speedo indicator needs some color (white)

[oldibmce]

A new member who just got a 1948 Champion fourdoor. looking for things to do. It drives great, and looks better at 62 years of age than I do at eighty. The speed indicator hand has turned dark,
and I can hardly see it. How big a problem am I looking at to get it out and maybe use white out or something to increase it's visability. My shop manual for this year lists a long proceedure for the instrument cluster. I didn't like that. looking for short cut, if possible.

[JDP]

A new member who just got a 1948 Champion fourdoor. looking for things to do. It drives great, and looks better at 62 years of age than I do at eighty. The speed indicator hand has turned dark,
and I can hardly see it. How big a problem am I looking at to get it out and maybe use white out or something to increase it's visability. My shop manual for this year lists a long proceedure for the instrument cluster. I didn't like that. looking for short cut, if possible.

Bad news, the gauges used a sort of glow in the dark paint that was indirectly lit by shrouded bulbs. A forum search should find some posts talking about the issue.

Found it for you:

"Remove the purple gels the bulbs sit in and clean them. You will be surprised as to the amount of dirt they have accumulated. Take the gauges into a dark room and expose them to a flash light for a few seconds, turn off the light and see if the lettering glows for about 3 to 5 seconds. If they do glow, remove the purple gels and use the bulbs alone.

On the speedometer the bulb sits in much deeper and requires a long straight bulb. replace that one with a brighter one. Radio Shack and someone line bulb houses sell brighter bulbs.

If you can find gauges that have been stored over the years they will glow as if they were made yesterday. The lighting was taken from WWII aircraft where the purple filter made the light excite the glow in the dark ink. You can buy glow in the dark pigment that is non radioactive, where the dash lights were printed with radioactive ink. Once you have the pigment you can buy some clear paint in a bottle.

You could even use gloss hobby paint.mix the glow in the dark pigment with the gloss and with a 00 brush. If you use this method don't use the purple filter. "
CREDIT Bondo Bill