1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

Picked up a tach cluster out of a 79 Silverado about a month ago. Got it with a fogged lens, broken circuit and a missing shift indicator.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._5715471_n.jpg

Picked up a new lens from LMC. Located a NOS printed circuit and with some elbow grease, some new paint. I have a 90% gauge cluster now. I'm calling it 90% due to the two broken mounting ears. They still work, just missing a small portion of each. Also repainted the center shield, back to black. I saw someone paint one with a silver paint before. Possibly for reflective properties, after looking at it though. I decided against it, because it would look like the gauges had silver rings behind the bezel.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._7391282_n.jpg

When painting the needles, I brush painted them with a paint called 'fluorescent red', which came up close enough to the factory pointer color that i've seen so far. The factory needles don't like to be painted. I scuffed them, primed and laid paint and had to put down 5 coats for equal coverage.

So far, about $90 in this gauge cluster with the brand new parts. I'll gladly take this over a camaro tach any day. As it looks perfect in the truck and doesn't look out of place. I've got two others to refinish that you may see on here soon.

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

Are you going to sell them

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

Looks great! Always on the look for a tach for the 85. Until then, my ears do a good enough job.;)

Seriously, nice work. It's always shows in the details.:metal:

Mark:chevy:

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

Turned out nice ! :smoke:

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

Very nice work.

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

looks awesome man, Im getting ready to do the same thing.

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

I need one of those for my '80!!!
Posted via Mobile Device

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

That looks really nice. To heck with the broken tabs...nobodys gonna see that anyways :lol:

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

One other thing to add, the aftermarket cluster lens doesn't fit perfectly flat to the metal gauge cover. I had to take a hair dryer to it in order to get it to lay flat.

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

Thats good to know

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

So just heat the lens up with a hair-dryer for a few minutes before installing it?

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

I put it on the cluster, cinched it down. Then heated it and gave it slight pressure to work it into place. The problem is, the legs that come down that mount to the cluster from the lens are a little too short and basically I stretched them. There aren't any other better parts on the market. Only one company makes this lens.

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

Turned out real nice, good work!

Where did you pick up the 'fluorescent red'?

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

At Hobby Lobby, it was $3.49 for a 1/2 ounce. It's plastic model paint.

Edit: http://shop.hobbylobby.com/products/...-paint-385617/

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

Thanks for the info buddy!

Has more of an orange tint than red color to it?

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

They call it red, but its more of a medium-blaze orange.

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

looks good. is that stock font? looks a little different. i may be wrong

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

The font is stock and correct for a '79. This cluster came from a 79. The gauge faces match that of my other 78 and 79 clusters as well.

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

Just some food for thought, its hard to get a good picture of what the needles look like. But if you look at the gauge indicator color versus the needle colors. The indicator wasn't repainted. Nearly a 100% match.

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

Thanks buddy!

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

looks good nice match

Re: 1979 Tach Cluster refinished.
 

That looks great...