Rusty instrument panel

[Russell Reay]

Note the surface rust around the dash light and ignition switch. What is the prescribed process for cleaning this up and applying a coating of (?) to keep it from happening again.

[WHN]

Take everything off it. Than use some very “fine” steel wool. Apply a good wax.

Good luck.

[Ernie Vitucci]

Amen...Ernie in Arizona

[Ivan in southeast va.]

It's called patina! If you don't like it, buy a new one.

[Russell Reay]

Steel wool as recommended by WHN worked just fine, and a dose of Turtle wax should keep me for several years.

[51504bat]

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When I was a kid we used to use aluminum foil and Coke for rust on our bike rims.

[Ivan in southeast va.]

Originally Posted by Ivan in southeast va.

It's called patina! If you don't like it, buy a new one.

Just kidding! Fine steel wool and wax.

[mercman from oz]

Russell Reay managed to clean his rusty Instrument Panel. Steel Wool as recommended by WHN worked just fine, and a dose of Turtle Wax finished the job.

[rotorwrench]

On plated surfaces the substrate steel finds its way through the plating to form on the surface. The surface deposits have to be leveled off the best you can. Fine steel wool with a fine metal polish is a good way to level it off. I use a product brand named Met-All aluminum polish due to it's lower price. It works for more metals than just aluminum. After the corrosion is cleaned off then a wax can be applied to further protect the surface. If it needs further buffing then a buffing pad and polish would be required. A person has to be careful not to buff through the plating.

[Gene F]

I would try Never-Dull. You can buy it at the local motorcycle shop usually. Menards MAY have it. Mine is a lot like yours (28) Mine looks more like nickel than chrome. My radiator shell is still nickel.

[Brad in Germany]

Following.....

I've got a similar surface-rust issue with mine too:



Brad in Maryland

[rotorwrench]

Most of the plating is already compromised on that piece. No amount of polishing is going to help there unless it is stripped and replated.

[lrf]

Brad in Germany: is that the original speedometer and mileage of the car? I love the "patina" of an original part, brush off the surface rust with a rag and put another 95000 miles on the car. Drive and enjoy your "A".

[bavArian]

If you want to use steel wool, use stainless steel wool. Otherwise it will rust again because small particles of the wool stay in the instrument panel and start to rust.


I would use NevrDull for stainless- and chrome-surfaces. For nickle-surfaces there are other metal-polish-products that are better suited, NevrDull is too agressive for old nickle parts from my experience.

[Brad in Germany]

Originally Posted by lrf

Brad in Germany: is that the original speedometer and mileage of the car? I love the "patina" of an original part, brush off the surface rust with a rag and put another 95000 miles on the car. Drive and enjoy your "A".

Yes, that is the original mileage (well, kilometers actually) as far as I know. It is the original speedometer (made by VDO) in kilometers used on Model A's produced in Köln, Germany in 1931. Yup....love the patina too and I'm trying to preserve it as much as possible.

Brad in Maryland

[wwirz]

Russell - try NOXON. Works great on bumpers too.

[Russell Reay]

Fine steel wool and a coat of wax. Looks 100% better. Thanks for the advice.

[Ivan in southeast va.]

Nicely restored!

[TomInCologne]

Originally Posted by wwirz

Russell - try NOXON. Works great on bumpers too.

can you please send a link, i can't find anything...

[ronn]

why not clear coat after cleaning?