Managed to damage the kat already.

[thecynic]

I was synching the carbs, figured while I had everything peeled apart I may as well hit them with some carb cleaner then blow them dry with some forced air. Did that, went out for a bite to eat, come home and the damn carb cleaner had spattered onto my gauge cluster and plastic "dash" around the cluster, bleaching little dots all over the black plastic on both (GAH!).

I am furious at myself. I really should have been more careful. But anyways, I've already taken the whole assembly off and removed the guage cluster, has anybody here had a sun-bleached dash that they've spray-canned before? what color did you usually use? I've got some ultra-flat black here and matte-clear that seems to give a nice dull finish, I'm going to test it out on an old 'dash' that I have lying around, just wanted to give you guys a crack at it too. Think it's worth the effort or am I just SOL and in need of a new 'dash'?

[kelly]

What you could do...

What I would do, is to run to Home Depot, get some Plastic Fusion (or vinyl trim paint at Shlep Boys) and a can of MEK (Methy Ethyl Ketone).

When you take the instrument panel plastic off, USE THE MEK SPARINGLY!!! It will melt the plastic if you are not careful! What that will do is open up the plastic's pores. Wipe the MEK off, then spray paint it.

My buddy restores old Chrylsers, and in the seventies Mopar went nuts with plastic in the 'Cudas and 'Challengers-the whole interiors, dash, door panel, seatbacks. We took a couple of different colored panels from different cars, and they came out looking pretty good. I don't remember what type of plastic it was, I am guessing ABS , but what would happen is the plastic would chalk up to the point that you could write your name in it! I remember carving up plastic cafeteria chairs in high school like that as well...

Good luck!

[thecynic]

Re: What you could do...

What I would do, is to run to Home Depot, get some Plastic Fusion (or vinyl trim paint at Shlep Boys) and a can of MEK (Methy Ethyl Ketone).

When you take the instrument panel plastic off, USE THE MEK SPARINGLY!!! It will melt the plastic if you are not careful! What that will do is open up the plastic's pores. Wipe the MEK off, then spray paint it.

My buddy restores old Chrylsers, and in the seventies Mopar went nuts with plastic in the 'Cudas and 'Challengers-the whole interiors, dash, door panel, seatbacks. We took a couple of different colored panels from different cars, and they came out looking pretty good. I don't remember what type of plastic it was, I am guessing ABS , but what would happen is the plastic would chalk up to the point that you could write your name in it! I remember carving up plastic cafeteria chairs in high school like that as well...

Good luck!

So after you painted them they would chalk up? or before hand?

I think i'm going to just try with the paint I have, i'll just pick up some MEK to prep the surface, I may pick up some of the plastic paint too, I almost grabbed it last night, but picked up that ultra-flat instead.

Thanks for the advice.

Robin

[md86]

Sharpie . Seriously .

[thecynic]

Well after looking at the carnage a bit more, I scoured ebay some and found a new gauge plastic (just the plastic, not the internals) for $27 shipped, and a dash piece that'll probably put me back $30.

I guess I'm going to ebay some stuff tomorrow to make my money back. I couldn't bring myself to spraycan (or sharpie) the plastic. I'd get pissed every time I rode.

[The CyberPoet]

Some of the black surface treaters for plastic (such as Mother's Back-to-Black) contain small amounts of black dye which may bring it back to stock with time as well.

Either way, don't throw out your old one! eBay or dedicate to me

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[thecynic]

Oh I'd never throw out something like that! My garage would look so empty if I didn't have piles of 'repairable parts' keeping me busy.

I think I'm going to spend some time on it tonight, who know's, I'll use it as trade bait on here, I'm always looking for parts for my bikes. Or maybe even see if i can work out how to restore these things.

[md86]

I'm SURE you can dye it with SOMETHING . Like CP suggested , some of the waxes with dye in them do alright . I used some of that Eagle stuff on an old cruiser before , and it made the 20 yo gray plastic black and shiny again . Personally , I think a marker would do nicely .

[The CyberPoet]

Or you might want to look a custom mod one of guys (DUBL A) had done, which was having the whole instrument surround covered with a custom-made leather cover (he went with ostrich, if I recall right). There are (were?) pics around here somewhere of it... Not that I'd ever do it (too much water & UV exposure in Florida)

Cheers,
=-= The CyberPoet

[thecynic]

Maybe when I get the new dash I'll make a template and see what i can do with some different vinyl. Looks like I can get that CF vinyl decal stuff for about $10 per ft for 14in wide sheets. Possibly less if I check a few aftermarket shops. I don't know what it would look like, but hell, that's what makes it fun.

[professorman]

CF dash sounds cool. post up some pics when you get it done. I might try that as well