Gitting rid of faded gauge indicator needles - my gauge resto.
 

I had some old gauges that were sitting around that needed some attention. Mostly this was an experiment to see if I could get rid of that faded indicator needle from too many years of UV and sunlight exposure.

First begin with a rusty and faded gauge. Looks pretty nice, no?! let's just say the entire set looked this way.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1231895473.jpg

Next, use a thin, flat screwdriver to carefully pry the edge of the bezel back. Work slowly and only bend as much as you need. The idea is to fold back the lip without disturbing the circumference of the bezel. Pretty easy if you take your time.

Then you can really see how faded the needle is. Notice the top of the needle is almost white while the bottom, shaded area still as some of the original orange.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1231895589.jpg

Now you need to find an easy source of orange paint. I found these fluorescent orange paint pens at my local craft store. The cost was about $6.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1231895602.jpg

Next use a scrap of cardboard to get the paint flowing. Simply paint the needle.
I used one single thick coat and let it flow to the shape of the needle. the coverage was nice and even. Now let the gauge dry overnight.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1231895612.jpg

looks pretty good to me.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1231895623.jpg

While letting the orange paint dry, clean and repaint the bezel and trim ring. I used a few light coats of my favorite satin black. Then snap the rings back on and recrimp the lips. Oh yeah, don't forget to clean the gauge face and glass while they are apart. Also, don't leave fingerprints on the inside unless you like to take them apart again...

The end results. Time for them to go back into the car. btw, those are flash reflections that make them look dirty and pitted.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1231896311.jpg

I also oiled the speedo mechanism, cleaned the indicator light colored lenses and buffed all the contacts clean. Should be good for another 38 trouble free years.

Jamie:

That's a nice job, but I have a feeling that the paint from the pen may not hold up well in time. If you masked the face, the needle could be sprayed with a more UV resistant paint. The only reason I bring this up is getting the outer ring off without damage is difficult.

jp

I was thinking of using gun sight orange on my needles. It's expensive for some reason.

Not a bad idea. Ive done this myself with standard enamel paint and had flawless results. I also wet sanded the trim rings (inside and outside one). I cleaned the glass with Mothers aluminum polish then buffed it out. Im guessing Orange was your color of choice since VDO always used deep red. Here is a few pics of the results.

Kurt

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1231897997.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1231898014.jpg

Very nice work!

I live just north Of Toronto Canada and judging by the weather outside I may have some time to stay indoors and do some work on some of my gauges too. brrrrr!!!

I have an oil temp/press gauge that has a bent bezel. Can't be too difficult to remove and replace? Anyone know where I can buy this?