kustomizing dash... not finished

mattymartin · Post by **mattymartin** » Tue Nov 06, 2007 10:32 pm

ok guys,

thanks to DR, ekv8ute & a few others, I've attempted to
customising my own dash... below are the steps taken to
creat a dash with a new look...

the plan...

i started buy removed the gauges form the chrome
housing, buy unscrewing the screws that held held the gauges
in place...

then very carefully bent the cliped over metal on the back
of the gauge, over eniugh that it was free of restriction...
before

after

then i just let the gauge fall out into my palm carefully...
to see what i have got...

then i cleaned all peices thoroughly, let them dry & hit the black
face with an antique white colour (SQUIRTS, Ivory...).
colour...

before

after (the first coat)

while the paint was drying, i sprayed oven cleaner onto the
face of the gauges. because i want the numbers black, i
need to get the old light green colour off...

DevilRod, said to use oven cleanier as it more gentle
on the the glass than trying to scratch out the paint from
the numbers... (make sure you where gloves it burns alot)

before

during, (the oven cleaner needs to be left on for
at least 30 mins, i left it on for about 45mins then just
rinsed off with water & the old paint just wash straight off...
no scrubing needed)...

after

then put another coat on the faces, i will do three coats in total...

while they where drying i cracked the paint for the numbers...

applied paint with a very small paint brush & put enough to fill the numbers with paint...

then I waited 30mins & wiped the surface with a rag with some turps to get rid of the over flow...

now i just have to wait till the faces dry... & bingo...

the speedo...

all the same steps as taken before, just different with the speed indicator lines...

step 1. dismantle, buy bending the clips & unscrewing
the nut on back...

then unclip the inner face, with the speed indicator lines... then the chrome center...

IMPORTANT... BEFORE YOU PAINT, COPY WHERE THE SPEED
LINES ARE, ON THE REVERSE SIDE...

& then the numbers

the next steps are the same as the previous gauges...

these are all the faces painted, making sure that they all matchup in colour & density...

once faces have dried over night & lettering/ numbers have been painted & cleaned, reassemble...

place back in surrounds to get a feel...

nioce... hey?

still have finished speedo lines yet...

this is unfinished... to be completed

thanks
matty martin

retro · Post by **retro** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 12:19 am

nice work matty, wouldnt mind seeing the finished product before i copy you buddy.

captainbill · Post by **captainbill** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 1:00 am

Looks good matty.Thinking of changing mine to a lighter colour aswell.

Devilrod · Post by **Devilrod** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 12:22 pm

I said you need to use GLOVES with the oven cleaner, IT IS FAR FROM GENTLE ON YOUR SKIN!!!

Use enough and it takes off your finger tips!!! Guess how I know

Other than that mMatty is right on the mark. Glad you're documenting all this, I never did and it is very easy to do.

(AUST)Mod · Post by **(AUST)Mod** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 12:28 pm

has anyone customised their blinker stalk? does the black plastic on the end come off?

Devilrod · Post by **Devilrod** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 1:28 pm

Yeah it does unscrew from memory...

mattymartin · Post by **mattymartin** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 3:02 pm

austmod,

yep the blinker black rubber thing does unscrew as DR said... what where you thinking of doing...

hey DR,
i had i massive typo... i'll fix it asap...

captain bill, love the heater, the dash trim & gauges below...

thanks
matty martin

captainbill · Post by **captainbill** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 6:57 pm

Thanks matty got more gauges to go in now.The end of the indicator stalk does unscrew.Heres what rick(basicgreen) has done to his.

mrs ratbox · Post by **mrs ratbox** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 9:21 pm

yor a champ matty
get in and give it a go then put up a step by step with pics

the guy on ebay is gunna hate you now that yor showing the world just how easy it is

yeprat1 · Post by **yeprat1** » Wed Nov 07, 2007 10:21 pm

yeh dude thanks for that info guess what ill be doing next time im bored

(AUST)Mod · Post by **(AUST)Mod** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 12:45 pm

Great work so far Matty. Why don't you add led lighting to the gauges while they are out of the fascia and apart? The ebay ones with leds look ace, i think it would cap off your painted gauges nicely.

mattymartin · Post by **mattymartin** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 6:25 am

hey aus mod,

mate i dont know the first thing about that sort of stuff... (i really like the affect thay give though), can any else shed some light on replaceing the standard dash lights for led lights...

thanks
matty martin

blue ute · Post by **blue ute** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 2:13 pm

Further to that, has anyone tried the same to the plastic around the knobs on the dash - ie choke, wiper etc

(AUST)Mod · Post by **(AUST)Mod** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 5:54 pm

mattymartin wrote:hey aus mod,

mate i dont know the first thing about that sort of stuff... (i really like the affect thay give though), can any else shed some light on replaceing the standard dash lights for led lights...

thanks
matty martin

here you go Matty
http://gallery.oldholden.com/ReaperHR/H ... nals/LEDs/

mattymartin · Post by **mattymartin** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 6:01 am

thanks austmod,

had a read but can find out where he got them from, i'll check out tandy or dicksmith on monday....

but it was well documented hey...

hey did you ever end up putting that stereo in... lets see some pics in the the old link mate...

thanks again
matty martin