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#1 |
Woot.
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Stouffville, Ontario
Posts: 2,291
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dash light upgrade... help?
Hey everyone, I am interested in doing the dash light upgrade... but am not sure about how to go about doing it. Does anyone hae pics of exactly what pic I need to chrome paint? I tried once, but believe I painted the wrong part
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Clarkson 96 Chevy RCLB 4.3 2WD |
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#2 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Weatherford,Tx
Posts: 747
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After you take off the clear plastic lense, the very next piece that comes off is a black metal frame that goes around the gauges and speedo and fuel. Remove that and the back of it is painted a light blue. Spray that light blue chrome. That is how I did it in my '73.
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#3 |
It followed me home?
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Yup
Posts: 5,751
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I also took my gauges out and painted the inside of the whole cluster. Make sure you tape off the connectors first
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Adam That's why they call it a shortcut Kyle, if it was easy it would just be the way. 86 c-10 SWB 85 CCSB 90 GMC K30 Crew SRW 1985 C30 Dually |
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#4 |
Project 2 Resume
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Jim Thorpe, PA
Posts: 884
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Did mine...
this afternoon. Don't have any before pics but they were really, really dim. I'm sure the dirt buildup in the cluster also made them dimmer than normal. I painted behind the gauges. I removed the cluster from the dash and removed the bulbs, sockets and harness. Masked the gauges off rear good, especially the front and any openings in the back. Then painted with some duplicolor chrome paint. Repainted the front metal black, since it was faded. I only masked for the black, didn't care if silver paint oversprayed to the front cover. It wasn't totally dark outside when I took these and battery was somewhat drained from leaving doors open earlier.
But it's a big improvement and worth the couple of hours invested. Bah, let me try hosting them some place else.
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John 1984 C30 Chevy Crew Cab Dually 1998 Jeep Cherokee 4x4 2004 Chevy Trailblazer 4x4 (wife's) 1970 Mustang FB fully tubed (getting 521 BBF & powerglide) 1978 Nova 2dr (going BBCaddy & S.P. th400) 1984 Monte SS (circle track car) Last edited by badone07; 09-22-2004 at 07:04 AM. |
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#5 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Sacramento
Posts: 3,737
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I cant see anything but little boxes with red X's...is it just me?
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#6 |
Project 2 Resume
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Jim Thorpe, PA
Posts: 884
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Hopefully these work...
Quality of the free image hosting site isn't great, but you should get the idea.
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John 1984 C30 Chevy Crew Cab Dually 1998 Jeep Cherokee 4x4 2004 Chevy Trailblazer 4x4 (wife's) 1970 Mustang FB fully tubed (getting 521 BBF & powerglide) 1978 Nova 2dr (going BBCaddy & S.P. th400) 1984 Monte SS (circle track car) |
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#7 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 441
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Ok, you need the 168 light bulbs. Brighter. you need 11-13 of these, I can't remember. also the dupli-color chrome. use light coats, I did mine in the evening. Don't use clear. I had to start again. Oh well, learning curve. Mask your electrical connections. I took the pic of mine connected to power to check lights, but not reinstalled in my dash yet. The chrome paint is only $4 or something like that, and used just a little. take your time. That's the key. Do it when it's cool out too. Here's a pic of what's needed. Whipped up a pic, and hosted on my scout site. enjoy
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#8 |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 441
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While you've got it out, may as well freshen your guages as well. masking the pointers off, got an airbrush w/flourescent orange paint, and gonna repaint the pointers. May as well, when you have it apart, eh? Could even use a hobby brush w/thinned paint if you don't have the airbrush
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#9 |
Professional Grade
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta
Posts: 7,915
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Make sure you clean the needles off real well or the paint will fisheye...
Personally I only painted the bezel housing, didn't both with the black peice, and got overspray on the first set of gauges that I sprayed the backing of. I found that just painting the housing made a phenominal difference.
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1995 Chevrolet 2 Door Tahoe (6.6L LBZ Duramax / ZF6 / NP241 with 1 ton solid axle swap) |
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#10 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Beaverton, OR
Posts: 1,615
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This might help....Its from Jeff's site (BigBlock73)
http://73-87.com/7387garage/interior/dashlights.htm
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Mitch 1978 Chevrolet Silverado C 10 454 BB, TH400 |
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#11 |
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Houston
Posts: 300
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The piece right behind my clear plastic lens (the reflector panel thats black on the front and greenish blue on the back) was plastic. I didn't go as far as to paint the whole inside of the cluster housing. I just painted the back of the front reflector/cover. I used masking tape and a razor blade and masked off the holes from the blue side to make sure none of the chrome paint ended up on the black front. Probably would have been easier to just pick up a can of black spray paint, paint the chrome side without worrying about it getting on the black, then flip it over and repaint the black. Wouldn't matter if a little black made it's way to the chrome back since it doesn't show anyway, and I would have had a fresh black front.
Oh well, painting only the back of the front reflector with chrome paint will give you a big improvement, and I'm sure painting the whole inside of the cluster housing chrome would make things brighter still, just requires more dis-assembly. Either way you go, it's worth it. I posted a thread in 73-87 Messqage board about making the AC/heat control panel brighter as well. I have some pics of what I did there to, will post them on that thread when pic posting is working again.
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Paul 1984 Chevy C-10 *LWB/305* |
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#12 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Weatherford,Tx
Posts: 747
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If you are going to clean the dust off of the gauges, DON'T use any kind of cleaner (windex) on them. It will wipe the white lettering right off.
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#13 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: San Antonio, TX
Posts: 441
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Quote:
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#14 |
Stepsides RULE
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Pineville, LA
Posts: 1,921
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I still don't see why you blind bats need a brighter instrumentation
![]() ![]() And another thing, in every picture of the "after paint", the light looks uneven in the guage, which to me would make it harder to read than a "dull" gauge. Someone please enlighten me!! (no pun intended)
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1981 Chevy C10 Custom Deluxe Stepside 350 V8, headers, side exhausts, 3-speed auto SOLD 1980 Chevy C10 Custum Deluxe Stepside 305 V8, Edelbrock Performer Intake, Edelbrock 1406 600CFM 4-barrel, TH350C. Bent rod. SOLD 1984 GMC Sierra Classic Longbed 6.2L Diesel SOLD 2009 Kawasaki KLX-250S too many mods for this signature 1999 Honda Accord EX 4-cylinder, 17" Motegi Wheels 215/45/17 Sumitomo tires, Tein S-Tech lowering springs, KYB GR2 shocks, Acura TL 20mm rear swaybar, debadged, blackhoused headlights, Short-Ram Intake Cardomain of the Accord |
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#15 |
Right turn Clyde
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Posts: 2,911
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Its like that because of the way the light displacement is in the cluster. I dont really see any drawback to doing this other than some of the parts being brittle. But if take a weekend and take your time with it results are well worth it.
I forgot to add some of the lighting placement may be due to the camera. I did my cluster and its evenly light for the most part. I have one bulb socket that likes to wiggle lose then it doesnt lite up. So I have to wiggle it again and it comes back on. Im not sure whats thats all about other than age of the parts.
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1974 C25 LWB: 454 4bbl Carb / TH400 / 3.73 1992 Camaro RS 305 TBI Last edited by MylilBowTie; 09-23-2004 at 01:25 AM. |
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#16 |
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Everett, WA
Posts: 2,316
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Ok, whats the secret for getting the gauges out of the dash? Is there some sequence you need to follow, or is there still something attached that I can't see that is keeping it from coming out??? I am trying to get the complete cluster out in one piece.
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2009 Honda Fit CfC (bsf 44.9 mpg) 2000 Tahoe Limited 1991 GMC CrewCab Dually 2wd, will end up swb, not dually and replace CCswb below 1991 GMC CrewCab Dually 4x4, just going to fix things up for now 1982/1989 K5/GMC Jimmy 2wd 1987 GMC 1/2 ton swb 2wd Crew (sold) |
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#17 |
Project 2 Resume
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Jim Thorpe, PA
Posts: 884
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If all the screws are out then it's probably either the speedometer cable, wire harness or both. My truck doesn't have ac so I remove the headlight switch and reach through the square hole next to it. Press in the speedometer retaining clip. It can be located on top or below the cable, but attached to the rear of the speedometer housing. The cluster should then pop forward a little. Then to the left of the speedometer cable, squeeze the 2 clips (top and bottom) holding on the harness and removing the connector. The cluster should now come right out.
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John 1984 C30 Chevy Crew Cab Dually 1998 Jeep Cherokee 4x4 2004 Chevy Trailblazer 4x4 (wife's) 1970 Mustang FB fully tubed (getting 521 BBF & powerglide) 1978 Nova 2dr (going BBCaddy & S.P. th400) 1984 Monte SS (circle track car) |
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