I guess I would say it looks better than the old beat up dash bezel I had. Problems were the brittle screw bosses that hold the bezel to the metal dash. These were absolutely scary to work with, but I managed not to break any. Don't remember which vendor I bought it from, but they might all get them from one place. Compared to $300-500 to refinish factory dash, it was worth it.
NPD delivered my bezel in a couple of days, no hassle service. my first attempt with doing this job, i am happy with the results, but make sure you are calm, and in a good mood before you start! all holes (bosses) needed to be carefully tapped with a non-standard size screw in order to make sure they would not crack upon installation...i probably spent 1-2 hours making sure the bezel was ok before installing it. when it is all said and done, it came out looking great, but its not a fun process. take your time....you have been warned.
Rating
6
Pros
looks great once installed!
Cons
required cutting of bosses on gauge side of dash bezel that were not present on original piece; "massaging" of the piece was necessary to get holes to properly line up with original metal dash holes
I liked the one I rec'd. Had some screw alignment issues but managed thru them. The center panel raised chrome panel was painted over as was one of the upper trim ribs. I wiped them down with some lacquer thinner and they look fine now. In one area I rubbed off some paint where I shouldn't have but Krylon paint was a perfect match for the finish of the product. Can't even tell where I screwed up. I had to add a defroster switch and some of the spacing of the raised lettering is off slightly but not enough to cause problems.
I also used one after balking at the price restore an original. Again, as above, be VERY careful with the screw holes, I used a tap to enlarge them slightly. But be careful, there's not much material to work with!
For a run of the mill '69 SS such as mine, it's more than suitable. For a high buck car like an L78/L89 I would search out an original.
Rating
7
Pros
It's new! No worries about dealing with broken screw holes or radio mounting areas.
These are great reproductions suitable for every '69 Chevelle that's actually driven. Sure, if you have an Investment Grade car you'll want to obtain a restored dash bezel, but how many of us really need that?
Rating
10
Pros
Very Nice Repop
Cons
Expense
Would you recommend?
yes
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