Simply Dashing

Part 2
Restoring the Dash In Your '66-7 Chevelle



speedo lens 7. How bad was our instrument panel? Take a look. the plastic bezel around our speedometer was yellow and peeling badly. Also, the speedometer face was covered with fine dust, while the lens covering the face of the speedometer was diry and filled with lots of fine scratches.
speedo removal 8. The metal speedometer housing is separated from the plastic carrier by removing the retaining screw from the backside. We also removed the subassemblies for the clock and fuel gauge at this time. Be carefrul as you remove the metal housing; sometimes the colored lenses for directional signals and warning lights attach themselves to the housing, only to fall out on the floor later.
lens for speedo 9. The front of the speedometer assembly can now be removed. use caution when separating the various components taking care not to damage them, and note the locations of any rubber insulators, seals, and warning light lenses.
cleaning the dash 10. Our dash faces were quite dusty and an accumulation of dust had settled in the bottom of the gauges themselves. We use a camera, blow-brush to remove the majority of the dust and dirt; a delicate touch with several Q-tip swabs finished the chore.
finished dash 11. The speedometer lens was first treated to a good soaking in a soapy solution (10-15 minutes) before we washed it with a soft cloth. Although that helped tremendously, we polished out all the fine scratches using the Wax Shop's Safe Cut polishing compound.
finished dash 12a&b. We reassemble our speedometer assembly in reverse order. A new chromed plastic bezel from Ausley's Chevelle Parts really put the finishing touches on our speedometer. The before and after photos easily show our time was well spent.

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