop said:
My 69 S vert was the same, 120 speedo, blank middle pod, drum brakes. Plain Jane.
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It would be interesting to find out what the deluxe option cost back then, that gives you the woodgrain dash bezel. I guess the performance options were more desirable to the buyers of our cars.
 
kdbunn said:
It would be interesting to find out what the deluxe option cost back then, that gives you the woodgrain dash bezel. I guess the performance options were more desirable to the buyers of our cars.
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Original owner of mine he special ordered the car and went down the option list and selected everything except PS and PB. I asked him why not 4 speed and he said insurance would have been double the cost so he went with automatic.
 
kdbunn said:
It would be interesting to find out what the deluxe option cost back then, that gives you the woodgrain dash bezel. I guess the performance options were more desirable to the buyers of our cars.
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it intrigues me as well.

for instance my 69 is: deluxe interior, buckets w/ headrests, console, automatic, no wood grain dash, tach, am/fm, woodgrain wheel. it is AC if that makes any difference.

it's funny to see the old brochures and think: wow a big block and 8.75 with 3.91's was only like, $562 more... and then when you realize that was like, 3 weeks wages
 
junkyardhero said:
it intrigues me as well.

for instance my 69 is: deluxe interior, buckets w/ headrests, console, automatic, no wood grain dash, tach, am/fm, woodgrain wheel. it is AC if that makes any difference.

it's funny to see the old brochures and think: wow a big block and 8.75 with 3.91's was only like, $562 more... and then when you realize that was like, 3 weeks wages
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There's another enigma for me. I thought the deluxe interior gave you the woodgrain dash.
 
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