Matt's 521

[thisismatt]

I would assume you have to put it on from the box side since it mounts to the outside, but maybe it would flex enough to fit through the firewall hole.

[d.p]

Yikes. 

[thisismatt]

Well, what I mean is that it would have been installed on the firewall before the shaft got installed through it, or before the cab got brought into the frame. Just pull your cab and then slide it back on 😂

[Greaser2]

I did mine without the engine in it yet. Good luck!

[thisismatt]

I imagine however they painted the letters worked a lot better with new plastic vs 50+ year old, broken down plastic.... 😒 Put this down on the things-I-never-want-to-do-again list. Chrome/silver outlining will happen after another coat of white lettering, followed by some plastic treatment to hopefully bring back the look of the dark black plastic.

 

[wayno]

I would attempt to put it on from the inside first and slide it past the firewall if you can, if not then remove the steering gear/column, I have done this before but had to remove the bench seat so I could get the steering gear high enough to get past the core support, I don't recall why I could not remove it thru the bottom.

[thisismatt]

Molotow chrome pen works siiiick

 

 

[mklotz70]

On the column boot.......I think you can probably slide it down the column, after the steering wheel and blinker are removed....and then work it through the firewall hole.  If you need to pull the column from the truck, you'll need to remove the seat and then lift the box over the core support and out.......but make sure you put a bag on the end where the wheel went.....the gear oil will leak out while you have it tipped up.  As Wayno said, you can't go down under the radiator.....the column hits the motor mounts well before the box goes under the frame.

 

[thisismatt]

The column boot has an integrated metal plate/backer around the perimeter where it mounts against the firewall, so it might not fit easily...

[wayno]

I thought that metal ring was a separate piece, that is what it appeared to be on my work truck, but the rubber could have just rotted away leaving the metal ring.

[mrbigtanker]

What he said is true ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ About the metal plate internally.

[thisismatt]

5 minutes ago, wayno said:

I thought that metal ring was a separate piece, that is what it appeared to be on my work truck, but the rubber could have just rotted away leaving the metal ring.

Yes, the rubber is molded around the steel plate

[wayno]

Makes sense, one piece to install instead of 2 pieces.

[thisismatt]

Does anyone know what the foam/rubber looked like between the instrument cluster chrome bezel and glass? Like what shape it was?

 

Edited September 5, 2020 by thisismatt

[thisismatt]

Testors Florescent Red 1175 is a nice match to the original. Thanks for the tip, @DanielC

 

 

 

 

[d.p]

4 hours ago, thisismatt said:

Well, what I mean is that it would have been installed on the firewall before the shaft got installed through it, or before the cab got brought into the frame. Just pull your cab and then slide it back on 😂

 

Hence why I said yikes.   I can install mine when I swap my cam'd 40over L20B with dual mikunis.  

 

😛

[Charlie69]

5 hours ago, thisismatt said:

Does anyone know what the foam/rubber looked like between the instrument cluster chrome bezel and glass? Like what shape it was?

 

I fill the stainless steal bezel with clear silicone and then snap it back over the glass.  When the silicone dries I take an Xacto knife and carefully cut the excess around the stainless.  Then I take a new single edge razorblade to remove excess silicone from the glass.

 

Nice work on the inside 411 plastic bezel.  Mine is nice but yours looks new!

Edited September 6, 2020 by Charlie69

[BrothersGarage]

9 hours ago, d.p said:

My little haul showed up today.  How does on install the FW grommet?  Remove steering wheel and slide it down or does the column need to come out?

 

 

Far as I know you can install them like most old cars and cut them and re-silicone them (not that you would want to) or remove the steering wheel and shove it down the column. 

 

  

6 hours ago, thisismatt said:

Molotow chrome pen works siiiick

 

 

 

That came out great!

Edited September 6, 2020 by BrothersGarage

[pidge]

Great job!!! 

[thisismatt]

I wish it came out as good as the pictures 🤣 The chrome pen didn't take kindly to me afterwards wiping the whole thing with 303 Aerospace Protectant, so now I need to redo that 🙄

 

I'm also a little at an impasse. The deluxe chrome bezel is fairly rusty, but I don't really want to pull the nicer one off my 521 cluster since the cluster is overall still fairly nice. It would be great to get them all rechromed but I don't know a good shop

[Charlie69]

4/0000 steel wool and see what you have.

[mklotz70]

10 hours ago, thisismatt said:

The column boot has an integrated metal plate/backer around the perimeter where it mounts against the firewall, so it might not fit easily...

Ah....I forgot about the stock one having that plate. 

[thisismatt]

Well, it wasn't flaming or steaming, but it's not perfect either.  Housing is nice, but now this one has a peeling chrome ring 🤷‍♂️. New one on right.  Add it to the pile of stuff to be chromed eventually 

 

 

[mainer311]

I don’t understand how one is perfect and the other is shit. Are these aftermarket?

 

Great job on that cluster. I build model cars/planes as a winter hobby, and lettering is always a bitch, no matter how many times you’ve done it. Came out really nice.

Edited September 9, 2020 by mainer311

[thisismatt]

37 minutes ago, mainer311 said:

I don’t understand how one is perfect and the other is shit. Are these aftermarket?

 

Great job on that cluster. I build model cars/planes as a winter hobby, and lettering is always a bitch, no matter how many times you’ve done it. Came out really nice.

 

No, NOS, or supposedly.  I would say they are, just that left one was more exposed to the elements for the last 50 years.  He sent me another left, which is what is pictured next to the weathered left, so there is a clean set now, except both lefts have at least some chrome damage/weather.  That said, 50 year old Datsun econobox chrome isn't exactly high quality chrome to begin with...