Dash Cluster Restoration

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DartDad Too

DartDad Too

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I am reworking my dash cluster in my 72 Dart. I have a few questions.

How do you remove the scratches from the lens and make them clear? I have tried PlastX and buffing with a drill mounted buffer. Still cloudy with scratches.

I have used Krylon paint for the panels and they look preyy good but will Krylon clear seal and protect the paint or is there a better sealer?

Last of all, I have light gold interior with that ugly dark gold dash and can't find paint to match ( the defrost wents need replaced and painted ). Would black be better?

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What I did was go down to home depot and found me some rattle can paint I liked then went nuts. I painted every thing. I have a grant wheel now but I even painted the stock wheel. It turned out looking good. I used some rattle can clear too. Plastice polish should take out them scratches for you.

DartInterior.jpg


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If you wet sand the lenses first then buff them you will get better results.Not familiar with your dash setup,can the lenses be removed from the panel itself?The ones i have done usualy are melted in by "spotwelds".If you can take them apart thats your best bet.Dremel.Cut the welds.

Start out with some 1200 grit and work your way up.If you finish with 3000
grit its alot easier to polish.I use my regular buffer in the vise and run the lenses across it.Do this and they will look like new again.Dont be intimidated
by removing those lenses,its easier than you think and can be stuck back in with an epoxy.As far as the painting,mine is rattle canned,i dont think you need a clear coat,use the duplicolor line and you will be fine.they dont see weather,so just take care when cleaning,wax treated clothes work great and wont scrape your lenses up after they have been polished.Takes some time but worth it in the end.
 
Burntorange70 said:
What I did was go down to home depot and found me some rattle can paint I liked then went nuts. I painted every thing. I have a grant wheel now but I even painted the stock wheel. It turned out looking good. I used some rattle can clear too. Plastice polish should take out them scratches for you.
Click to expand...
Burnt Orange ...is that the original radio delete plate on that Rallye dash..thanks..
 
Dupli-color makes a gold almost exact to your gold. They have the light and the dark. I have the light gold color and I'm using that product and it is working GREAT!!!!
 
The lens are already out and I have the sanding pads but wanted to be sure that it was ok to sand. That's just the kind of imput that I was lookig for.
Thanks
Greg
 
Greg,if you have really bad scrapes you can start our with a courser grit to
speed it up but it will take longer with the finer grits to clean that up.Say 600 on up.Start out with the fines.see where that gets ya.
 
Get yourself a nice buffing wheel for your bench grinder, and after sanding out your scratches with fine wet-paper, buff the lenses with red or green rouge compound (the compound comes in sticks or blocks).........light pressure, and slow steady polishing will restore them........you can also get a finer compound to finish them (usually a white stick)...........

Trying to hand polish is gonna disappoint, and give you tennis elbow.
 
looks good, im in the middle of my cluster refurbish - the hardest part is getting all the fake chrome off so the paint will stick correctly. i went a different route, filled all the gauge holes and smoothed the fake woodgrain. keeping the stock speedo and fitting it for (4) 2-1/16 gauges. haven't decided yet, probably going to finish the face in black satin or wrinkle finish...
 
DartDad Too said:
Here's what I have so far.
Gloss or flat on the clear coat?
Meguiar's PlastX Polish won't touch the lens problem.
Click to expand...

That's purely a matter of taste..............

But if I understand what you've done, you're asking what clearcoat to use "on the whole piece" as one unit.....? Yes? Ordinarily, the chrome would be gloss, and the black would be semi-gloss........the woodgrain would be even a little more flat in appearance......so, a clear coat of any kind over the entire piece won't separate the appearances.......you know what I mean?

Here's a pic of one like yours that was done with a chrome paint, and then clearcoated (automotive clear....2K)....then it was masked and the black semi gloss was done.....then real woodgrain was applied in place of the brown paint.

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While you are at it, tell us how you got a template made to do the woodgrain and what you used for stock. I have been struggling with a template but I never can seem to get it so it fits perfectly.
 
340wedge said:
Burnt Orange ...is that the original radio delete plate on that Rallye dash..thanks..
Click to expand...


No it is not. When I got the car some one had allready put in an aftermarket radio. They cut it all up to get it in. So I made my own delete plate using a peice of plastice.
 
challengergary said:
Tom, what did you use to get the Chrome finish? That dash looks amazing! :cheers:
Click to expand...

It's ALSA Killer Chrome in a can, single stage.....2 stage clear though.

Templates really tax your sanity. I use 24# copy paper for the initial patterns, making firm impressions of each piece first.....it's tricky, because when you press the paper into the piece in one place, you're moving other areas unless you hold the piece FIRMLY in place as you make the impressions.

Next step is to cut the impressions with a very sharp (new) exacto blade...VERY slowly, and with really good eyeglasses ( 8) ).....then check the paper template for fit. Trim your edges a micron at a time with a sharp scissor and exacto......make all the proper adjustments until you have a perfect fit. You can then transfer your template to whatever media you're laminating with....mine is real cherry wood, with a self adhesive back.....doors are the same....again, cut slowly with a sharp exacto (wear bandaids or some thin tight fitting gloves to cushion your fingers from the pressure).

Once I came up with my perfect pattern cut from Cherry, I KEPT it separate for future use.......I made a second set for the dash.

Patience pays off. But remember, if you're using a chrome paint, use a good quality like ALSA (applied like a fog over a deep glossy black from the same company)...........after it's dry, then use automotive clearcoat...NOT Duplicolor lacquer or enamel.......Use 2K clear. Let that cure for a couple of days, and only then should you go back and work on your black semi-gloss areas.
 
Thanks for the template advice Tom. I agree, they really drive you nuts! I was trying to make mine out of cardstock but it was too thick to get a clear impression then I switched over to clear plastic from a framed poster. I had too much trouble cutting that. I'll give the thin wood a try. Where did you pick up the adhesive backed stuff?
 
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