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TR2/3/3A Instrument Panel TR3, Question about back.

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Tinkerman

Tinkerman

Darth Vader
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I'm working on the dash and today I bead blasted the instrument cluster panel, getting it ready for painting. I noticed that the two bulb holders had remenents of black paint on them. The rest of the back of the cluster panel was not colored at all, except for some rust color. Was there any reason for the black paint? Anti-reflection perhaps? Over spray from the wrinkle paint?
Love to hear any ideas on the paint.

Thanks, Tinkerman
 
No paint on my 56, although our center panels were covered in lthr/vinyl...could be over spray from a past touch up.
 
My guess is overspray. Then I was in the dash a couple of years ago, my bulbs and wiring were in nice, clean condition.... Have fun in there!
 
Definitely overspray. The backs were left unpainted on both early & late facias.
An interesting side note.. The last 3 digits of the Commission number and the initials of the person who assembled the gauges & switches on the facia were written in pencil just to the left of the ignition & light switches.
Frank
 
Thanks for the thoughts, my guess was overspray. I will be wrinkle painting tomorrow. Soon as I can go get some.

Cheers, Tinkerman
 
Tink,

A couple of shots from my Green 3A and Red 3A during dissasembly.

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Cheers,
M. Pied Lourd
 
Dick - Spray the panel with the Krinkle Aerosol Paint a few minutes after your wife goes shopping. Turn on the oven in the kitchen to about 200 deg. F. Then spray the panel and carefully place it horizontally in the warm oven. At this stage, the paint should be a smooth and shiny reflective liquid all over. The heat is required to "generate" the krinkle finish. When it's done, remove it, turn off the oven and open all the windows.

In 2004, I drove my 1958 TR3A from Montreal to see the TR races at Virginia International Raceway. On the way down, I joined up with J.R. in Maryland (two-sheds) and we convoyed together the rest of the way down. On the way north, I stopped in to visit Frank Thomas and see his powder coating set-up first hand. He sold me one of about 20 central panels which he had just finished powder coating a few days earlier. The krinkle texture looked great and in my opinion, it resists getting scratched better than all the times I used the krinkle paint. It's been more than five years now.
 
Don, I think you mean Fred Thomas? His crinkle powder coated panels do look great and hold up great; I have one myself. Fred is an expert at powder coating!

PS, I agree about the overspray. Won't hurt anything as long as it's not inside the brackets for the bulb holders, but won't help either.

The heat may have been the step I was missing; my attempts with Krylon would crinkle up following the instructions on the can (something like 3 light coats 10 minutes apart, then let dry overnight), but the crinkle effect was never very even.
 
Mine came from PlastiCoat and called for three heavy coats 10 min apart. Interesting to see how it does.
 
After 2 poor attempts at the Krinkle coat, I used my wife's 1500W hair dryer, and it turned out great. You can watch it krinkle, and you have some variation in the amount. Once it krinkles, it's still not dry. Resist the urge to touch it, as it will smudge; ask me how I know. 5 years on, it still looks good! Have fun!
 
Well I krinkled today. Three heavy coats and 10 min in between. 70 degree ambient in the shop. I heated the paint in hot water before I sprayed and it came out pretty good so far and yes Kevin, so far I've resisted the urge to touch. Appreciate the warning, probably would have dummied up and done it. I will let it set until tomorrow, THEN I'll touch it.

Cheers, Tinkerman
 
Does anyone have contact information for Fred Thomas? I'd like to tuck it away for when we get to working on the TR3 especially since it sounds like he might be in Virginia.

Thanks!

Scott
 
Let me throw some heresy into this thread. I've always thought the painted center panel to be a good candidate for the museum of design improvement horrors. The TR2s and early TR3s simply used the same vinyl as the rest of the dash covering.

I've always recovered this panel at the same time I've done the rest of the dash. And I feel no shame.
 
Just to prove there is no accounting for taste, TS13571L came to me with what was apparently a period accessory, a "machine turned" shiny (chrome-like) insert that fits over the instrument panel.
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:] a "machine turned" shiny (chrome-like) insert that fits over the instrument panel[/QUOTE]

Certainly a spit in the eye of the "anti-glare" interpretation of "Why crinkle finish?"
 
You can contact Fred at:-

vafred AT erols.com

Remember to drop the blank spaces and change AT to @ in the address.

I seem to remember he lives about 100 miles north of Richmond, VA.
 
While we are discussing center panels, I guess the one in my TR3B should be crinkle pant. It currently seems to be bare metal with a shiny substance added. I always assumed it as damage chrome. Unlike Randall, I do not remember an insert, but it has been years since I did anything to it. I have no idea if this panel is the original.
 

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Just to be clear, Rich, I had no idea that mine was an insert until I had it removed from the car & all the gauges, etc. transferred to the crinkle panel from the wrecked TR3A. It actually wrapped around the sides, and fit under the lip of all the gauges and so on. I just happened to be carrying the panel by the grounding lug, and the insert fell off!

Hard to say for sure, but your panel kind of looks like someone just scraped off the crinkle black and polished what was left. There is some kind of silvery finish under the paint, not sure what it is (perhaps zinc chromate or something).
 
Rich-

With a 3B, your center panel may have been vinyl covered, as some 3Bs went back to that just like they started. Might explain the lack of crinkle paint.

Randy
 
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