[old67camino]

I'm restoring the dash on my 69 El Camino cause it's starting to look a little faded. What should i use to paint the plastic part around the guages? Any info would be appreciated.

 

[RDJunc]

There are lots of posts about dash restorations with a lot of detail but I can give you a quick rundown.

Clean the dash thoroughly. Wash it several times with a good degreasing agent. I used a 10:1 mix of water and Simple Green and washed it about three times. Rinsed it twice with water.

I used and like the SEM products. First I sprayed the dash with SEM Plastic Prep then sprayed it with SEM Satin Black. Some people prefer the Landau which is a bit glossier but not as high as Gloss Black. (I like a sheen, not a glossy look but that's just my preference.)

Then came the slow part. Take your time to mask the dash. I used "Bumper Chrome" paint sprayed into a paper plate. Others have used silver/chrome modeling paint. I used a fine brush for the long thin trim lines around my '69 dash. I also used makeup foam pads to dab the paint on. They can be bought in any drug store. I used the triangle ones and cut them smaller. There is a solvent in the paint so the foam will deteriorate. Change them often.


The raised letters on the dash are easier than you think. I just used the eraser end of a new pencil to tab the paint on. It was very quick and very easy.

Lastly, I masked off the dash and sprayed the silver outer edges of the dash.

Hope that helps.

Bob

 

[Terry]

There is a article in May 2001 MuscleCar Review on how to restore your A-Body dash. They used OPG's black dash and console paint along with a liquid silver-opaque paint marker that is available at craft and hobby stores.

I used silver model paint and a brush about 15 years ago with poor results. I am going to try this liquid silver marker this month.

Terry