Speedometer color question

[dagenham]

Can someone show me a good pic of their original speedo. I bought a gauge cluster at Carlisle today and the marks after 85 look like the wrong color, but the guy had a second one and the marks looked about the same.
just like to confirm the color before I put it in the car.

[escogt]

Here is a pic of my '86.

http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq231/escogt/1986%20%209L%20Mustang%20SVO%20BWD/CIMG2029.jpg (http://s451.photobucket.com/user/escogt/media/1986%20%209L%20Mustang%20SVO%20BWD/CIMG2029.jpg.html)

[dagenham]

With the sun on it I still cant tell, it is it just plain orange or is it kinda brownish orange????

[FoxBuddy]

With the sun on it I still cant tell, it is it just plain orange or is it kinda brownish orange????

Here is mine but it is kind of yellow orange by the looks. Not the best lighting either.

http://i1337.photobucket.com/albums/o671/82GTforME/1986%20SVO/IMG_3636_zpsf2ec6b4c.jpg

[dagenham]

Has anyone here ever touched up their needles or gauge faces, and if so what kind of paint did you use.

[MikeFleming]

I repainted all of mine in a semi-gloss black from a spray-on can (SEM paint). The most difficult part is cleaning and scuffing them to where they'll take paint. The removable speedo and tach needles are easier than the fixed ones on the other four gauges.

[escogt]

Has anyone here ever touched up their needles or gauge faces, and if so what kind of paint did you use.

I painted my GT's speedo needle with 'Testors' orange model paint. It came out like OEM. I was impressed with the match.
6971

[MikeFleming]

I had mine orange briefly after installing the white gauge faces but immediately found that I couldn't see the orange pointers at night with the orange illumination. So I painted them all black. Nicer contrast both in daylight and with the orange back lighting now. I have pics somewhere.

[MikeFleming]

6971 Something doesn't look right. Doesn't the SVO tach go to 8K?? Hence my continuous quest to get to 8K when driving to use up all of hte tach space.

[escogt]

Something doesn't look right. Doesn't the SVO tach go to 8K?? Hence my continuous quest to get to 8K when driving to use up all of hte tach space.

That's my '85GT not my SVO. lol

[MikeFleming]

^DOH!

[escogt]

^DOH!

http://1993cobra.com/phpBB/images/smilies/pat.gif lol http://vb.foureyedpride.com/images/smilies/thumb.gif

[Ford Builder]

I used a florescent rattle can sprayed into the cap and used a touch up brush carefully , I used paper placed under the pointers and look like new .

[dagenham]

I repainted all of mine in a semi-gloss black from a spray-on can (SEM paint). The most difficult part is cleaning and scuffing them to where they'll take paint. The removable speedo and tach needles are easier than the fixed ones on the other four gauges.

Mike, how did you repaint the whole face, is there a paint mask available or what. My other gauges are faded some also and I would love to be able to restore them.

[MikeFleming]

I painted the needles. The faces are vinyl overlays. I probably still have a full set of them somewhere.

[tommyb]

Here is a picture of a low mileage unit I have stored in my stash of parts in the dark basement, this has not been retouched. The colors of the tickmarks are nearly as vibrant as the needle same with the tach colors. Most of the units in my SVO's are faded similar to the other picture posted here some not quite as bad. Don't know what I will ever do with this unit, I don't want it to fade!!7071

[Ford Builder]

Very nice , something you don't find very often.

[venomizd93]

Here's a low mile canadian speedo, plus, I see you're in Canada...:)7072

[dagenham]

Now I'm really jealous!
Has anyone seen the gauge overlays anywhere for sale?? All I could find is white face and I would like to find stock black ones.

Also, does anyone here have led lights in their dashes, and if so would you recommend them or not and why???

[MikeFleming]

I don't recall seeing (recently) stock-colored gauge overlays. I would first try contacting the places that make the white ones and ask about them making a set in custom [stock] colors.

The bulb holders are already orange on the SVO clusters so all the white light from the bulbs is filtered to only orange. I suspect if one changed from clear to orange bulbs, I suspect they would merely appear darker.

[baltimucho]

Has anyone seen the gauge overlays anywhere for sale?? All I could find is white face and I would like to find stock black ones.

The stock gauges don't need stock-looking overlays to look stock. ;-)

My newly-acquired '86 has brushed-metal overlays (SHUDDER!!!), which were applied with less care than I would have applied. I hoping to remove them without too much damage to the stock paint. If damage does occur, I will go with the white.

::m::

[MikeFleming]

The faded stock gauges don't need stock-looking overlays to look faded stock. ;-) Fixed.


My newly-acquired '86 has brushed-metal overlays (SHUDDER!!!), which were applied with less care than I would have applied. I hoping to remove them without too much damage to the stock paint. If damage does occur, I will go with the white. In my experience, any solvent or alcohol will immediately liquify the stock gauge paint and it will start running right away. Permanent damage. I did not try any of the Goo-Be-Gone materials but you might be able to soak them in water to see if that loosens up the overlays enough to remove them.

The next question is: Will the adhesive on the overlays lift the original paint?

[baltimucho]

Fixed. Indeed!


The next question is: Will the adhesive on the overlays lift the original paint?

That's the BIG question. I knew that solvents would be out of the question. I won't find out for a few weeks tho, when I tackle my heater core and fog light wiring.

::m::

[dagenham]

The bulb holders are already orange on the SVO clusters so all the white light from the bulbs is filtered to only orange. I suspect if one changed from clear to orange bulbs, I suspect they would merely appear darker.

I am going to put white leds in so it should only make the red color brighter.
I am going to try and find some paint tonight to at least redo the needles, but since I now have a complete set of extra gauges I may try to redo the yellows and oranges on all of them

[venomizd93]

LMR has a black overlay kit, speedo isn't correct though. http://www.latemodelrestoration.com/item/LRS-17255B86/Mustang-Factory-Black-Face-Gauge-Kit-83-86

[escogt]

LMR has a black overlay kit, speedo isn't correct though. http://www.latemodelrestoration.com/item/LRS-17255B86/Mustang-Factory-Black-Face-Gauge-Kit-83-86

http://578e7a9bafc08e847f59-b21544d490ba797ec9de9d17e947de3d.r81.cf1.rackcdn.com/lrs-17255b86_7768.jpg

[dagenham]

That may be a decent alternative. It's too bad that there is not a correct speedo though.

[dagenham]

Well, I got the gauges back in with white led bulbs and I noticed the gauges now light up in an almost clear color. I left the red diffusers in, but they dont seem to work with the led bulbs.
I dont know if using a red led would light up the gauges in red or not though.