Chrome gauge bezels anyone?
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Honolulu
Posts: 429
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Chrome gauge bezels anyone?
As part of freshening my sad interior, I swapped out my yellow gauges for cool white and red 924S gauges, which I bought from Borys (Airflite40). Now I've got a voltmeter in place of the non-operating clock. I had to give up the MPG-meter in the tacho, but I think the sacrifice was more than worth it. I stripped the paint from the gauge bezels in the main pod and polished them up to a brushed sheen with a dremel. I also swapped out the old pod face, which had a Chevy-Vannish wood grain (see below), and put in an original silver one. Lastly, I got all Speed Racer and turned the speedo and the tacho about 45 degrees to rectify visibility issues behind the steering wheel.
I tried to upgrade the dim gauge lights with some pre-fabbed LEDs from eBay, but they're not fitting/working. Before I complain about that purchase, I'll talk to the seller to see if he will offer to cure.
Here's the after:
And here's what it looked like before:
I don't have pics of the new center stack, which still has the faux wood grain look. I'll try to source an original condition replacement (if anyone has one PM me) or peel off the applique.
I also have a related question or two about this install that I'll start another thread on (they have to do with a warning buzzer and chasing the electrical gremlin on a single dash bulb).
I tried to upgrade the dim gauge lights with some pre-fabbed LEDs from eBay, but they're not fitting/working. Before I complain about that purchase, I'll talk to the seller to see if he will offer to cure.
Here's the after:
And here's what it looked like before:
I don't have pics of the new center stack, which still has the faux wood grain look. I'll try to source an original condition replacement (if anyone has one PM me) or peel off the applique.
I also have a related question or two about this install that I'll start another thread on (they have to do with a warning buzzer and chasing the electrical gremlin on a single dash bulb).
#2
RL Community Team
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
What a... TRANSFORMation!
You have no idea how much of an improvement it will be to have a black dash. I had a red 944 with brown dash, and I tried lots of things with the gauges, carpets, steering wheels, shifters, and none of it even came close to the whop-factor of when I sprayed the dash black. You probably don't even have to take it out.
But anyway I never thought of polishing the gauge bezels! Nice touch!
You have no idea how much of an improvement it will be to have a black dash. I had a red 944 with brown dash, and I tried lots of things with the gauges, carpets, steering wheels, shifters, and none of it even came close to the whop-factor of when I sprayed the dash black. You probably don't even have to take it out.
But anyway I never thought of polishing the gauge bezels! Nice touch!
#4
Rennlist Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Bethesda/Rockville, MD
Posts: 62
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Nice, were the gauges easy and fast to install? I have 924 gauge faceplates but I'm debating whether I should put them on.
Do you also have the link to the dash lights you bought on eBay? I got some to and they might just be the same faulty ones you got, so I just want to make sure that they aren't.Thanks
Do you also have the link to the dash lights you bought on eBay? I got some to and they might just be the same faulty ones you got, so I just want to make sure that they aren't.Thanks
#5
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Canada
Posts: 1,755
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Good idea on the polished bezels. Did you strip the paint with chemical, sandpaper or with the dremel. What ends did you use for the dremel to polish.
Thanks
Thanks
#6
Racer
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Honolulu
Posts: 429
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Here's my center stack with the voltmeter instead of the clock. I love the green. Now my gauges are all operable aimed at the business of driving.
As for stripping the bezels in the main pod, I used a combination of a fine grit sandpaper tip and a rotary steel brush on the dremel, but I also used some steel wool. I also used a metal polish and with a buffer tip. If I were to do it again, I'd probably skip the dremel almost entirely and use the steel wool. I would probably just buff it out with the dremel, but since I bought it for this project I felt I had to use it.
Installation of the new pod and gauges probably took about 2 hours. Easy peasy if you get past the initial hesitation of pulling the entire steering assembly and old gauges out.
As for the LEDs, I got those from Julian914, but before I complain I want to try again and see if I didn't miss something. The bulbs shipped without instructions and I THINK I could've figured it out, but who knows. I'm a lawyer, not a mechanic/electrician/handy guy. Stand by though, I really want to improve my dash lighting.
As for stripping the bezels in the main pod, I used a combination of a fine grit sandpaper tip and a rotary steel brush on the dremel, but I also used some steel wool. I also used a metal polish and with a buffer tip. If I were to do it again, I'd probably skip the dremel almost entirely and use the steel wool. I would probably just buff it out with the dremel, but since I bought it for this project I felt I had to use it.
Installation of the new pod and gauges probably took about 2 hours. Easy peasy if you get past the initial hesitation of pulling the entire steering assembly and old gauges out.
As for the LEDs, I got those from Julian914, but before I complain I want to try again and see if I didn't miss something. The bulbs shipped without instructions and I THINK I could've figured it out, but who knows. I'm a lawyer, not a mechanic/electrician/handy guy. Stand by though, I really want to improve my dash lighting.
Trending Topics
#8
Racer
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Honolulu
Posts: 429
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts