dash bezel differences

[CrammerGram69]

What's up with all the different dash bezels on these cars? I've seen Half wood grain with half black, Full Woodgrain top & bottom, and ofc the Illusive Grand am only Silver/black, some with "fake" screw sections and some without. What's up with that? I'm trying to locate a Half Woodgrain half black Bezel without the screws portion 1978-81 wipers on Dash.

Picture as an example, not my car. p.s still looking for light blue sun visors. (cloth)

 

[Bonnewagon]

Most had the full woodgrain, only the early ones with the wiper switch had the black part as you noted. The ultra rare all silver came on the Grand Am and Grand Prix SJ in 1979-80. The silver gauges came only on 1978's. I have acquired a silver bezel & a stupid-rare full gauge/tach but that took years of searching. Two versions shown here. 1983/1980

 

[SoFloG]

Wildest of all gbody dashes! Best and the worst at the same time imo.

 

[CrammerGram69]

Wildest of all gbody dashes! Best and the worst at the same time imo.

Agreed, Best looking of them all IMO, but worst as in you practically need to pull the entire dash to replace the front corner 3.5 speakers which i did during august. lol. New Kicker CS series in there! & CS 6x9 in the rear. We bumpin' now!

 

[CrammerGram69]

Most had the full woodgrain, only the early ones with the wiper switch had the black part as you noted. The ultra rare all silver came on the Grand Am and Grand Prix SJ in 1979-80. The silver gauges came only on 1978's. I have acquired a silver bezel & a stupid-rare full gauge/tach but that took years of searching. Two versions shown here. 1983/1980 View attachment 231236 View attachment 231235

I knew about the 78 only having Silver gauges, & the GA having that Silver bezel But did NOT know about it in the SJ?. Good to know.
Your Conclusion seems to be right, i just don't understand the reason why Some had the Fake screws (Or T10 Torx) look more like it.

That is the question i am asking here. I am looking for one without those and they seem to be very far and few.

 

[Bonnewagon]

I think the fake screws are just part of the design. I have never seen a bezel without them. I at first thought they were real, quickly found out I was wrong. The silver gauges were pretty radical at the time. They only lasted one model year and I can tell you why. At night they are very hard to see. I found a silver full gauge set w/tach from a Ford guy of all things. I am still looking for another tach but all I can find are the clock or idiot lights.

 

[Wageslave]

They only lasted one model year and I can tell you why. At night they are very hard to see.

Ford went through that phase with the silver gauges on the Grand Marquis and some Lincolns. Between those gauges and the weird lenses over them with sharp angles molded into them that acted like a prism, those gauges were beyond worthless. I'm glad that fad passed quickly.

 

[Longroof79]

I've never seen Pontiac gauge bezels without the fake screws surrounding them. Mine has them as well. I have found that they do have subtle differences in them over the years. Such as accommodation for the dash mounted wiper switch or not, and different radio openings....as well as the woodgrain and/ or silver finish.
I hope to never replace dash speakers. I did replace them before installing the dash.

Are there any recommendations for companies that refurbish factory gauges? such as speedos and tachs?

 

[Bonnewagon]

Are there any recommendations for companies that refurbish factory gauges?

I don't know of any Jack. There used to be a guy close by me- but long gone now. My biggest problem is the dampening fluid that keeps the needles from bouncing around. Does it leak out? Can it be replaced? There has to be a fix for that.

 

[grandamman]

I saw this posted a while back. Probably on this site. I've never used them.

Automotive Clock and Automotive Gauge Repair and Restoration, Speedometer Repair, Tachometer Repair, Car Clock Quartz Conversion, Gauge Cluster Repair, Instrument Services

Automotive Clock and Automotive Gauge Repair and Restoration, Speedometer Repair, Tachometer Repair, Car Clock Quartz Conversion, Instrument Services

www.clocksandgauges.com

I'll have to post some of my bezels to show some differences.