Plastic dash solution?

[TheIronSausage]

Anyone have an idea on how to fix the fading yellow plastic instrument panels that the factory somehow chromed? I tried "aluminum" colored spray paint from rustoleum on the pushbutton bezel. It's shiny enough to not look like primer, but matte enough not to look like shitty spray chrome. I think the waffle print helps a lot here. I guess all I care about is it not looking like total homebrewed shit. Any suggestions?

 

[Stretch]

I don't think that push button panal looks bad at all.

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[TheIronSausage]

I don't think that push button panal looks bad at all.

Thanks for that. My concern is that I'd have to do the speedo cluster, radio bezel, and HVAC bezels too.. The pushbutton bezel looks decent against the yellowing factory plastic, but would it be cringeworthy with everything else sprayed as well? I'm leaning towards doing it, but a lot of spray painted plastic on a dash board tends to look like a lot of spray painted plastic. As far as I can tell, the factory chromed the stuff through some vacuplating black magic.. nothing reproducible in our garages. As with bodywork, I'd rather see worn paint or rust issues than botched patchwork. But after going to the effort I just did on the interior, I'd kinda like to find a solution for the sorry dash plastics.

Also, I've owned this car for about ten years, and never noticed that the fuel gauge had it's "knurling" at the base of the housing, where the other two gauges have it at the top until I just looked at the photo above.

 

[69.5CUDA]

ok..so since you both have the same dashes n stuff now..im going to tell you EXACTLY how to do it at home and get as close to neer factory results as humanly possible at home....however i do belive modern "water dip painting" would be the second best alternative

start by washing the part up REAL good..get it spotless
next up your going to need an airbrush
ive used "alclad" as well as "spaz stix" and the alclad works MUCH better with pretty well neer perfect to factory look..in some cases better

you need to lay a water based black base/primer i recomend useing the same brand to do so

the trick to the chrome is ULTRA ULTRA fine thin coats..and i mean stupid thin basicly just one step up from a dusting, let dry repeat untill uniform.....now clearcoating is optional but ive only had mixed results with it...its actualy best left alone..tho it is fragile and can be rubbed off like the factory finish..so clear coat with the same brand of clear..or at the least something ment for MODELS

this is how good the stuff lays out...but patiance and thin coats is the 100% key to it

 

[68R/T]

Open a window in the car when you're smoking and everything won't turn yellow. :naughty:


[video=youtube;AU1l1i0H0j0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU1l1i0H0j0[/video]

 

[TheIronSausage]

The "chrome" rubs off to reveal jaundiced plastic. And I always had the window down when I used to smoke. Or the wing vents open with my cigarette near one at the very least.. What a great invention those were.. Effing Brilliant.

 

[TheIronSausage]

That "Supar" chrome spray does seem to be worth all the Bar's head gasket stopleak in my local parts store.. is it a real thing?

 

[68R/T]

.. is it a real thing?

It looks damn good. :huh:

 

[restoman]

I've used Alclad quite a bit in model building. It can look pretty close to chrome but it's lacquer based and VERY thin. It will rub off if handled in any way. Any gloss black paint can be used as the ground coat - I use urethane single layer. Clear coating takes away from the near-chrome look and leaves instead, a really good-silver-paint look.
Spaz-Stiks looks better and takes handling better but, it too, will wear off if you're not careful.
There are marker-style paint sticks from Molotow that are alcohol-based and are very close to a chrome look. They ain't cheap ($12-$15 apiece here) but are available in different tip sizes and a re-fill can be used in an airbrush or detail gun.

Short of vacu-plating that's about it for options.

 

[Dr.Jass]

What you'll have to watch closely regardless of whichever paint you choose is film buildup. There's a lot of detail on those pieces, and a loss of detail is ultimately the reason shitty spray-painted plastic ends up looking like shitty spray-painted plastic.

I think the pushbutton bezel looks pretty damned good, and the only glaring problem is the wiper-switch bezel alongside it. There doesn't appear to be any loss of detail in that area as-is. The only glaring issue, really, is the ridged outer border. What if you were to use the same process on the rest of the dash, but use the black-base/Spaz-Stiks only along the outer raised portion (and perhaps the gauge rings) to simulate the chrome look there? The fine-detail area would look like it was intentionally not polished originally, and those also being the higher-contact areas you are likely to bump with your fingers, the finish would be harder to smudge or rub away. You wouldn't have to think about damaging your fragile finish every time you reach for switchgear.