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)

 

[79 USA 1]

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?

Jack,
I had a 85mph speedometer converted to a 115mph for my 86 El Camino many years back. As well they repaired the needle bounce in a 1980 9C1 police speedometer I have in my 79 Monte Carlo.
They are located outside Syracuse NY but I'm not sure they still service the older units anymore.

Remanufacturing & Repair Solutions for Electronics - United Radio

We provide consistent, high-quality professional service such as remanufacturing and repair solutions to the electronics market place worldwide.

www.unitedradio.com

 

[Longroof79]

Jack,
I had a 85mph speedometer converted to a 115mph for my 86 El Camino many years back. As well they repaired the needle bounce in a 1980 9C1 police speedometer I have in my 79 Monte Carlo.
They are located outside Syracuse NY but I'm not sure they still service the older units anymore.

Remanufacturing & Repair Solutions for Electronics - United Radio

We provide consistent, high-quality professional service such as remanufacturing and repair solutions to the electronics market place worldwide.

www.unitedradio.com

Thank you for that information, Bob. It's a rather specialized service like any other. I'll dig a little deeper and do some research. Thank you sir.

 

[Longroof79]

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.

Mark,
I think with the advent of digital gauges, you're hard pressed to find people that specialize in repairing and recalibrating older gauges. Probably a dying breed. However, there are people that recondition foreign car gauges. like Smiths, VDO, and brands like that.

 

[ranllett]

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.

I used "ISI Instrument Services" for a clock rebuild for the Malibu. The clock now has a quartz movement. I installed it today and it works. ISI provided the excellent service.

 

[Bonnewagon]

Neat site. I see lots of conversions to modern parts but I don't see anyone fixing 'needle bounce'. I read that there is a viscous fluid inside the gauge that can't be repaired. I planned on 'experimenting' on a totally shot gauge but so far I don't have one that bad yet. So whenever I see a silver gauge for a reasonable price I grab it. But they are few and far between.

 

[Longroof79]

It's nice to see that there still is a company that restores OEM gauges. They do nice work from what I can tell.
Thanks for posting that link, Randy.
They did a nice job on your clock conversion to quartz.

 

[Bonnewagon]

Jack, you know what is really screwy? The easiest thing to get upgraded is the clock. I fool around with antique clocks and watches. I can get a brand new movement for cheap. Yet in all these years the only thing that always worked was the dash mounted clock!

 

[Longroof79]

Jack, you know what is really screwy? The easiest thing to get upgraded is the clock. I fool around with antique clocks and watches. I can get a brand new movement for cheap. Yet in all these years the only thing that always worked was the dash mounted clock!

Mark,
I would guess that the quartz movement is probably not as intricate as a standard clock movement.

 

[Bonnewagon]

No, it is way more simple. A quartz crystal gets an electrical current sent though it. The crystal vibrates 32,768 times per second. The electrical circuit counts the pulses and every 32,768 times it moves the second hand ahead by one second. So instead of many gears, wheels, springs, and intricacies, the quartz movement is simpler, super accurate, and less expensive. My retirement watch I got from my union has a Swiss quartz movement. The winding stem broke, and that did something to the movement. I took it apart, found the identification number, and ordered a new movement which came with a new stem. It cost $9 plus tax and shipping. Crazy eh?