Restoring Dash Bezel ???

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6pk2goDemon

6pk2goDemon

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I was wondering if anyone has had any luck in restoring their woodgrain dash bezels. I have bought a few and either the chrome is junk or the woodgrain looks awful. Sometimes both.

Someone must make a decent looking chrome paint. And I've heard a few versions of fixing the woodgrain.

I tried brushing some silver type paint on a junk bezel and it was just okay.

I know CV Platers does great work, but can't spend those $$$$ right now.

Your restoration input would be a great help,,,:cheers::cheers:

Thanks
 
I too would like to know, I just bought a NOS bezel off ebay for 350 bucks. Still in the original box. I have about 5 beater bezels that I would like to have redone so I could sell them & regain my loss......
 
I'm also looking to restore mine, and I've also tried a number of "chrome" paints. After I read somewhere that Sally Hansen chrome nail polish works but is no longer made, I bought some bottles off eBag - not good enough. All but one looked more like standard silver paint, and won't work. The one I found that comes the closest is DupliColor Chrome. Not exactly chrome, but the best I've found so far.
 
Below is what I did for my non-wood grain 69 Barracuda

For the instrument panel, I stripped the paint and old chrome with Easy-Off oven cleaner (does a good job and does not eat away at the plastic) I then used semi gloss black for the upper portion and Model Masters Acrylic Steel for the lower portion. The chrome areas were sprayed with Motostorm Moto Chrome paint. I tried several different chrome paints and this one and Alclad where the best. The prep for the chrome paint is tricking and was as follows.
Repair any chips or cracks with some sort of filler, I used Epoxy.
Sand all of the trim to get it as glossy as possible, I started with 1500 grit and finished with 12000 grit Micro Mesh.
Spray the areas with gloss black.
Top coat with the chrome paint, making sure not to use to much, if you use to much you will loose the shine.
All of the painting for the instrument panel was done with an airbrush, anything else will not give you the results you want.
At some point I will probably have the panel sent out for chroming, but I wanted to use that money for the engine at the time. One note on any chrome paint, if you top coat it with clear you will lose any shine

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Thanks for all the input on the chrome paint. Will try some of these ideas with another junk bezel.

How about any input on the woodgrain itself.

Called CV Platers, seem to be very nice. They told me $525 with me sending them my bezels to be restored and about 8 - 10 weeks turn around. That was for the 3 dash bezels, non-rallye, for a 72 a-body.

With spring in the air, hate to go that long without a dash and $525 is not exactly a drop in the bucket.

Keep the ideas coming, they're super.
 
I recovered all the woodgrain in my 67 with adhesive backed laminate (sign material) I bought off ebay. It's been in over 4 years and still looks great.
It's not a perfect match to factory burlwood but is a prefect match to other factory and aftermarket burlwood.
I'm wanting to try the Alsa products Killer Chrome but total for the 5 Killer cans required is 205 bucks. Sure thats less than true vacuum plating but a gamble as well. Those "Killer" cans contain enough material to cover 10 square feet and have NO shelf life after initial use so I'm trying to get enough pieces prepared so to use up all the material I paid for.
 
I did my dash myself too. I stripped it with Castrol Super Clean and sprayed it with Chrome paint over a black base coat. I also did a radio delete with a faux carbon fiber material. And while I was whiling away cold winter nights with this project, I also made white face gauges, which are availiable now commercially. I also substituted the original points-style clock with a quartz unit from VDO with the stock gauge face.
DASH8-vi.jpg

The opening for the trip-reset will be a push button for my flashers.

DASH6-vi.jpg

People ask me why I deleted a radio being a musician, and I say
"WHAT??? I can't hear you! The damn car is too LOUD!!!!!!!!"

DASH7-vi.jpg

I can't wait to bolt it in to see how it looks installed....
 
John,

What kind of chrome paint did you use. It looks great !
 
Just got my bezel back from CV Platers, looks great, it was there for 12 weeks but I did tell them I didn't need it until mid April. Final bill was $630, one repair, full lens polish and the rechrome, new wood grain etc, including the glove box.
If yours is in decent structural shape actually works out cheaper than the repops on Ebay, with those you have to buy the glove box trim and lenses seperately, but downside is you can't sell the old one.
 
FASTBACK340 said:
I *think* it was DupliColor Chrome over a gloss black Krylon basecoat. Nothing high-tech....
Click to expand...


Thanks for all the responses and suggestions. I believe I'm looking for and am learning a "do it yourself" type instead of a show appearance. Very good info here from the FABO members.

Every dash bezel I have purchased has had bad chrome, expected I guess for 35+ years old.

I want to drive this Mopar and not be too worried about it being perfect. It's fun to cruise,,,,,,,,,,and be proud !!! =P~=P~=P~ :bootysha::bootysha::bootysha:
 
I've messed with the chrome paint as well and when its applied well it looks great. Just keep in mind that the paint is not very durable, Hands Off !
 
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