The Great Pumpkin - '71 Duster
Got something done yesterday that has been bugging me for a couple years - figuring out and executing an instrument cluster arrangement. This story is a perfect example of all the unnecessary and overwrought drama I put myself through on every last detail of this car. It's no wonder why it's taking me so long to finish it. But I digress.
I've never been a fan of OE gauges. They are somewhat accurate at best and the lighting is dim. In recent years 'digital' stepper motor gauges have risen in popularity. I've used them on other cars and liked them for their crisp action and bright LED lighting so I bought a complete set of Holley EFI digital "analog-style" gauges for the Duster.
Since this was going to be a 'custom' install, I bought a generic plastic bezel a few years ago to house the gauges. It was lightweight for sure but frankly that's because it was crappy. Whatever mold or model that was used to make them lost all the outer trim detail which makes them look super chintzy. After looking at it for several months and realizing there was nothing easy I could do to improve it, I sold it and started looking for alternatives.
No offense to the guy that bought it from me but this thing was a P.O.S. It's flimsy at best and retains none of the details from an original bezel whatsoever. I got mine cheaper a few years ago but these panels by themselves are generally over $250 now and IMO not even remotely worth the price.
Having seen them around for a couple years, I found and bought an aluminum panel that fits inside the OE bezel. I like it because it retains the outer part of the bezel which keeps the factory look. However, to install the panel the face of the OE bezel has to be completely removed.
Below is the aluminum panel I got from Speedway though it is available through a few random vendors. This part also had to be modified around the edges since it was slightly too big to fit the OE bezel opening. It made the upper left hand corner very narrow leaving very little room for the gauge collar.
Funny because after all these years of owning a '70's A Body I never realized the top of the bezel was slightly angled up to the right. It's subtle but it's there, probably about 3/8"-1/2" rise overall. Who knew?
Once the aluminum panel arrived though, I got cold feet about cutting out the face out of my nice, original bezel. I hemmed and hawed about it for weeks. Eventually I went and bought an extra bezel from a member relatively close to me in case I screwed something up. Turned out to be the right call because I ended up completely destroying it. Thankfully it was an extra so in a way it was worth the expense and time since I learned what not to do.
What I learned on the extra one is you need a small cutoff wheel (like a Dremel or air grinder) for this job. It can be tricky to tell where to cut from the backside so on the first one, I decided to drill holes around the perimeter of the face from the front side to locate the edges and then 'connect the dots' so to speak. Problem was the extra bezel was a little warped and the plastic on that particular one seemed really brittle. Drilling all those holes probably weakened it because once some dots were connected the outer edges just snapped. I tried to save it but it was a lost cause as it ended up breaking in two more spots. That was a couple months ago.
Connect the dots.
No, that's not buffing out.
That whole experience soured me on the aluminum panel for the time being and I started looking at other alternatives. Trust me when I say this, there really isn't much else out there for off-the-shelf gauge bezels besides the two things I described earlier in this post. I looked into getting one 3D printed and/or having one made from carbon fiber but neither of those methods are easy or quick.
I often make punch lists for project cars to make it easier to see what needs to be completed. After cleaning up my garage the other day, I made a new one for the Duster. The first thing I wrote was 'figure out dash bezel'. That got the wheels turning and put this whole silly saga into focus. I've been wasting valuable time agonizing over the 'perfect' solution but came to realize there isn't one. It finally became clear to me that the only way to do what I wanted was going to have to be cutting my original bezel.
I did some searching on the best way to approach cutting the bezel and found that member @dodge73dart did it and it turned out fine. Looking at his pictures made me realize I did the first one wrong by completely overthinking it. Live and learn. Again, it pains me to think how much time I've wasted on this car and in my life in general overthinking things and searching for perfection. Sounds corny but keeping it simple is always the best approach.
Actually turned out OK.
So the 'hard part' of the job is done but I do want to try and get the bezel looking a little better. I found some hobby chrome paint that got good reviews to try and replicate the vacuum plating. I also need to fasten the panel to the bezel somehow and make a few more holes for indicator lamps but that's operational stuff that does not require gut-wrenching, emotional decisions. I will post the finished product when it's done.
Getting the gauges done will clear a path to putting the entire dash back in the car since it ws my preference to not have to do it while it's in the car. That will also allow me to finalize the column and seat position and eventually get the glass re-installed. Progress!
Thanks for reading through my internal drama about the cluster bezel. More to come.
Got something done yesterday that has been bugging me for a couple years - figuring out and executing an instrument cluster arrangement. This story is a perfect example of all the unnecessary and overwrought drama I put myself through on every last detail of this car. It's no wonder why it's taking me so long to finish it. But I digress.
I've never been a fan of OE gauges. They are somewhat accurate at best and the lighting is dim. In recent years 'digital' stepper motor gauges have risen in popularity. I've used them on other cars and liked them for their crisp action and bright LED lighting so I bought a complete set of Holley EFI digital "analog-style" gauges for the Duster.
Since this was going to be a 'custom' install, I bought a generic plastic bezel a few years ago to house the gauges. It was lightweight for sure but frankly that's because it was crappy. Whatever mold or model that was used to make them lost all the outer trim detail which makes them look super chintzy. After looking at it for several months and realizing there was nothing easy I could do to improve it, I sold it and started looking for alternatives.
No offense to the guy that bought it from me but this thing was a P.O.S. It's flimsy at best and retains none of the details from an original bezel whatsoever. I got mine cheaper a few years ago but these panels by themselves are generally over $250 now and IMO not even remotely worth the price.
Having seen them around for a couple years, I found and bought an aluminum panel that fits inside the OE bezel. I like it because it retains the outer part of the bezel which keeps the factory look. However, to install the panel the face of the OE bezel has to be completely removed.
Below is the aluminum panel I got from Speedway though it is available through a few random vendors. This part also had to be modified around the edges since it was slightly too big to fit the OE bezel opening. It made the upper left hand corner very narrow leaving very little room for the gauge collar.
Funny because after all these years of owning a '70's A Body I never realized the top of the bezel was slightly angled up to the right. It's subtle but it's there, probably about 3/8"-1/2" rise overall. Who knew?
Once the aluminum panel arrived though, I got cold feet about cutting out the face out of my nice, original bezel. I hemmed and hawed about it for weeks. Eventually I went and bought an extra bezel from a member relatively close to me in case I screwed something up. Turned out to be the right call because I ended up completely destroying it. Thankfully it was an extra so in a way it was worth the expense and time since I learned what not to do.
What I learned on the extra one is you need a small cutoff wheel (like a Dremel or air grinder) for this job. It can be tricky to tell where to cut from the backside so on the first one, I decided to drill holes around the perimeter of the face from the front side to locate the edges and then 'connect the dots' so to speak. Problem was the extra bezel was a little warped and the plastic on that particular one seemed really brittle. Drilling all those holes probably weakened it because once some dots were connected the outer edges just snapped. I tried to save it but it was a lost cause as it ended up breaking in two more spots. That was a couple months ago.
Connect the dots.
No, that's not buffing out.
That whole experience soured me on the aluminum panel for the time being and I started looking at other alternatives. Trust me when I say this, there really isn't much else out there for off-the-shelf gauge bezels besides the two things I described earlier in this post. I looked into getting one 3D printed and/or having one made from carbon fiber but neither of those methods are easy or quick.
I often make punch lists for project cars to make it easier to see what needs to be completed. After cleaning up my garage the other day, I made a new one for the Duster. The first thing I wrote was 'figure out dash bezel'. That got the wheels turning and put this whole silly saga into focus. I've been wasting valuable time agonizing over the 'perfect' solution but came to realize there isn't one. It finally became clear to me that the only way to do what I wanted was going to have to be cutting my original bezel.
I did some searching on the best way to approach cutting the bezel and found that member @dodge73dart did it and it turned out fine. Looking at his pictures made me realize I did the first one wrong by completely overthinking it. Live and learn. Again, it pains me to think how much time I've wasted on this car and in my life in general overthinking things and searching for perfection. Sounds corny but keeping it simple is always the best approach.
Actually turned out OK.
So the 'hard part' of the job is done but I do want to try and get the bezel looking a little better. I found some hobby chrome paint that got good reviews to try and replicate the vacuum plating. I also need to fasten the panel to the bezel somehow and make a few more holes for indicator lamps but that's operational stuff that does not require gut-wrenching, emotional decisions. I will post the finished product when it's done.
Getting the gauges done will clear a path to putting the entire dash back in the car since it ws my preference to not have to do it while it's in the car. That will also allow me to finalize the column and seat position and eventually get the glass re-installed. Progress!
Thanks for reading through my internal drama about the cluster bezel. More to come.