Center gauge bezel
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 192
Likes: 54
Center gauge bezel
The center gauge bezel on my '72 is either warped or was not installed properly. The top edge does not line up properly. There's about an 1/8" gap on the left side of the top edge. Anyone have instructions on how to remove it?
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,108
Likes: 4,170
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi R,
What you describe is a very common problem.
It's caused, I believe, by the fact that 6 different pieces contribute to the fit and alignment at this point.
The VERY FIRST thing you need to remember is…. DO NOT PUSH on the top of the bezel to try to improve the fit… it'll break in a heart beat.
Through careful fitting, shimming, and gradual tightening of the screws, you MAY be able to improve the fit to some degree.
Even original cars that have not had there dashes taken apart often have this mis-fit.
Sorry, no real help!
Regards,
Alan
This is a typical fit. It's a car that's not been apart.
What you describe is a very common problem.
It's caused, I believe, by the fact that 6 different pieces contribute to the fit and alignment at this point.
The VERY FIRST thing you need to remember is…. DO NOT PUSH on the top of the bezel to try to improve the fit… it'll break in a heart beat.
Through careful fitting, shimming, and gradual tightening of the screws, you MAY be able to improve the fit to some degree.
Even original cars that have not had there dashes taken apart often have this mis-fit.
Sorry, no real help!
Regards,
Alan
This is a typical fit. It's a car that's not been apart.
Last edited by Alan 71; Feb 1, 2016 at 09:33 AM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,112
From: Crossville TN
This is VERY common for a factory-made part. It is due to the [cast] part being removed from the mold improperly (too quickly). MOST of that vintage C3 cars have deformed upper-left corners.
1. Accept it as normal and ignore it. (best alternative, IMO)
2. Try to fix it and it will break. Then you get to buy an aftermarket replacement for $200 that will have a nice, straight corner...but isn't 'original'.
The choice is yours.
Note: Those pot-metal cast parts NEEDED to remain in the molding machine long enough to cool/harden. The workers liked to 'speed up' the process so they could sit on their a$$es longer. Deformed parts are the result.
1. Accept it as normal and ignore it. (best alternative, IMO)
2. Try to fix it and it will break. Then you get to buy an aftermarket replacement for $200 that will have a nice, straight corner...but isn't 'original'.
The choice is yours.
Note: Those pot-metal cast parts NEEDED to remain in the molding machine long enough to cool/harden. The workers liked to 'speed up' the process so they could sit on their a$$es longer. Deformed parts are the result.
Last edited by 7T1vette; Feb 1, 2016 at 12:00 PM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 192
Likes: 54
Hi R,
What you describe is a very common problem.
It's caused, I believe, by the fact that 6 different pieces contribute to the fit and alignment at this point.
The VERY FIRST thing you need to remember is…. DO NOT PUSH on the top of the bezel to try to improve the fit… it'll break in a heart beat.
Through careful fitting, shimming, and gradual tightening of the screws, you MAY be able to improve the fit to some degree.
Even original cars that have not had there dashes taken apart often have this mis-fit.
Sorry, no real help!
Regards,
Alan
This is a typical fit. It's a car that's not been apart.
What you describe is a very common problem.
It's caused, I believe, by the fact that 6 different pieces contribute to the fit and alignment at this point.
The VERY FIRST thing you need to remember is…. DO NOT PUSH on the top of the bezel to try to improve the fit… it'll break in a heart beat.
Through careful fitting, shimming, and gradual tightening of the screws, you MAY be able to improve the fit to some degree.
Even original cars that have not had there dashes taken apart often have this mis-fit.
Sorry, no real help!
Regards,
Alan
This is a typical fit. It's a car that's not been apart.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 192
Likes: 54
This is VERY common for a factory-made part. It is due to the [cast] part being removed from the mold improperly (too quickly). MOST of that vintage C3 cars have deformed upper-left corners.
1. Accept it as normal and ignore it. (best alternative, IMO)
2. Try to fix it and it will break. Then you get to buy an aftermarket replacement for $200 that will have a nice, straight corner...but isn't 'original'.
The choice is yours.
Note: Those pot-metal cast parts NEEDED to remain in the molding machine long enough to cool/harden. The workers liked to 'speed up' the process so they could sit on their a$$es longer. Deformed parts are the result.
1. Accept it as normal and ignore it. (best alternative, IMO)
2. Try to fix it and it will break. Then you get to buy an aftermarket replacement for $200 that will have a nice, straight corner...but isn't 'original'.
The choice is yours.
Note: Those pot-metal cast parts NEEDED to remain in the molding machine long enough to cool/harden. The workers liked to 'speed up' the process so they could sit on their a$$es longer. Deformed parts are the result.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,765
Likes: 253
From: Catlett VA
center panel
rmgny44- Take Alan 71's advice. I have had my dash apart a couple times and always use those plastic/nylon trim pry tools to pry on the padded dash instead of the metal bezel. I still always hold my breath, since there just is not much metal there to give it strength. My dash is pretty straight, but it is due to luck, not any skill on my part. RA
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,108
Likes: 4,170
From: Westminster Maryland
Hi,
The bezel was designed to break on impact at that very narrow section of metal right at the top of the gauge cluster if a person hits the dash as a result of a crash.
What makes the original unbroken bezels so valuable is that there's not a completely accurate reproduction available for 69-71 model year cars.
I've wondered if they were ever broken while the dashes were being installed in St.Louis? Perhaps the workers knew just how well the bezel could typically be made to fit and no attempt was made to improve on it after the first try.
Regards,
Alan
The bezel was designed to break on impact at that very narrow section of metal right at the top of the gauge cluster if a person hits the dash as a result of a crash.
What makes the original unbroken bezels so valuable is that there's not a completely accurate reproduction available for 69-71 model year cars.
I've wondered if they were ever broken while the dashes were being installed in St.Louis? Perhaps the workers knew just how well the bezel could typically be made to fit and no attempt was made to improve on it after the first try.
Regards,
Alan
Last edited by Alan 71; Feb 1, 2016 at 04:27 PM.
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Drifting
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 1,765
Likes: 253
From: Catlett VA
Dash bezel
"What makes the original unbroken bezels so valuable is that there's not a completely accurate reproduction available for 69-71 model year cars."
So.....Although my car is a NOM car with hardly any original numbers matching parts, my center dash bezel is a collector's item? Barrett-Jackson here I come! Reserve is $100K.
Just kidding of course. RA
So.....Although my car is a NOM car with hardly any original numbers matching parts, my center dash bezel is a collector's item? Barrett-Jackson here I come! Reserve is $100K.
Just kidding of course. RA