Replacing Dial Face on Cluster
 

Does anyone know if the just the plastic dial face on the clusters can be replaced? The PO of my car got something on them and I've just lived with it til now but they really look nasty. It looks like its smeared glue or adhesive or something. Nothing will take it off. If they can be replaced whats the best source for new ones...Woody? Thanks

You can get overlays, but installing them is not easy. Easier to just replace the front half of the cluster. What year is your car? Manual or tip?

Dial Replacement
 

Thanks particlewave. I have a 2001 base with a manual transmission. As you know the gage faces are black and looking straight on they don't look to bad but on an angle, man they look nasty. I can't figure out for the life of me what he got on them. Strange....

Hmmm...not sure about that year. I may have a set of faces you can have, if you have the mk1 cluster.

Can you post a picture of your gauges?

Dial Replacement
 

Sure, I'll try to take one tonight and get it posted. Really appreciate your help PW. Thanks..........

Dial Replacement
 

PW, here is the photo of my dials. Again, no idea what the previous owner got on them but short of trying to polish them, nothing will take it off. Thanks for any assistance on how to clean or replace.http://986forum.com/forums/uploads02...1477062532.jpg

Shoot...that's a mk2 cluster. Is that crud on the inner faces or the outer "glass" plastic window?

It looks like it's on the outside.

As always you ask a great question. I have just been assuming that it was on the outside 'cause how in the heck could splatter like that get on the inside? And to boot, it's on all three dial faces.

I can't really feel anything on the outside and I don't know how to remove them to test your inside of the bezel theory. I assumed it was from some kind of cleaner that didn't play nice with the plastic but again who knows....

You could try a slightly abrasive plastic polisher like Polywatch or even toothpaste to try to buff it out before replacing the cluster.

Looking closely, I'd say it's not on the gauges themselves, but only on the outside (can see the spots casting shadows on the rotary gauges).

I'll dig out my parts clusters and see what I have. ;)

Sorry to disappoint, but it seems my one good gauge face was badly scratched up. It looks worse than yours.

I would try a plastic polish like Meguiars Plast-X.

Thanks guys. I was a little hesitant to polish just in case it screwed up and got worse but I really see no other choice. I've got some novus and plasti-x so I'll try those. If you're interested I'll post an "after" photo to show how it turned out. Thanks again for reading and replying....

An alternative might be trying the kit method for polishing plastic headlights. I've done several of these and results are amazing. Try it on a smaller scale with a dremel tool with small buffing pads and rubbing compound. I have tried this on my old Datsun roadster gauges with great results.