DIY 65 Cluster
I currently have the instrument cluster out of my 65 coupe to install a new main harness.I want to repaint my cluster housing,since all of the gauges are fine, I just want to strip and paint my cluster housing. Has anyone attemped this on there own? If so I would like to know what was used to strip the housing? will it harm the chrome trim and the lettering? And any other techniques that would help me.
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Re: DIY 65 Cluster
My experiences have been if the base paint is good leave it alone and paint over it. Your not looking for a build up of paint. Should want to strip most any mild stripper should do the work w/o damaging the cluster. Myself would shoot cluster with a self-etched primer for adhesion. Next shoot it with your choice of black, mine was Kyrlon 1613 a low sheen black. After shooting entire face of cluster will need to recover the chrome edges of the bezel. A lightly dampened laquer towel(rag) going around the edges till it meets your satisfaction will recoup the chrome edges. Lastly, the lettering can be recouped by painstakely using a sharp blade and lightly scraping the the lettering exposing the letters chrome edges. -
Re: DIY 65 Cluster
I redid my '64 gauge cluster last year. The '63 and '64 gauge clusters have silver painted bezels so that required more work.
The semi-circle chrome perimeter facing beauty edge was covered with blue masking tape, then the fine line edge between chrome trim edge and cluster body fine trimmed with an X-acto knife. The facing chrome edge tops of the gauge bezels were also masked off with blue tape and fine trimmed along the round perimeter edge, again using the X-acto knife.
SEM Trim Black paint was used to spray out the gauge cluster. After the paint dried for several hours, a wooden Starbucks coffee stir stick was cut to produce a square flat edge, with a pair of scissors. The other end of the stir stick rounded edge was also used. The flat and rounded edge was used to simply rub the paint off the letters 'START', 'OFF', 'ON', etc. .. Some letters had a bit of remaining paint flecks. For this the coffee stir stick edge was dipped in acetone to wet it down so as to soften up the paint flecks for removal, where needed. After removing the blue masking tape the gauge cluster was ready to go.Comment
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Re: DIY 65 Cluster
John, did you strip your cluster to bare metal? If so what did you use?Comment
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Re: DIY 65 Cluster
Doug remember to use the same black on the glove box door.JRComment
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Re: DIY 65 Cluster
Doug,
I restored the gauge cluster on my '64. I did strip it down to the metal with Captain Lee's. I did it in small areas at a time and only left it on long enough to see a reaction with the paint. It did not harm the metal anywhere that I can see. I shot a layer of etching primer before laying the top coats and followed a process similar to John's. It's really not a difficult project, just very time consuming.
CurtisComment
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Re: DIY 65 Cluster
Doug ..
I did strip the paint off the gauge cluster, yes. I used Kleen Strip Aircraft stripper for fiberglass. I had some left over from stripping the paint off the car body, so that was used. Interestingly, this stripper didn't work that well in stripping the paint off the gauge cluster. A second try with this stripper had about the same result - only some of the paint came off instead of all of it. Maybe the stripper lost some of it's potency?
I went to the hardware store and got a spray can of 'gauranteed to work' stripper and used that. Even then it took two applications of this stuff to finally get all the gauge cluster paint removed. In the meantime the speedo and tach were sent out to be refurbished.
The project was enjoyable to do. As Curtis mentions it was time consuming. .. I was happy with the finished result.
As an aside: If you decide to repaint the gauge needles I would recommend using a Rustoleum product called "American Accents". This paint is water base. The color is 'Glow Orange' and comes in a 3 oz container. I found this paint at a local hardware store but Arts and Crafts stores likely carry it also. About 3 bucks. ..
Using an artist's brush the paint was thinned with just enough water so it flowed well. The gauge needles came looking really nice.
The dried up dollop of 'needle paint' I received from Paragon is the same paint.Comment
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