Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

The gauge faces on Senior 56 Packards are some type of gold. They will turn green after several years so they are not real gold. None of the gauge restoration shops will attempt this restoration. Does anyone have any tips? It is made a little more complicated by the fact that the gold coloring is on the back of the plastic face. The eliminates painting it and then buffing to a shine.
Anyone have any suggestions???

I don't have any suggestions because I've tried several paints and even went so far as to try to gild real gold sheet in the depressed area -- all without success.

Would almost bet they were either hot stamped with a foil product -- maybe brass or aluminum based -- and the clear part of plastic was buffed after the stamping or, since vacuum depositing was fairly well established in the auto industry by the mid 50's, possibly that was the method of choice.

At any rate, if you or anyone else luck onto the magic method, please share. It's plastic but with the new processes for plating plastic, I've wondered if that would work or if any of these companies that aluminize reflectors could do something.

There were a couple of outfits that used to do little things for the hobby but haven't seen any advertised for awhile. Being on revere side and on already used plastic, probably not.

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On my car the color is called "silver". How about a picture of these gauges?

here's my Gold from my 56 Pat

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Troyt, The gold on your gauge faces is really great. The car must never have been in a damp environment OR are they all new?
Your padded dash is really good also - was it redone?

The car was said to be parked in 1967 in the back of the owners climate controlled heated factory. It has been indoors since 67. The interior is fantastic only the dash needed to be re-stretched and a good cleaning of the seats. When I repaint the exterior, we don't have to touch the interior. This is the one good thing that went right with this car thus far. I don't even let it set outside overnight while working on it.

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To think aloud: It looks golden and turns green after years? Gold bronze? Bronze consists of a considerable proportion of copper which gets patina with age. Conservators use laser technology to clean the surface of bronze statuary. Light goes through transparent plastic. Randy, set the phaser to stun.

Was that helpful?





[picture source: www.cityandguildsartschool.ac.uk]

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Strange. Mine are pretty much the same. Nothing green yet.

Semantics?

My dash is noticeably darker.

My color code is MG; what';s yours?

Guscha, I can think of a few that I would use the phaser on and the setting would be higher than stun.

I don't know what you're on about.

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