I found a C8 instrument cluster that is metal with silver and black. My C7 is the plastic bezel. Well, I took them apart to clean and inspect to see which one I wanted to use. I found that my C7 has green blinker lenses and the C8 as blue.

My first question is, does anyone know what years the different color lenses were. Or was the green just in '67 and blue from '68 up?

My second question is which bezel should I use? The metal one, which seems to be rare, or the plastic?

 

My 68 Mousetang & all the other ford cars had Green.

My 78 truck has Blue covers but because the whitish/yellow bulbs make it look green.

Blue with yellow makes green.

Since those those lights are blue, I would suggest someone has installed real bright bulbs.

 

I've got a 67 f700 and a 68 f250 4x4 both have green turn signal lenses . Blue sounds cool send em to me if you dont want em lol never seen any like that myself .

 

Mine are green with the standard metal plain jane '68 cluster I have. MK

 

Same here. rmt

 

So, I guess it really doesn't matter which turn signal color I use? I wonder if different factores just did things different, or if it was a year change thing.

Also, what bezel should I use? My metal one is in excellent shape while my plastic one has a few cracks and plenty of scratches.

 

mine are old, so they look white, how do i fix that??

 

I think your "blue" ones are faded "green" ones.

 

Hey,
I agree with pat67shorty!
They are faded green, mine looked the same way until I replaced the green plastic.

 

pat67, no these are blue. Even from the backside the whole square of lense is blue. I dunno if the sun could have gotten behind something thats blocking it.

So should I just use the green?

 

I'd say maybe someone changed them at some point. Never seen or heard of blue ones myself until now, only green. Guess it doesn't matter much what color they are unless you are going to be in a judged show. Then of course you want exactly the right original color.

 

You guys missed my reply.

The illumination of a yellow light through a blue transparent cover Produces Green.

Check out a paint store near you.

 

Oh, got it now Mil1ion. We weren't ignoring you

I guess I'll just put my green one back in.

Now what do you guys think about which outside bezel to use? The metal or the plastic?

 

Hummmm. I guess it depends if you have the "stock" or the "custom" gauge layout. If you had the custom layout with no idiot lights, normally I would prefer the "split" plastic cover. Thats what came with that layout usually. But if you had the plain jane stock layout which has idiot lights, I'd probably prefer the metal one. BUT!!! Being as your plastic one is scratched, it's quite possible I'd prefer the metal one being it's easily painted. But that would depend on if it fit with the gauge layout you have, and didn't look funky for some reason due to a hole with a missing gauge or light. Your metal one is the "plain jane" cover. It's just like mine if it has the little wrinkles on the black inner oval sections. I repainted mine with flat black, and aluminum paint. Taped it all off, so no overspray. Looks like new nearly. Aluminum color paint is nearly a perfect match. I also had a fairly deep scratch in the plastic lense when I first got it. I took most of that out by rubbing it out with toothpaste as a rubbing compound. I use that for scratches in plastic lenses usually. It's real mild as far as an abrasive, and leaves a perfectly clear glass finish if you rub the scratches out. Takes a while... PS...I'd use the green, being thats the norm...Well, unless you wanna be different... MK

 

Thanks NM5K. I think the metal one is way cooler than the plastic. I had no idea that the metal one is the "plain jane" until I looked at 51stude's site. This is the only metal one I've ever seen so it seems to be rare. I can get the plastic ones for a dime a dozen (good or bad shape). Both sets of my intrument clusters have all gauges not lights. Also I have never seen the idiot light ones either!! I think the metal one would look cool with all gauges. It did when I got it, before I took it apart. What do you think?

PS. I'll keep the green lenses.