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How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
After restoring a couple gauge clusters I had a request for a "how-to" post to show the process and products I use. The cluster I'll be restoring is from a '66 parts truck, and I'll be adding a tach and air gauge. The block off plates are missing, which is okay since they'll be replaced by the tach/air gauges.
This is the starting point. The lens will need to be replaced since it's scratched and the lettering is faded, and one of the harness wires is cut. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...03A1E67E80.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...03AC4A2821.jpg I took these pictures to have a reference for reassembly. This way I know that all of the wiring goes back exactly where it should without guessing. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...03B5621091.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...03BE6CD05D.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...03C6A6D409.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...03CF6237D8.jpg This is one of my finished clusters. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...e/8ef10d62.jpg |
Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
To disassemble the cluster, remove the screws that hold the individual gauge mounts and pull the units out.
http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...03E135DD21.jpg There are 7 screws around the outside edge of the cluster, they hold the bezel, intermediate plate, and lens together. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...03EB37A527.jpg There are three screws that mount the speedometer, remove them and keep the rubber grommets- they're not reproduced. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...17C98B69F6.jpg Note that there are rubber cushions around the edge of the lens that will need to be reinstalled to prevent rattles. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...03F4111200.jpg |
Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
To restore the housing, I use 80 grit glass beads to strip the old clear coat from the outside and the green paint from the inside. After all the old paint is off, I change out the glass beads in the cabinet to new beads and lightly blast over the outside for an even, polished finish. The outside will be cleared only, so don't let the housing scrape against the inside of the blast cabinet- any marks will be visible. Don't touch the housing with bare hands or it will rust under the clear coat.
http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...0E16DE6FA7.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...0E10E7C0B6.jpg Clean the housing with compressed air only, then spray a couple coats of satin clear. I like Krylon satin clear. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...0DF6C14A9B.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...0DF1EA5FA8.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...18625502A3.jpg After the outside is completely dried, mask it off and spray the inside green. I use Krylon Satin Jade. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...0DEA609AB1.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...0DE3F54576.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...173747249C.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...0DDF38DE44.jpg |
Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
For the bezel, I smooth the rough edges with a DA sander then bead blast it and prime it with Rustoleum high build. On some clusters the center bottom mounting hole area is warped and needs to be straightened.
http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s..._1743223_n.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s..._1728204_n.jpg Guide coat the primer and wetsand with 500-600 grit until all the guide coat is gone. Use a grey scuff pad to smooth the primer in the ridges. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s..._1494259_n.jpg I use SparVar S120 Silver paint. Silver is correct for 1966 bezels. This is what it will look like with smoothed edges after priming and painting. The original edges are very rough from the casting process. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...19D972D01F.jpg 64-65 bezels were painted satin black. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...shoot032-1.jpg |
Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
To restore the individual gauges, remove the screws and nuts that mount the gauges onto the gauge mount.
http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...423ED47B9D.jpg Remove one at a time so you can keep up with which parts go with which gauge. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...421CE1AA32.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...4223844E12.jpg Put the screws/terminals back on the gauge so they don't get lost. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...4211653D82.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...420B637A50.jpg With the gauges loose, clean the faces and needles with a light solvent like 3M Adhesive Cleaner. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...41BB62DEAE.jpg I use a pinstriping brush and Florescent Red model car paint to repaint the needles. The color match is very close. It usually takes two coats depending on how faded the needles are. No need to mask the gauge faces since I'll use decals to cover the original painted faces. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...41B6C88260.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...41B21708E7.jpg I use decals made by Jason Wilson at Greenback Decals. They're a 100% copy of the original gauge faces and include the optional tach, vac, or air gauge decals. He also includes both 64/65 and '66 style water temp decals so you can correctly restore either style gauge. Here's his website. http://parklane410.wix.com/home http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...4232AE453D.jpg To apply the decals, lightly wetsand the gauge face with 1000-2000 grit to remove any roughness or embedded dirt/dust. On the speedometer you'll need to bend up the tabs that hold the "bright" indicator filter and remove it. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...0398377A51.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...039E5C4078.jpg Clean the face and spray it with glass cleaner so the decal can be positioned. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...03A2FB02F7.jpg Apply the decal and use a soft rag as a squeegee out air bubbles and excess glass cleaner. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...03A7B93EBA.jpg Once it's dried cut X's in the odometer and bright lights indicator openings and fold the decal over to uncover the opening. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...03B1818DA6.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...03B6451473.jpg On the small gauges, you'll have to cut a slot to clear the needle. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...03C9C2005E.jpg Ready to install in the cluster. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...03CEF2C59C.jpg The decal on the air gauge (and probably a vac gauge too) will have to be punched for the needle stem and stop pin, and slit to fit around the needle's stem. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...10F863F51F.jpg Clean all the hardware and terminals with a wire brush. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...112A7D6A1D.jpg And reassemble the gauges onto the blasted and painted gauge mounts. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...11231D282B.jpg The gauge mounts bolt back in the main housing. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...1133949FE3.jpg (Aftermarket tach, wiring is different than stock) http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...1138C656F1.jpg To reset the odometer, take the speedo face off by removing the two screws at the bottom of the face, and the inner silver colored plate will come off too. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...13148ACDB8.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...1319CFB911.jpg Remove the brass clip. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...131FC15EA4.jpg Slide the odometer roll all the way to the left. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...1328A6B4DC.jpg And pull the roll out sideways. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...140EA6941F.jpg There are metal "legs" that fit in a channel in the speedo housing, hold the first (left) leg and rotate the second wheel around until the "9" is facing up. Work your way down, holding the next leg over until all the wheels have 9 facing up. It's easy slip and let a digit roll over one too many so it may take a few tries. With all the digits and legs aligned you can apply the decals to each of the wheels then put it back together. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...1412D04142.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...03C0FAF7CC.jpg Put the face back on the speedometer, put the rubber pad on the back, and install the speedometer in the housing using the three longer screws that have rubber bushings. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...10FFCC90BA.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...113F00BE41.jpg That finishes the gauge restoration. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...11440DC9C3.jpg |
Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
The intermediate plate needs to be painted. Sometimes they're in good enough shape that you can just clean and scuff them with a gray scuff pad, but this one had paint that was flaking so I had to strip the whole thing.
I used a scuff pad and lacquer thinner to strip it (wear gloves!). You can't blast these since they're very thin aluminum and will warp badly. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...0E03481F26.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...0DFC180E61.jpg I use Krylon Satin Black after cleaning with prep solvent and wiping over with a tack rag. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...074E949366.jpg The turn signal lenses can be lightly sanded with 600-800 grit and sprayed with satin clear to restore the faces if they have scratches or are chalky. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...114BB82312.jpg I had a pair that are in near perfect shape so I didn't have to fix the original pair. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...0898AA586F.jpg On warning light models, the lenses can be made from sheets of translucent plastic from a arts/craft store like Hobby Lobby or Michael's. You'll have to stack a few layers together to make them dark enough, and lightly wetsand the top layer with 1500-2000 grit to knock the shine off and make them dull like the original lenses. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s..._7714946_n.jpg You can use the same translucent plastic for the "TAND'M LOCK" and "OVER SPEED" lenses. I made decals using Avery translucent adhesive backed printable sheets, with the font printed in reverse to apply to the inside of the decal as the factory did. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s..._6090266_n.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...7_496855_n.jpg Installed on the intermediate plate, bend the tabs open to get the old lenses out and trim the new peices to match before installing them. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s..._6869236_n.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s..._7091900_n.jpg Jay (Lugnutz65) sent me these pictures that that show how adding aluminum foil tape inside the light tubes will increase the brightness of the indicator lamps. Very neat modification and one I'll be doing to my own cluster! Big thanks for the suggestion and pics Jay!! Quote:
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Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
To clean and detail the wiring harness I like to remove the wrapping and clean the connectors and wires with 3M Adhesive Cleaner. That removes all the grime and stains and makes the new electrical tape stick better.
Before cleaning: http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...F578D970B7.jpg Make note of the way the factory tied the end of the wrap and also how they wrapped the tape around the clip. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...F57F3E21EE.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...F585DA7B40.jpg Sometimes there will be cuts or modifications that will need to be fixed. I have a spare bulb holder from another junk harness to take care of this. A crimp-on butt connector can be used to fix cuts like this. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...F58B9DCAB5.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...F5A9352E9B.jpg Wrap removed, wires and connectors cleaned. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...F5901A9383.jpg After cleaning, rewrap the wiring with electrical tape, starting at the end away from the harness plugs. To make the knot at the end, clean the adhesive off the last few inches so the knot won't stick to itself. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...F5995186CE.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...F5ADDF0A8B.jpg Some harnesses had cloth friction tape instead of electrical tape. I like this better than electrical tape since it has more of a vintage/classic look. It goes on the same way as electrical tape does, except you can't remove the adhesive for the knot. Use glass cleaner as a lubricant when tying the knot. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...F5B22524F9.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...F5B7C71596.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...F5BCC44B85.jpg For the final detailing, I like to use Duragloss on the wires and connectors to bring out the color and add a slight sheen. It isn't alcohol based so it won't dry out the material. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...F674DFE7AF.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...F5CC0B679A.jpg If you have any other wiring you can also wrap it for a more detailed look. There were three wires for the aftermarket tachometer so I braided them first to make them easier to wrap. I tied one end to mimick the factory wrapping style. I'm just a little OCD if you haven't noticed by now. :lol: http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...F5C2185C12.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...F5C6717AA6.jpg To clean the bulb holders take 0000 steel wool and Nevr-Dull wadding and mix them together. The steel wool will cut the oxidation off without scratching the plating much better than polish alone will. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...105B76DCA1.jpg http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...1056F6B163.jpg Before and after. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...104E0AD2E0.jpg Ready to install back on the cluster with new bulbs. http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...D3682A05FD.jpg |
Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
The (almost) finished cluster. Still need to add the modified speedometer background decal.
http://i557.photobucket.com/albums/s...D27B3672C2.jpg |
Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
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Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
Great thread. I have a cluster i need to do this to also
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Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
Awesome thread. Thanks for sharing your process. You do really nice work.
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Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
Hands down this is the best site out there because of members like you who post things like this.
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Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
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Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
This takes a lot off effort to put together a post like this, thank you! I have been wanting to do this, man you have helped me out so much just by posting!
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Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
Subscribed. Thanks for the write ups! Great work.
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Awesome, Subscribed... Thank You!!!
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Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
Subscribed as soon as I saw the title
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Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
Thanks dudes! I'll work on filling in the blanks later this week!
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Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
Nice work, subsribed
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Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
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Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
Thanks!
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Re: How To Restore and Detail an Original Gauge Cluster
Very nice writeup!
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Nice!
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