The White Lettering on the Red Warning Lights

[Exit98]

So I'm cleaning up the center dash area, 76 Spider. The red hazard and brake warning lights. Naturally cleaning them has taken off the white paint on the letters. Anyone figure out how to reapply it. I tried white-out, that didn't work very good. Next I'm going to try a white crayon.

Other ideas?

[NJFIAT1981]

Hi Doug,
I have an extra set. We polish them up and then use white paint in the letters. After they dry we remove your old ones and install the restored ones. Sound like a plan? GK

[NJFIAT1981]

BTW-Did you take your spider out yesterday? Had my green one out for about 2 hours, top down of course

[johndemar]

A few years ago Pete Angel ( one of the Mira crew ) came up with a way to clean up the black shifter ball, but the technique would be the same for the warning lights.
First soak the lens in a full strength cleaner (purple cleaner) to loosen most of the old paint. Then pick out the remaining loose paint with a toothpick. Then lightly buff the lens with a polishing compound to eliminate any marring or signs of aging.

Use testor's white enamel model paint with a cotton swab and flood the letters with paint. After drying for a few hours, soak a piece of white bond paper in mineral spirits and lightly burnish the surface of the lens. This will remove of the white paint on the surrounding areas above the lettering impressions.

Finally the lens can be polished using silk or nylon with a polishing cream. The fine, tightly woven cloth prevents pulling the paint out of the impressions while polishing the surrounding areas.

Guessing that some of the cleaners and polish for ceramic stove tops would work on the lens as well but haven't tried them.

[manoa matt]

I have a ton of these lights all with good paint, just need a polishing of the red plastic face to remove surface scratches. $1 each plus shipping. matt.scarton@gmail.com

[Exit98]

John,

Thanks for the detailed procedure, I might just give it a try. The letter impressions are so shallow that there is little sub-surface for the paint to take below the lens face.

Matt, thanks for the offer. My light polishing/cleaning of the red lens removed most of the white lettering.

George has some spares, but one way or the other mine will do fine.

[Ken]

this is what Boeing used when I worked there, just rub it on and wipe off the excess and your done.
http://www.kmstools.com/laco-markal-whi ... stick-6201