1968 Cutlass/442 dash & knobs question

[68Tom]

I am about to start the work on restoring my dash and components. I was curious about a couple things.

1) The dash knobs (radio, headlight, lighter, etc) on a 442 are black with a silver stripe in the middle. My questions is about the silver stripe. Was the silver a separate piece-like an insert that was placed in there, or is it simply silver paint. If silver paint, what is the proper color? Or was it plastic chromed?

2) The plastic dash insert & glovebox door had a ledge around it that is also silver. Was this plastic chrome or simply metallic silver paint?

Thanks.

[olds68]

Well, my car is bundled up for the winter but I'll go with my memory. There was no silver tape or insert used on the 68-69 dash boards. It's probably some kind of chrome coating but I haven't been able to find a good paint to re-produce it. I read in some other forum about a True Value "chrome stick" that may do the job. I will be checking that out as I have a spare dash that I also want to restore.

[68Tom]

I didn't necessarily mean it was an insert. I meant the plastic section of the dash. I'd say lower dash, but the bottom part of the dash is metal so that's kind of misleading.

I too read about the Krylon Paint Pen. I just wasn't sure if it was supposed to look like chrome or merely silver metallic paint.

[Bluevista]

I think that's a vacuum chrome plating on there and not silver paint?
If it is other than paying big bucks to have it replated there isn't much you can do that looks original IMO.
The new Killer Chrome spray looks very promising, still waiting for somebody to try it.
I may break open my savings pork for the cash and and get some and try it myself.
If it works it's dirt cheap, you only use a light dusting so it probably goes pretty far. From what I was reading it's actual silver.

http://alsacorp.com/index.htm

[68Tom]

I was reading up on the killer chrome before I just said 'screw it' and sent my dash cones out for plastic chroming.

Wow. If that's supposed to be actual chrome, perhaps they might want to try a new forumula. Or if it looks better than that, maybe take an actual photo of the paint at work because that looks like gun-metal gray to me. There's not even a flake in it.
http://www.krylon.com/products/short...ft_paint_pens/

[Yellowstatue]

I used a paint pen on my wife's dash, looks good for colour (chrome) but you have to have a very steady hand or its looking messy, I made a small mess, hard to clean up, can't remember the name of the stuff cuz it's been a while.... if you are still wondering about the bright trim above the inside windows, I'll check my W this afternoon and let you know after dark..

[hamm36]

Originally Posted by 68Tom

2) The plastic dash insert & glovebox door had a ledge around it that is also silver. Was this plastic chrome or simply metallic silver paint?

http://classicoldsmobile.com/forums/...p-cutlass.html
This was for a 72', hope it helps. Parts have not been on the car yet, so I do not know how it will hold up. But looks good so far.

[Aron Nance]

I used a silver paint pen from Hobby Lobby. It DOES take a steady hand, but comes out looking really nice. Used it in the insert space on all the knobs, and also around the dash face (that is hard to describe, isn't it). All in all, very happy with the results on the Silver Bullet.