Refurbished Center console With Mec. Gauges

[rocket366]

I see this subject is nothing new on this site but some extra info anyway.

My 73 Coupe has idiot lights and they have to go! This car is just a Hot Rod and not a Show Car so free license here to modify as I see fit.

I got a used Mach center console from Ebay awhile back for abt 40 bucks.

The woodgrain decal was cooked really bad and peeling back so I peeled it off completely. FYI aftermarket decals are available.

I had to do a lot of sanding to remove the glue from the old decal.

The pod holes are oval shaped and not round. I used a 3/4 in grinding stone on a dremmel to make them round.

I used the usual black interior paint to get it all one color but it looked really plain without the chrome highlights.

I had the idea before to use foil tape for the chrome highlight it used for duct work in HVAC and extremely sticky.

Practice would be well served here before the part is painted. It takes good eyes and a steady hand to trim the tape! Neither of which I posses any longer at my age but I think it turned out OK.

I'll add a photo of it installed in the car later this week.

Regards

Paul

 

[sdstang]

Very nice. I really like the new gauges

 

[rottenralph]

I have the same gauges in my center dash. None of them work so they are coming out. Nice job. The plastic paint flows weird, that is what I found when I finished my center console last week. Nice job.

How are the gauges fixed in place. Mine are in the holes and recessed a little. Was not done by me and does not look right the way it was done. Any pics of the back with gauges mounted?

 

[mach71351c]

Nice job!!

 

[Mikes73]

Looks good to me, you wouldn't mind if I asked where you go the tape at would ya? thanks.

 

[rocket366]

I'll get a photo of the backside up in a couple days.

The foil tape is available at most hardware stores it is used to seal HVAC

it is paper backed and VERY STICKY and will withstand 800 degrees.

I think the foil tape looks quite like the original vaporized aluminum finish on the trim.

 

[goodnigh]

Very Nice job! Never thought of using foil tape. We used to call that 600 mile per hour tape.

I have a center console, bought a repro, maybe I will try to refurb it.

Thanks for sharing.

mike

 

[droptop73]

That turned out real nice! I'm hoping to update/upgrade mine this winter.

 

[Mikes73]

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post, will definately be picking some of that tape up at Lowes. Most of the time I feel like I'm talking to a wall around here.

 

[rottenralph]

The tape will be in the heating and air section my likely. Would love to see where the seems are and how you minimized them? I have a second center console I might do up the way you did and see how it turns out. I abandoned that piece because of the chrome being sanded off.

 

[rocket366]

Easy enough to butt the seams together the tape is thick enough.

Couple tricks...

When you do a line that goes from horizontal to vertical make sure that the first tape line

you do is wide enough to go around the corner(s) you don't want a seam in the corner!

trim around the corner don't try to bend the tape around the corner it wont bend.

Use a single edge razor blade to trim the tape.

Use a desk lamp or such so you can see what you're doing

Don't drink beer when trimming the tape

Next one I do I'll follow my own tricks!

 

[Mister 4x4]

VERY Nicely done, Sir! ::thumb::

I love how it came out, as well as your choices in gauges.

I was going to do the very same thing with my original gauge cluster (repaint and foil tape the missing chrome), but found the heater duct dogs were broken off on the back side. Then I scored a nice unit from a fellow forum member that still needed the same care... but instead just ordered some new repops from OMS as directed by "The Boss."

If you're careful, you can take some Mother's Mag & Wheel Polish, and polish the foil tape to a brilliance that really comes close to the actual chrome finish. But again, gotta be really careful in not polishing too hard, and keeping the MM&WP on the foil tape itself (i.e., not get it all over the rest of the piece). A Dremel with a polishing wheel on ultra low speed might work for this, as well as some blue tape on either side of the strips.

Are you sticking with the smooth black where the woodgrain used to be? I ask because I'm not a fan of the woodgrain myself. I picked up some 3M Di-NOC black carbon fiber vinyl to replace the woodgrain in mine. Just gotta make time to stick it all down now.

Lovin' what you're doing. Can't wait to see more! ::thumb::

 

[1972MustangSVH]

I have done a bit of restoration work on antiques have been chewing on how aluminum leaf might come out on one of these consoles. (or silver leaf, deep pockets required)

Something to think about....

http://www.gildedplanet.com/howtoaluminumleaf.asp

 

[rottenralph]

I have tried my hand at gold leafing and I suspect it might just do the trick but you are going to have to clear over it and that might be equally fun if you don't want to paint the whole center console.

 

[rocket366]

Console with gauges installed!

Took about 5 hrs to do wasnt too bad but my back hurts now from pretzeling around the interior.

I never knew what my oil pressure was or the engine temp!

What a relief to find oil is 40-60 psi and temp is 180 F... now I can sleep.

I was worried that temp probe was going to be too short but routing through speedo hole and down

pass side of intake was OK with a few inches to spare.

Overall I'm pleased with the outcome I'm not going to do

the wood grain decal treatment and leave it as is I went

with standard door panels and therefore there is no longer

any wood grain in the interior except the 500 steering wheel.

Now I need to redo the speedo cluster and the glove panel to match ugg!

 

[rottenralph]

Thanks for posting the back side. Can't wait to see what the PO did to mine.

 

[Mister 4x4]

That looks SWEET!! Nice and clean - your aluminum tape-job looks about as close to perfect as you can get. ::thumb::

 

[caspianwendell]

Looks good

 

[Boss1Ray]

Really nice looking mod!

Good work.

Ray