Instrument Bezel

[68vitesse]

Bought a set of bezels for my Vitesse at one of the Stonleigh shows some time back. Correct half V profile and chrome but depth is different.

Four inch old bezel 6.86mm deep new 7.84mm.

Two inch old bezel 5.35mm deep new 5.75.

Fitted one of the bezels to my rev counter today and used some closed cell black cord of a larger diameter under the glass and between bezel and glass, turned out ok. Made a press from wood and a couple of bolts, and to support the sides of the bezel while knocking the tags over a jubile type clamp with some notches cut in it to give access.

Regards

Paul

[dougbgt6]

Paul,

Good job! Engineer's solution.

One of my gauges no longer had green light, took it apart and lined the innards with a green quality street rapper. Worked fine for a temporary fix, still there 40 years later. Bodgers solution.

db

[68vitesse]

As said before its only a bodge if someone finds out.

Regards

Paul

[Colin Lindsay]

16 hours ago, dougbgt6 said:

One of my gauges no longer had green light, took it apart and lined the innards with a green quality street rapper.

YO! Thought I wuz de only Green Rapper bout here?

[68vitesse]

Changed both larger dial bezels now but surprised at how well the old ones cleaned up using a dremel type tool with felt mops and compound.

Spoke to one of the supplies who tell me, unsurprisingly there is only one source of supply.

Regards

Paul

[Pete Lewis]

and daft as it seems many black ones have nice chrome under the paint 

PETE

[Colin Lindsay]

Saved my bacon more than once, stripping the black paint off an old bezel to find lovely chrome underneath.

Incidentally the instrument glass is readily available, both large and small, and can also brighten up an old gauge very easily. Just make sure you don't get fingerprints on the inside as you fit it tho....

[Badwolf]

My gauge bezels are chrome except for the speedo and rev counter which are black. Thinking of going all black or all silver (dial faces are the black type). Is there any convention/factory norm?

[dave.vitesse]

Up to the late 1960's we had chrome bezels and a dash with a reflective surface. By the late 1960's this was considered a safety risk, so on Triumphs we then had black bezels and non-reflected wooden dash. Early Health and Safety I guess. 

[dave.vitesse]

On 8/5/2018 at 9:54 AM, Colin Lindsay said:

YO! Thought I wuz de only Green Rapper bout here?

 

Is that what's down in Colin's pit !

[Badwolf]

Silly question time. If I strip off the black bezels what will I find underneath? Chrome, possibly, but is it likely to be just plain cheap steel, alloy, brass... or what?

[Guest]

Unlikely to be chrome - why go to that expense and then paint over it.

From the ones I have seen and owned, it is likely to be some sort of alloy which may suggest why it is used for painting purposes.

[Badwolf]

As for painting over chrome.. ask Colin (see earlier post). May strip back and try some chrome spray. I have a spare speedo so will try the bezel on that first.

[Pete Lewis]

some were certainly just the old chrome ones blown over black,  guess  its was down to old stock being used up ...for some years   i,ll have a look in me cupboard ??

pete

[68vitesse]

New ones are chromed brass.

Regards

Paul

[Colin Lindsay]

4 hours ago, dave.vitesse said:

 

Is that what's down in Colin's pit !

No, that's me after a day spent gearbox oil changing for about 20 cars.

Re the bezels, I've stripped about half a dozen black ones in the last few years, all from Dolomites or Spitfires to reuse on GT6 dials, and every one has been chrome underneath, just requiring a light polish. They've all come from different sources over the years so unlikely to be the same batch or year.

[thescrapman]

I have only ever found chrome under the black bezels...

[Badwolf]

Interesting news, thanks chaps. I will have a go at the spare and report back. Will paint stripper strip off any chrome... before I start?

[Colin Lindsay]

I'd use paint restorer / T-cut type of stuff, it's gentler than stripper, and flake the paint off with a fingernail to avoid damage.

[ludwig113]

i re did all of my bezels in black, the originals seem to be thin steel but you can buy new brass ones, you can also get the proper sponge seal in various lengths.

just scuff the surface and use a fine primer, i then used halfords satin/semi gloss black. they came out really well.

if you have any lucas instruments, some came with  an actual black bezel that fitted over the chrome one.

[68vitesse]

Been looking at the instruments in a spare dash which has the Vitesse script on it. Rev counter is missing Speedo reads to 110 and does not have place on back for voltage stabilizer, fuel and temperature guage needles flop from side to side.

Would this be from a late 1600?.

Regards

Paul

[Colin Lindsay]

Is it missing ie is there a hole for it, or is it just not there? Never had a Vitesse but I think the early ones had one big speedo marked higher than the 90 mph of the similar Herald clocks. Later ones with two dials also had the limit as 110mph. I'd assume, as with the GT6, that the voltage regulator was mounted elsewhere, maybe behind the dash but not on any of the clocks.

[68vitesse]

No place for stabilizer and four inch guage, as temperature and fuel guages are not slow reaction type assumed a voltage stabilizer was not used.

Regards

Paul

[dave.vitesse]

Single gauge Vitesse 6 marked to 110 MPH with a line after for 115MPH.  Four Gauge Vitesse 6 marked to 110MPH. All 2Litres marked to 120MPH.

No voltage stabiliser on the Vitesse 6, moving iron meters fast reaction. The voltage stabiliser was used on all 2 Litre Vitesse, hot wire meters with slow reaction.

Dave

[68vitesse]

Thanks, as suspected late 1600 guages.

Regards

Paul