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Re: KPack
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humanpotatohybrid
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I would experiment and see if sanding the lens with like 80 grit in an orbital pattern on one side would provide adequate diffusion.

Posted on: 2022/12/6 11:57
'55 400. Needs aesthetic parts put back on, and electrical system sorted.
'55 Clipper Deluxe. Engine is stuck-ish.
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Re: KPack's 1954 Panama
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kevinpackard
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Quote:

HH56 wrote:
I think your car might have had green turn signal filters so at least you would not need to find a color to make the yellowish or amber shade used before 53. Haven't looked but something that could work for red and green plus some kind of diffuser is probably sold on Amazon.

As I said, my .012 PVC was not great for the diffuser as it was too opaque and needs to be much thinner. A decent diffuser material may be what is harder to find because a fair amount of light does need to get thru. Thin white plexiglass may work better but cannot be very thick. Not much space behind it so if it gets positioned close to the bulb it will get hot and scorch or deform in the middle.


Yes, mine has the green turn indicators. I have some styrene sheets from other projects that I will experiment with. I have a couple sheets of clear, and I'm thinking I may airbrush some thin paint over that first to see how it looks. If it needs more light blockage, then I can try to back it with 0.010" styrene, or increase the paint thickness. I'll have to hook a bulb directly to the battery to see how it looks.

Posted on: 2022/12/6 12:59
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Re: KPack
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kevinpackard
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Quote:

humanpotatohybrid wrote:
I would experiment and see if sanding the lens with like 80 grit in an orbital pattern on one side would provide adequate diffusion.


I may end up doing something like this if I have to back the clear plastic with white. Some sanding on the white can thin it out and I should be able to dial in an appropriate light output.

-Kevin

Posted on: 2022/12/6 13:00
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Re: KPack's 1954 Panama
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Joe Santana
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The nail Polish dept at your local drug store has a great selection of colors. I’m pretty sure it’s lacquer which could be thinned and airbrushed or brushed on as I did to match the original color of the Jag’s oil dipstick. Always impressed with what you’re doing with that car, Kevin.

Posted on: 2022/12/6 15:40
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Re: KPack
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kevinpackard
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Thanks Joe, I'll check and see what colors of nail polish my wife already has. That may be an easy solution.

Today my replacement bezels came in the mail. Gerry at Packards Southwest reached out to me letting me know that he had some nice ones in stock. He had two NOS and one used in good condition. The price was great and communication was excellent. This is the first time I have bought from Packards Southwest and I'm sure I will do it again. Everyone in the Packard world has been so awesome to deal with. We are really blessed to have so many great suppliers of parts out there.

I completely disassembled the old bezels, glass, and black surrounds. I sanded down and painted the surrounds semi-gloss black (all had some rust and flaking paint). The glass was polished and metal shards removed (I was an idiot way back when I was cutting metal to fix my rusted header....didn't protect the dash like I should have). The glass cleaned up much better than I thought it would. The new bezels were also polished.

I did a quick test fit to see how it looks and I'm very happy. I still need to address the faded indicators, but the difference in overall looks of the cluster so far is striking. I can't wait to get it all wrapped up and installed back in the car.

-Kevin

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jpg  New gauge bezels.jpg (153.84 KB)
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jpg  New vs Old.jpg (88.04 KB)
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jpg  Polished glass.jpg (125.65 KB)
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jpg  Coming together.jpg (145.83 KB)
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Posted on: 2022/12/7 1:22
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Re: KPack
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kevinpackard
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My wife got me some new parking light lenses, since my old ones were trash. She ordered through the Packard Club, and it looks like the lenses are supplied by Max Merritt.

The old lenses were cracked and faded, and the gaskets were marginal at best. The housings themselves were no longer silver (or white...what were they originally?) but instead the paint was flaking with obvious corrosion present. I sanded them both down and repainted with silver rattle can paint.

The new gaskets were a pain to keep in place, so I used a couple drops of glue to help out. New hardware for the lenses is excellent, though the screws are a bit longer than original. I polished the faces of the lenses with clear plastic polish just for some extra shine.

Lights and turn signals still work. Slowly improving the car bit by bit.

-Kevin

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jpg  Original lens passenger.jpg (92.91 KB)
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jpg  Original lens driver.jpg (89.85 KB)
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jpg  Faded and correded housing.jpg (100.27 KB)
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jpg  Sanded and repainted.jpg (80.01 KB)
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jpg  New replacement lenses.jpg (97.30 KB)
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jpg  New lenses installed.jpg (82.33 KB)
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jpg  Lights work.jpg (109.85 KB)
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Posted on: 2022/12/26 23:09
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Re: KPack
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Packard Don
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The reflector was originally silvered like a mirror but probably the silver paint is better than the way they were! LEDs would help too but then you would have to change the flasher unit with an electronic one.

I bought a pair of these same lenses a couple years ago from Max Merritt when I discovered that mine on my 1954 Patrician were missing. As it used to be an everyday car, I am not sure where they went but I may have "borrowed" them for a 1953 Patrician that I was selling. Not sure, though, as I don't recall doing it.

Posted on: 2022/12/26 23:17
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Re: KPack's 1954 Panama
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acolds
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Really look good as new. Only people who have done restoration will know the work and time spent on on such small part of project.Details separate the excellent work from just good enough

Posted on: 2022/12/27 11:25
C:\Users\veron\Desktop\New folder\1956 Packard Caribbean\753.jpg
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Re: KPack's 1954 Panama
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JWL
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Kevin, Ross and other here have recommend a bright white paint for the tail light reflectors. Seems that would work just as good for the front lights. Brighter is better.

Posted on: 2022/12/27 12:33
We move toward
And make happen
What occupies our mind... (W. Scherer)
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Re: KPack's 1954 Panama
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HH56
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I am also curious how the silver or mirror finish mylar body wrap would work. Applied over a reflector that had any rust or pits smoothed it seems like the high gloss film would be more like the silvered finish and less likely to scatter light than a comparatively rough paint finish. Question would be if it would maintain the curved shape over time or would it shrink and pull away from the reflector.

Posted on: 2022/12/27 16:42
Howard
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