1965 350HP A/C Coupe Lower Air Ducts Finish

[William H.]

Hi Guys still putting my Dash area together Got the new glove box face done last night with help from Robert Young and his Restorer article. The technique worked great! Will finish the dash cluster as soon as the lens and lens gaskets get here ( Whoops! Dropped one on the kitchen Ceramic tile floor!)
I am now wandering about the finish on the lower A/C ducts. were they painted Gloss Black or were they just made of very shiny plastic? They are still glossy but very scratched up from being bounced around in boxes for 20 years. I was wiping one down with Lacquer Thinner and it is now not so glossy! SO thinking about Gloss Clear or Gloss black refinish. OR I can sand down with progressively finer sandpaper and then polish like a headlight or Hardtop Glass??
Steel brackets/rivits etc were surely painted satin or Gloss black?

Thanks again this is a great resource
Bill

[Keith B.]

Re: 1965 350HP A/C Coupe Lower Air Ducts Finish

They where natural plastic.

[William H.]

Re: 1965 350HP A/C Coupe Lower Air Ducts Finish

I thought so
Thanks
Any Idea about best way to restore? Short of replacement with new?

[Domenic T.]

Re: 1965 350HP A/C Coupe Lower Air Ducts Finish

William,
If your talking about the swivel balls, I found (by accident) a way that made mine look new. I was going to paint them with urathane and sprayed them with laquer thinner as a prep to soften the surface so the urathane would grip. They looked wet and I knew laquer thinner should have dried.
I touched them and they were dry and shiney.
I also did that on other restoration plastic knobs with great success.

Dom

[William H.]

Re: 1965 350HP A/C Coupe Lower Air Ducts Finish

No my Swivel Balls are Metal. I was talking about the ducts under the dash and glove box that the swivel balls are mounted in. and their covers. But perhaps the lacquer thinner would work on the ducts as well. I sprayed them with Krylon Gloss clear and they look pretty good but I may give the lacquer thinner a try as well!
Thanks
Bill

[Domenic T.]

Re: 1965 350HP A/C Coupe Lower Air Ducts Finish

Bill,
Dont use the thinner now. I works with virgin plastic. If coated can cause cause headaches. You probably did the right thing with clear. I used that (the clear) the same way.

Dom

[William H.]

Re: 1965 350HP A/C Coupe Lower Air Ducts Finish

I only put the clear in one area can try the spray on another!