Bright Dash Lights?
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 126
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From: Harrisburg, PA.
Old eyes? I could call myself old348, and they came out ~3 years ahead of the 409? (I know the 348 was in the 57 GMC pickup and the 409 didn't show until 60 - right?)
Yes, my 65 year old eyes aren't what they used to be and I need more light for most things, including gauges. But I, too, want to retain some of the originality so hesitate to go to white faced-gauges.
Yes, my 65 year old eyes aren't what they used to be and I need more light for most things, including gauges. But I, too, want to retain some of the originality so hesitate to go to white faced-gauges.
I got married and never had the chance to find out, ended up driving a V.W. Bug.
Eyes? Mine are pushing 70.
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FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2010
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From: Northeast, OK
Reflections
Got to thinking about the way light gets to the front of the gauges since the bulbs are behind the gauge fronts - as shown in the first picture. So, the way it gets to the front is it has to bounce off of something. Notice the brown pattern in the second picture. See the match in the shape of the brown and the shape of the gauges? Obviously, this is part of the problem, as is the black overspray.
I'm thinking the best approach is to hand-paint the back side of the bezel to ensure any overspray doesn't get on the edges of the cutouts. But, it would be possible to mask it off fairly easily. And, I think white would be best or we might have a color cast from whatever color is used.
Has anyone tried this? Results?
Thoughts? Suggestions?
I'm thinking the best approach is to hand-paint the back side of the bezel to ensure any overspray doesn't get on the edges of the cutouts. But, it would be possible to mask it off fairly easily. And, I think white would be best or we might have a color cast from whatever color is used.
Has anyone tried this? Results?
Thoughts? Suggestions?
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,786
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From: Northern California
Something highly reflective...
White paint, aluminum foil, etc...
You might be able to take some high grit sandpaper like 2500, and polish the white plastic to a shine. The more it shines the more it should reflect light.
The back of the gauges are also white to reflect light, as well as the cluster backing that the gauges hook to... All of that should be clean and shiny bright as well.
EDIT: Also what about the Needles and the paint on the Gauges. Without bright fresh paint on the needles and on the gauge markings, it won't reflect the lightn well either...
White paint, aluminum foil, etc...
You might be able to take some high grit sandpaper like 2500, and polish the white plastic to a shine. The more it shines the more it should reflect light.
The back of the gauges are also white to reflect light, as well as the cluster backing that the gauges hook to... All of that should be clean and shiny bright as well.
EDIT: Also what about the Needles and the paint on the Gauges. Without bright fresh paint on the needles and on the gauge markings, it won't reflect the lightn well either...
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FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2010
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From: Northeast, OK
A quick cleaning with Chrome Polish, which I had handy, did absolutely nothing to the brown, but did take off the black overspray. Some 220 grit sandpaper made the brown slightly better, but only slightly. Apparently the color of the plastic has changed to some depth, so paint would appear to be the better approach.
Oddly enough, the inside of the cluster itself and the backs of the gauges are still pretty white in that same cluster, even though they are closer to the bulbs than the bezel. So, apparently the bezels are made out of a different plastic - one that is more prone to yellowing. And, by the way, the pictures don't do the amount of brown justice as it is much more brown that it appears - in spite of me trying to ensure the camera didn't change it. In fact, if you take the same shot with flash on you won't see much brown at all.
Given the fact that the cluster and gauge plastic hasn't changed much I'm not sure I would paint them for fear that the paint itself would brown if exposed to incandescent bulbs. However, if using LED's I wouldn't think it would be a problem, but that is just a guess based on their lack of heating. Anyway, the back of the bezel appears to be the problem, and I'm thinking that since it is seemingly the major way light gets to the gauge faces that painting them would make a significant difference.
Oddly enough, the inside of the cluster itself and the backs of the gauges are still pretty white in that same cluster, even though they are closer to the bulbs than the bezel. So, apparently the bezels are made out of a different plastic - one that is more prone to yellowing. And, by the way, the pictures don't do the amount of brown justice as it is much more brown that it appears - in spite of me trying to ensure the camera didn't change it. In fact, if you take the same shot with flash on you won't see much brown at all.
Given the fact that the cluster and gauge plastic hasn't changed much I'm not sure I would paint them for fear that the paint itself would brown if exposed to incandescent bulbs. However, if using LED's I wouldn't think it would be a problem, but that is just a guess based on their lack of heating. Anyway, the back of the bezel appears to be the problem, and I'm thinking that since it is seemingly the major way light gets to the gauge faces that painting them would make a significant difference.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,990
Likes: 6
From: Florida
I've always heard flashlights were the number one solution for older vehicles. 
Have you Google searched for any older muscle car forums that have covered this topic before? There is no way this is just a Ford pickup issue.
Have you Google searched for any older muscle car forums that have covered this topic before? There is no way this is just a Ford pickup issue.
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FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2010
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From: Northeast, OK
Actually, I have Googled it and found the Cougar guys have discussed this to quite some length, inc a number of pictures. They tested a variety of LED's and seem to have found that they can get the light levels needed but can't dim them. But, one enterprising guy solved it:
That's a 50 watt 12 Ω power resistor from the output of the rheostat to ground, and loads the rheostat enough that the voltage dips adequately to dim the LED's. I'm not sure that is the same value we'd need as we have a different # of lights than the Cougars had, but I'd bet that it would work.
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2012
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From: Norman, Ar
A quick cleaning with Chrome Polish, which I had handy, did absolutely nothing to the brown, but did take off the black overspray. Some 220 grit sandpaper made the brown slightly better, but only slightly. Apparently the color of the plastic has changed to some depth, so paint would appear to be the better approach.
Oddly enough, the inside of the cluster itself and the backs of the gauges are still pretty white in that same cluster, even though they are closer to the bulbs than the bezel. So, apparently the bezels are made out of a different plastic - one that is more prone to yellowing. And, by the way, the pictures don't do the amount of brown justice as it is much more brown that it appears - in spite of me trying to ensure the camera didn't change it. In fact, if you take the same shot with flash on you won't see much brown at all.
Given the fact that the cluster and gauge plastic hasn't changed much I'm not sure I would paint them for fear that the paint itself would brown if exposed to incandescent bulbs. However, if using LED's I wouldn't think it would be a problem, but that is just a guess based on their lack of heating. Anyway, the back of the bezel appears to be the problem, and I'm thinking that since it is seemingly the major way light gets to the gauge faces that painting them would make a significant difference.
Oddly enough, the inside of the cluster itself and the backs of the gauges are still pretty white in that same cluster, even though they are closer to the bulbs than the bezel. So, apparently the bezels are made out of a different plastic - one that is more prone to yellowing. And, by the way, the pictures don't do the amount of brown justice as it is much more brown that it appears - in spite of me trying to ensure the camera didn't change it. In fact, if you take the same shot with flash on you won't see much brown at all.
Given the fact that the cluster and gauge plastic hasn't changed much I'm not sure I would paint them for fear that the paint itself would brown if exposed to incandescent bulbs. However, if using LED's I wouldn't think it would be a problem, but that is just a guess based on their lack of heating. Anyway, the back of the bezel appears to be the problem, and I'm thinking that since it is seemingly the major way light gets to the gauge faces that painting them would make a significant difference.
Just leave the factory lighting and put one led behind one of the gauges and see if that helps or not....Not much money or time to see...
If it works, put the leds behind all the gauges and hook up the power wire to the headlight switch without the dimmer for the leds...still have the factory dimmer and maybe it won't be too bright....
Just a thought...Trav..
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,251
Likes: 8
From: North Carolina
I can still see your blue plastic filters installed in the picture in message #17!
I think if you remove those, whiten the undersides of the cluster a bit, clean the bulb contacts, and install new 194G's or green 168 bulbs, it will be pretty bright. Probably brighter than stock.
I think if you remove those, whiten the undersides of the cluster a bit, clean the bulb contacts, and install new 194G's or green 168 bulbs, it will be pretty bright. Probably brighter than stock.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,990
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From: Florida
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FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2010
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From: Northeast, OK
My opinion is to run an extra LED behind one of the gauges to test.
Just leave the factory lighting and put one led behind one of the gauges and see if that helps or not....Not much money or time to see...
If it works, put the leds behind all the gauges and hook up the power wire to the headlight switch without the dimmer for the leds...still have the factory dimmer and maybe it won't be too bright....
Just a thought...Trav..
Just leave the factory lighting and put one led behind one of the gauges and see if that helps or not....Not much money or time to see...
If it works, put the leds behind all the gauges and hook up the power wire to the headlight switch without the dimmer for the leds...still have the factory dimmer and maybe it won't be too bright....
Just a thought...Trav..
But, we already have the switch that puts the full "headlight switch voltage" to the instrument panel lights. It is just that the voltage at the headlight switch is down significantly from battery voltage. And, I forgot to say that the tests I ran which found the voltage down by 1.5 volts was with just the parking lights on, not the headlights. So, as I think about it, the voltage would probably be quite a bit lower with the headlights on, and don't we usually put them on to drive around at night? Duh! Why didn't I run the test that way?
I can still see your blue plastic filters installed in the picture in message #17!
I think if you remove those, whiten the undersides of the cluster a bit, clean the bulb contacts, and install new 194G's or green 168 bulbs, it will be pretty bright. Probably brighter than stock.
I think if you remove those, whiten the undersides of the cluster a bit, clean the bulb contacts, and install new 194G's or green 168 bulbs, it will be pretty bright. Probably brighter than stock.
And, I'm sure you are right about new bulbs being brighter, but I'm not sure it would be brighter than stock. At least I can't see it being brighter than stock unless the backside of the bezel is made much more reflective than what I'm finding on my clusters. As said, the pictures don't show the brown as dark as it is in reality, and it surely won't reflect much light. And, since that is essentially the only way light gets to the face of the gauge, no wonder they are dark.
Logistics Pro
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,990
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From: Florida
Maybe for me, but you've already thrown that out the window with your 90's transmission, late 80's-90's transmission cover, and 70's vacuum gauge.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 1,251
Likes: 8
From: North Carolina
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FTE Legend
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 32,875
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From: Northeast, OK
Yeah, Fordzilla has a good point. Gary, since convention has long since gone out the window, you might as well trick your truck all out with LEDs at this point. LMC sells some nice blinking LED "ground effects" kits you could use to go around the bottom edge of your truck like a Chrismas tree
But, I do like the idea of LED's around the exhaust pipes.