Cleaning Speedometer faces?

Evan Wojtkiewicz · January 12, 2016, 11:59:34 PM

I took my '67s gauges over to Bob's Speedometer in Howell, MI last Thursday for an estimate. The quote was high to say the least, ($250 to check/service my mint-in-box replacement speedometer, $800-$1500 to refurbish the dash bezel, etc) so I had to decline. I picked up my gauges yesterday afternoon and took the speedometer out of the box today to find it covered in dust and dirt with a nice big mar or two on the face. It looks like somebody rubbed their thumb somewhat aggressively in one spot. This speedometer is still in the AC Delco box and looked factory fresh when I left it with them.

The questions: how do I clean off the face without damaging it? Anybody have a recommendation for a gauge restorer?

If anybody has a recommendation for a paint to use for the gauge faces, please let me know! I'm trying to redo the faces of the temp/fuel gauges, etc. and am having a hard time finding the right sheen. It's somewhere between matte and satin as near as I can figure.

rwchatham CLC 21892 · January 14, 2016, 10:35:35 AM

Evan, I really dont have any tips for restoring your speedo but as far as bobs speedo I was just there today picking up my speedo for a 53 Eldo. There work is not cheap and it is not fast but it fantastic. When they do a speedo it is concours , pebble beach any show in the world ready. The prices are not cheap and sometimes that has to do with the chroming of the bezels. A bezel for a 53 will cost around 500 to have concours chromed and a bezel for a 59 Cadillac usually runs around 600 or 700 to just have rechromed and then you have the actual costs of the rebuild itself .

Evan Wojtkiewicz · January 14, 2016, 03:24:01 PM

It's not the prices that perturb me (I understand and respect that high quality work costs a lot), it's just the fact that they scuffed the face of a rare mint condition speedometer. The last time I had it out of the box was a week or two before I took it in, when I was showing it off to my uncle who restores Packards. It was in like new shape, we spent quite a while just admiring it. No dirt, fingerprints or smudges. The paint's not permanently wrecked (I hope) but I have no idea how to clean it off without damaging anything. All I can find from searching online is not to use ammonia/Windex or even water as some paints are water-based on certain face plates.

rwchatham CLC 21892 · January 14, 2016, 04:19:31 PM

Might I ask if it is new in the box and a real NOS with 0 miles and never installed in a car and in mint condition why were you thinking about having it rebuilt ?

Evan Wojtkiewicz · January 14, 2016, 10:03:51 PM

Technically I guess it is a new-take-off. The odometer reads 28XXX miles, but it looks factory fresh. It doesn't even look like it was ever removed from the cardboard insert in the original box. I don't need or want it to be rebuilt, I just want it oiled/greased and bench tested before I put everything back together. It's such a pain to get it out of the dash I don't want to take any chances.

Anyway, I called Bob's today and they offered to clean it up if I bring it back by, so I hereby rescind my complaints about them. I've had trouble with most of the shops I've taken it to in the past year, and I guess I have a chip on my shoulder. You'd think that living in the Motor City great mechanics would grow on trees around here, but that's not the case.

rwchatham CLC 21892 · January 15, 2016, 10:42:42 AM

Bruce is a good guy, I am sure he will take care of you.

Chasmann · January 15, 2016, 11:40:17 AM

I give Bobs credit for stepping up to the plate and correct the wrong which in my opinion a customer shouldn't have been treated that way and what I'm saying it should of been given back to him in the same condition it was brought in because he thought the repair was to expensive lets remember he was a potential customer.Anyway that's my opinion.Also the customer admitted maybe he jumped the gun before reaching back out to Bobs.Cooler heads prevailed...By the way I used Bobs for my repair and was very pleased.Charles M.

Bob Hoffmann CLC#96 · January 15, 2016, 12:03:50 PM

Quote from: Evan Wojtkiewicz on January 14, 2016, 10:03:51 PM
Technically I guess it is a new-take-off. The odometer reads 28XXX miles, but it looks factory fresh. It doesn't even look like it was ever removed from the cardboard insert in the original box. I don't need or want it to be rebuilt, I just want it oiled/greased and bench tested before I put everything back together. It's such a pain to get it out of the dash I don't want to take any chances.

Realistically... that unit got removed for a REASON! Mechanics at that time had a REAL bad habit of putting used/ defective parts back in the new box. You say you don't want to take any chances... but you are. I'd have Bobs check that unit out.
HTH, Bob

Evan Wojtkiewicz · January 20, 2016, 11:56:00 AM

Update: I decided to keep my original speedometer as it was working fine and just put the new face plate on it.

Using the old face plate as a tester, I tried using water and isopropyl alcohol as cleaning fluids applying both with a Q-Tip. Neither one damaged the black paint, but the alcohol destroyed the white markings and the water seemed to dissolve the paint also to a lesser degree.

Deeper digging online has mentioned Pledge as a possibility. Also maybe Vinegar, cream of tartar, lemon juice?

66 Eldo · January 20, 2016, 02:10:58 PM

You may want to try some plastic polishes like Meguiars Plast-X or Mothers. I would test it on a junk gauge face first. I have also had good luck with some paint polishes that remove swirls and scratches from paint clearcoats. Again, test it on a something you don't care about. Eastwood has a great line of specialty restoration products. I would check if they have anything.

If you try any of these suggestions, please report your results.

jwjohnson86 · January 20, 2016, 04:47:42 PM

Quote from: 66 Eldo on January 20, 2016, 02:10:58 PM
You may want to try some plastic polishes like Meguiars Plast-X or Mothers. I would test it on a junk gauge face first. I have also had good luck with some paint polishes that remove swirls and scratches from paint clearcoats. Again, test it on a something you don't care about. Eastwood has a great line of specialty restoration products. I would check if they have anything.

If you try any of these suggestions, please report your results.

Can you share the names of the paint polishes you used? I have issues with some swirls on my hood (old repaint job) and thought I would try this when winter storage ends. Thanks.

Evan Wojtkiewicz · January 20, 2016, 07:21:36 PM

Maybe I'll try a plastic polish, it's a good suggestion, but I'm apprehensive about the effect of polish on the gauge face's paint.

Vinegar didn't work without removing the white paint. Ditto for plain tap water, sadly. Pledge (I used generic Lemon Scented Furniture Polish) did a nice job on the black paint and didn't destroy the white on contact like some other fluids. I've already used it on the new gauge with good results.

I lightly misted part of a microfiber cloth with the furniture polish and rubbed it on the black areas of the gauge face in small circular motion being careful to avoid the white markings. Soon afterword, I rubbed the same area with the dry side of the cloth. In the delicate areas (over the lettering) I draped the cloth over my index finger and dabbed lightly when the polish-infused area of the cloth was basically dry. Don't rub over the lettering.

I think that my new gauge face may be more resilient than the old rusty one, but I'm not testing it.

66 Eldo · January 21, 2016, 12:58:49 AM

Quote from: jwjohnson86 on January 20, 2016, 04:47:42 PM
Can you share the names of the paint polishes you used? I have issues with some swirls on my hood (old repaint job) and thought I would try this when winter storage ends. Thanks.

A very good and easy to find product is Meguiars 105 compound and 205 polish. this two step process when used with a dual action polisher removes swirls and light scratches quickly from clearcoat finishes.

66 Eldo · January 21, 2016, 01:03:34 AM

Quote from: Evan Wojtkiewicz on January 20, 2016, 07:21:36 PM
Maybe I'll try a plastic polish, it's a good suggestion, but I'm apprehensive about the effect of polish on the gauge face's paint.

Sorry, misunderstood what part of the gauge you were cleaning. I thought it was the plastic cover.

On the gauge face itself I have no experience cleaning, however, maybe a diluted mix of isopropyl alcohol and water would be a safe cleaner.

Evan Wojtkiewicz · January 21, 2016, 12:19:16 PM

Quote from: 66 Eldo on January 21, 2016, 01:03:34 AM
Sorry, misunderstood what part of the gauge you were cleaning. I thought it was the plastic cover.

On the gauge face itself I have no experience cleaning, however, maybe a diluted mix of isopropyl alcohol and water would be a safe cleaner.

Thanks, I've read a lot of things online about this and everybody seems to confuse the two. I figured you might have been talking about the lens, but stranger things have worked. I'd be careful with isopropyl alcohol. I soaked a Q-tip in it and gently rubbed it on the junk speedometer lettering and it obliterated the paint! I think if you diluted it enough to avoid the adverse affects, there'd almost be no point in adding it. Water didn't work great by itself: the dust/dirt is a bit embedded.

I finished cleaning the face off and it looks fantastic! The furniture polish (store brand Pledge) restored the original luster beautifully and didn't affect the lettering so long as the instructons above are followed and as little as possible is used. The only question now is if I can find a clear coat that won't affect the paint sheen to protect it from future damage.

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Cleaning Speedometer faces?