Instrument Panel Restore
- Thread starter palerider94
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Pakrat
Founding Member
I have done some research on this in the past and alot of what I read said basically two things: 1) The original finish is not actually chrome, and 2) that a good match can be obtained by simply using testors silver model paint.
That was going to be my plan, but I decided that since I have had good luck in the past using my old hobby building skills to re-make some finish items like 2 part molds etc... I decided to search out that and came across some impresive new products. So now the testors is my back up plan, and my new plan is to try and use this as I think original or not actual chrome will look a lot better.
http://www.bare-metal.com/bare-metal/bare-metal_foil.html
Basically you are still applying it to plastic so I don't see why this wouldn't hit the spot nicely, especially since it's not a heavy wear and tear area.
That was going to be my plan, but I decided that since I have had good luck in the past using my old hobby building skills to re-make some finish items like 2 part molds etc... I decided to search out that and came across some impresive new products. So now the testors is my back up plan, and my new plan is to try and use this as I think original or not actual chrome will look a lot better.
http://www.bare-metal.com/bare-metal/bare-metal_foil.html
Basically you are still applying it to plastic so I don't see why this wouldn't hit the spot nicely, especially since it's not a heavy wear and tear area.
true it's not actually chrome plated. but the effect is close enough. it's actually aluminum that gets electrostaically applied in a vacuum chamber and then clear coated and baked on. the actual process is called vacuum metalizing. the testors bright silver looks pretty good but it really doesn't look the same. i've tried the bare metal foil and it doesn't look much better than the paint. someone posted once on the vmf about using chrome mylar sheeting and it looked pretty good but i didn't save any of the info. i was wondering if anyone here has done that or something else that looks really good
Pakrat
Founding Member
Really, wow that's disapointing to hear about the foil, I thought for sure it would look better than testors. Which one did you try? I was going to use the new bright chrome one.
wild70stang
New Member
- Nov 11, 2005
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I second daves suggestion. Rather than pay more money to have someone do replace the same part with an expensive process, you can get the part replaced for much less. Also, since the chrome trim would no longer be "original" you get the same part from a parts store than having it redone by an individual
Pakrat said:
didn't know they had a new one. i've always used the old stand by that looks like aluminum foil with an adhesive back. i'll have to look into the bright chrome one, that just might work pretty well.
dave, haven't seen a stock 69 guage bezel being repro'd yet. i know year one has a custom bezel that was used in the "blackened" 69 mustang that year one built.
Pakrat
Founding Member
Well that's encouraging then B, I guess I'll give the bright chrome one a chance then as planned, nothing to lose except for $6 in raw material cost.
At this stage I just can't see replacing an otherwise perfectly good bezel just because the small trim rings have a little wear on them especially when it won't be cheap and I can probably refinish it myself for under $10 bucks.
At this stage I just can't see replacing an otherwise perfectly good bezel just because the small trim rings have a little wear on them especially when it won't be cheap and I can probably refinish it myself for under $10 bucks.
dave, haven't seen a stock 69 guage bezel being repro'd yet. i know year one has a custom bezel that was used in the "blackened" 69 mustang that year one built.[/QUOTE]
That's why I said it was brand new.
From the NPD catalogue: NEWBezel, instrument cluster,deluxe interioir,use only w/woodgrain applique panel.....10838-10A..... CALL.
For 69-70.
That's why I said it was brand new.
From the NPD catalogue: NEWBezel, instrument cluster,deluxe interioir,use only w/woodgrain applique panel.....10838-10A..... CALL. For 69-70.
Pakrat
Founding Member
bnickel said:
You know I just took a closer look at my bezel and it would seem that the whole darn thing was originally finished in the electrostatic aluminum front o back and then the whole front painted black except the trim ring. Seems an awful wasteful way to get just that small chrome touch.
Pakrat
Founding Member
bnickel said:
Yeah, I suppose you are right but you'd think the design would incorporate more flash then to get your money's worth, from a manufacturing standpoint I mean. This seems like one of those steps Ford would have eliminated in the end and made it all black or just applied an external trim ring too to earn some extra margin dollars.
well when you're having a couple hundred thousand of the things made i think the per unit price is pretty low, probably lower than designing a bunch of little trim rings, producing them, having them chromed and then paying someone to install each little part, in the end it's a probably a wash or even cheaper to just chrome the whole part. in fact all of the mustang bezels from 64 to 78 were made the exact same way
Pakrat
Founding Member
Hunh, interesting, yeah I guess at the end of the day it would have to at least be a wash or less for them to have done it this way.
I used to make scale model aircraft, there was a fairly expensive paint that could only be used in an airbrush that was actual aluminum. You would apply it and then polish it with a compound, if buffed correctly it became very chrome-like. Not quite a mirror finish but VERY close. You'd want to put a gloss-clear on top of it since it picked up fingerprints like crazy, but it would work great for a plastic bezel IMHO.
Just thought I'd throw that out there.
Just thought I'd throw that out there.
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