Jeri:
The e-mail I sent you was returned to me. Said it was too big.
Here is a copy of it:
The dash around the instrument gauge is not that hard. There are two screws inside by the gauges (obvious). The next 2 are behind the clock which you can pop off with a flathead screwdriver. There is one more behind the black switch next to the rear defroster button. Pop off the
defroster button 1st then you can pop the other one off. The screw is
about 1.5" back.
Pulling the dash out is a lil tricky.
1. lower the steering wheel with the tilt lever.
2. Carefully pull the piece str8 out.
3. There will be 2 knobs sticking out at the top that catch on the dash. Just maneuver them under neath the dash and your all set.
4. Disconnect the rear defroster and the clock should already be
disconnected unless you didn't have a clock.
Paint: I used rustoleum Auto Primer from Home Depot. I used Testors paint like someone else recommended and I found it difficult to work with. It took to long to dry and was very soft and fragile. this auto primer dried in less than 10 min. I used a Metallic silver paint from Rustoleum also
(green and black label with Chrome cover). I also used Rustoleum clear coat.
You are going to want to tape off all areas you do not want to paint such as the vents (unless you want them silver) and the back of the piece. You can get all this at Home Depot in the same aisle. Use 3M masking tape. Buy small and large tape (large makes it easier to mask off large sections. You should dry the pieces in front of a heat lamp (drys faster
and hardens paint). I just pulled the bulb out of the bathroom and
attached it to another lamp.
Painting
1. Sand every part you wish to paint with 400 grit sandpaper (lightly)
2. Wash the piece with mild dishwashing soap to remove dust and oil from
your hands.
3. 2 coats of primer
a. Spray lightly in a swinging motion back and forth
b. Spray the hard to reach areas first to prevent runs
c. Don't worry if you don't get every spot the 1st coat just spray
it again on 2nd coat.
4. Lightly sand primer to make sure it is smooth
a. wipe down wih wet cloth and dry
5. Spray at least 2 coats of base color (the color you want it to be)
a. repeat a-c from step 3
6. Spray at least two coats of clearcoat
a. repeat a-c from step 3. The clearcoat is a protective layer but for the piece around the instrument gauge don't spray too much. Want to have as lil glare as
possible. Other pieces you can spray more if you want a good shine. This is not as hard as it sounds. It is actually quite easy. It took me maybe 2 hours max for the largest piece. Just follow the steps one by one and it will all make sense. Don't look at the whole thing and try to remember it all...it will get overwhelming real quick cause I know you don't want to mess up and screw up your dash . If you have any more questions let me know.
