Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Don't kill me guys!! Another question about my lighting for the dash... It's on but fairly dim. Is there a switch or adjustment for brightening or is this a voltage issue. I do have a regulator issue that will be fixed today can this be related?

Your car used what Packard marketing called Flite-Glo. No briteness adjustment for the dash lights -- just on or off. The numerals and hands were painted with luminescent paint. Bulbs were covered with an ultraviolet shield which emitted a very dim purplish light to excite the paint & I believe made the numerals glow a greenish color. Not that great when new from many accounts and most likely 60 years of dirt and paint degradation pretty much has done it in.

If you do a search on the forum there were some discussions about rejuvenating the system. A couple of links to some luminescent paint that could be obtained in small quantities and details of methods and results by some who made the attempt.

If you don't want to go to that extreme, I would wonder if there are enough bulbs and if they are mounted in such a way that removing the shields and going to a more conventional approach might be a way to go. Of course, the original method is novel and anything else would not be correct. Don't remember if anyone tried just ordinary bulbs.


EDIT: Here is one threadhttps://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?post_id=100924#forumpost100924 and another is linked inside it.

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Bulbs dim as they age so maybe you need new ones.

Sadly the quality of new bulbs is very poor, but should be alright for the Packard