About a week ago I ripped into my instrument cluster since I was tired of having to guess how much fuel was in the tank. I ordered a new regulator, found out the circuit board was bueno, and went to restoring all the plastics. The needles came out perfectly, the clear face over the gauges buffed up decent, but the black/silver/chrome plastic body fell all to pieces when I tried to repaint it. Everything bubbled up and some flaked off, long of the short the paint job is ruined and has to be stripped off and redone properly. (Kinda p****d me off and I may or may not have thrown a brush across the shop and stuck it in a poster... )

Anyways, how would a guy go about stripping the rattlecan job off? What paint stripper is safe for plastic? And When I went about restoring it the first time, I didn't bother with plastic primer, I just cleaned it and shot the new color on. Should I add in any more steps??

 

I'm pretty sure anything that will dissolve the paint will dissolve the plastic so chemical strippers are out. If the thing isn't mucked up too bad I would go at it with scothbrite and sandpaper. Try to get at the hard to get places first and the high places last.

Most spray paint has pretty powerful solvent in it so that may have been your problem on the first attempt. Also, the "chrome" on those things is pretty delicate stuff, especially after 40 or so years. Try using spray paint formulated for plastic and test it on the back of the cluster.

Or you could just find a used one if you are so inclined.

 

sounds like lacquer over enamel freak out , the two different paints are not compatible . I learned this many years ago building Model cars .
2 options get a used bezel or sand away the freaked out paint . You will need to primer the part after sanding , put a very light coat of primer on first let it dry to touch then put a heavier coat on repeat 3 -4 coats let the primer dry for a day or 2 light sand and paint you shouldn't have any problems

 

All above is correct. Even using enamel paint over enamel paint will cause solvent pop/ freaked out paint.
Sand away or start over with a different piece. Clean with grease and wax remover and lint free towel of wipe with tack cloth.
From here the key is 2 light coats, 2 medium wet coats. Let dry until each coat is finger slick.
Light coats act as a adhesion promoter, 2 medium wet coats to cover.
Finger slick/ on a piece of paper or plastic, apply equal amount of paint as you did to your piece. when you can drag your finger on the paint with out it sticking to you or grabbing your finger, apply the next coat.
Tell us how it turns out

 

The prep chemicals I used dissolved that fake chrome no issue, I just had a couple spots that I guess I missed. The plastic paint I used adhered to it very well, but it was weakened by the chem wash and when I pulled the tape off of those sections, the chrome went with. At least now I'm sure all the "chrome" is gone

I would love to get a new one, or a used on in good shape, but the money situation really doesn't leave any kind of room for that at all.

 

Thanks for the steps man, I'll go out and sand everything down, re-prep and follow these directions. Only another 12 hours of taping and it'll be done!

I never knew that abut lacquer and enamel, and I paint equipment! I'll have to sand off everything that bugged out and start over fresh. I'd love to get a new one or even a different one that I could start fresh on, but the money situation says no.

 

My '69 Ranger instrument cluster bezel was very faded when I first bought my truck. The lense was so cloudy that I could barely see the gauges and I didn't even know what the odometer read, at the time I bought the truck.

I got another bezel from a '68 F250 CS. The lense on it was MUCH clearer. The bezel was faded but the plastic was smooth.

I cleaned and then masked the bezel off and sprayed it with Dupli-Color DE1650 Cast Coat Aluminum and Dupli-Color DE1635 Ford Semi Gloss Black spray paint.

This was the first iteration of it. --I didn't paint the "U's" on each end or the gauge division bars or the F-O-R-D letters black the first time.



After I went back and painted these areas black.



....compared to my stock, faded Ranger instrument bezel.

 

That's a fantastic job man, really what I was shooting for! You painted a couple more things black thank did, but I think I might steal your idea a bit, it looks great.

 

LMC has new lenses and a bezel for that matter. i saved my pennies and went that route after I tried to use chrome vinyl and paint. I also took a steel one and had it chromed. that was pretty cool.

Ultraranger, tell us about your steering wheel with the buttons. That's a first for me.

 

Does anywhere sell just the plastic face that I was trying to paint, possibly? Because the rest of it is cherry and doesn't really need replacing if I can help it

Just noticed that. I second this motion.

 

The bezel is the plastic face. Several places like Dennis Carpenters and NPD have the reproductions.

 

Check LMC. They do sell the lens for like $30 and the bezel or outer shell for ( the Ranger edition) $200 and change. The standard edition is cheaper, to my recollection.

 

Ouch, damn. I think it'll be cheaper to just spray it, and cheaper is better at this point.

 

The lens...
focus on the lens...
hahaha

 

Go LMC last. They buy from others and resell at a higher price for their profit. Get this one from www.dennis-carpenter.com. Then you would have a new one with fresh shiny chrome. They also have one with the 70-72 woodgrain.



Instrument Cluster Bezel
Black & Chrome
1967 - 72

C9TZ-10876-A
0 Star

<!-- review-summary -->

$124.95
<!-- price -->

<form name="CatalogQuickOrder_C9TZ-10876-A" method="post"><input name="formName" type="hidden" value="dmiformCatalogQuickOrder"> <input name="ProductNumber" type="hidden" value="C9TZ-10876-A">

<button class="btn btn-dcar btn-small" type="submit">Buy Now</button>


</form>