Re: Instrument "Glass" for 1956 Clipper

Posted by HH56 On 2019/5/14 9:00:23

I believe the lenses are plastic although it is a really hard plastic. I have one with a cracked lens that feels almost like glass but it can be gouged with a sharp point. If it is crazed on the outside surface then it probably is plastic and perhaps one of the modern plastic lens headlight restore kits would work. By removing the cluster from the dash you can gain almost full access to the front of the lenses. You can remove the individual instruments from the cluster to gain access to the inside surfaces but access is limited and there are some pieces that will not remove easily or maybe without damage so I wouldn't go overboard. Senior gauges have a round metal center piece protruding thru the lens that appears to be crimped into place. Not sure if the Clipper has similar.

I can't remember whether Clipper letters are gold or white but it may not matter because of where the letters are placed and the need to disassemble the instruments to get to them. The letters are gold in senior models and have frequently turned a greenish color due to corrosion. That is a problem in trying to restore the pristine look. I believe the way they may have possibly been made was by a foil heat stamping process and recoloring with ordinary paint won't work because most common paints appear dull thru the plastic. If you can figure out a reasonably easy fix for that issue I expect many would raise a toast.