silver gauge surrounds????

[ssc1]

right how do i get silver surrounds on my instruments(gauges) as it looks odd now that i have fitted some leven bits and have black surrounds on the gauges, has anyone done this without taking the gauges out and changing the surrounds ,or does leven make some stick-on silver ones.....ian...

[kenny chim 4]

you did'nt manage to sell the car then...

[ssc1]

nah still here,lots came to see and drive but no-one bought..

[hamish]

Apparently nothing from leven, but i think there must be some kit out there to do the gauge surrounds too - mine (1996) has had them done as well as all the usual levers/handbrake/switches etc, and i'm certain they were a retrofit. My big question is : is it possible to also get aluminium surrounds for the pre-97-new-dash LEDs between the rev counter and the speedo? these look great on the newer style dash. no sign of anything on the leven web site.

[dai capp]

I put all the Leven bits on my '94 Griff and had the same cosmetic problem....

I found out that the dial surrounds are only painted metal so here's what I did (and it looked the business when finished)

1. remove the paint with cellulose thinners (very time comsuming, took me 2 days to do it right and not suffer from the fumes). You'll need thin cloth and a very small screwdriver to do it properly.

2. Wet and dry the dial surrounds

3. Apply clear laquer otherwise they corrode (and they go quickly)

The only dial that can't be done is the clock as it is plastic.

I found out whether they were metal or plastic by applying the thinners to a discrete area of the dial surround. It really is a doddle to do.

I've sold the Griff since and I don't have any photos but as a very long shot it was traded in to David Geralds so they may have a photo of the inside (the car is on the website still though they have since sold it)

Cheers

DC

[JonRB]

I thought black or metal srrounds was a factory option / choice? My 1997 Chimaera 500 has metal dial surrounds. Perhaps the factory could help?

[clint888]

same problem--but DC's solution sounds a bit too much like hard work to me. What do we need? Hollow polished alloy rings of the correct diameters to stick over black originals--ie a bespoke job. Surely somewhere out there there is a firm who can do this job-anybody know anything?

[Plotloss]

You can have my brushed ally dial surrounds for £28K if you want, they do after all come with a free 2001 Chim 450!



Matt.

[ssc1]

thanks for that i shall now go an attack the surrounds with somthing having masked off the dash first ...

[tweety]

I have an early Chim and had the same problem so paint-stripped the originals using Nitromors insitu taking great care. Finally polish with Autosol and they look the dogs danglies. Oh, the clock surround on mine was metal too and also the steering wheel boss can also be stripped and polished, but not the steering wheel centre for some reason. Anyone know who stocks Personal steering wheels or a direct contact, asked local dealer but wasn't interested.
Cheers Al.

[clint888]

tweety said: I have an early Chim and had the same problem so paint-stripped the originals using Nitromors insitu taking great care. Finally polish with Autosol and they look the dogs danglies. Oh, the clock surround on mine was metal too and also the steering wheel boss can also be stripped and polished, but not the steering wheel centre for some reason. Anyone know who stocks Personal steering wheels or a direct contact, asked local dealer but wasn't interested.
Cheers Al.

Get a wooden one--about £180 from dealer

[Hut49]

My 99 450 has brushed aluminium dial surrounds - I'm sure they were fitted as an optional extras when the car was first bought, along with all the other aluminium bits. The only bits not aluminium are the windscreen vents and the ashtrays!