VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 1938 Master Instrument Cluster

I've recently seen 1938 Master/and Deluxe instrument panels restored for sale with different color faceplates that surrounds the gages. Some green, some brown, some white...weren't these only one color? and if so, what color? thx. Billu38

This is how mine is colored and it's never been repainted. This pic was taken before the restoration had started.

Thanks Tiny...mine looks the same..I bought it years ago from a street-rodder and I'm 99.9% sure it's original..and it's a Master like yours..thx..Bill

2 questions on the 38 Master instrument cluster. Tiny showed me a photo of the face and it looks white..I don't doubt it's original. Today I pulled out some old clusters including the one I intend to use...all look original and some have a brown face, some white. Any other input on the faceplate color from other 38 owners? Was the Master and Master DeLuxe the same color? Also, if you look at the odometer in Tiny's photo there's an angled strip of material at the right side of the numbers. Mine also has it BUT what is it? Sorry, that's 3 questions! thx. Billu38

That "angled strip" showing in the picture is a piece of 'clear' plastic that's part of the speedo needle. I can't help with the color variation.

My instrument panel is orginal but the trim is the Deluxe trim.

Tiny, does that piece of plastic disappear when the speedo moves up in speed? Billu38

It moves across the odometer. It's part of the speedo needle. It's clear so that you can still read the numbers while driving. I imagine it was clearer when it was new. If my feeble mind allows me to remember tomorrow I'll take the camera to the garage and get a better picture of it for you.

Here are the pics I promised and they also show the background color better. It's a light gray.

Billu38,

We've had a previous discussion/debate about the original color of the gauge panel on the 38. Most original panels look like Tiny's, as you can see, a sort of grayish color. On the other hand, if you study the 1938 Construction Manual, it speaks of the panel as well as the dash being Condor Gray, while the accent color is Plover Beige. When I was restoring my coupe, I was able to uncover (under the original delete plate) a good, unmolested sample of Condor Gray (and I also found some remnants of this color on the original gauge panel and on its backside). I had a paint expert "shoot" the color with his paint ID gun and we came up with a formula which turned out very close to the original.

One theory that I've heard is that the original gauge panels underneath the glass tended to "wash out" the color over the years, the light (and heat?) being magnified by the glass, unlike other portions of the dash. In any event, I decided to follow what I interpreted the Construction Manual to say and painted the gauge panel Condor Gray as well. I append a couple pictures of the final product. If I understand the descriptions in the Construction Manual, I believe this is correct.

Good luck!

Jim


IMG_0795 by Jim May1, on Flickr


IMG_0792 by Jim May1, on Flickr


IMG_0793 by Jim May1, on Flickr

Super nice car. Did you bend the shift lever? Mine doesn't look like that .



Is the stripe down the side of the body going to match the rim stripes?

Hi Jim, You wouldn't happen to have the formula for that Plover Beige paint would you?? The lower part of the dash on my 37 MD is painted that color but, the ID gun at the paint shop, can't pick up a good enough spot to get a read on it. I would appreciate any help on this. Thanks'.
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Joes 37

GREAT!!! Jmmmn37, you made my day. THAT's the exact color I have on mine which I intend on using and it's in terrific shape..I'm 99.9% sure it's original. Came out of a Tennessee car that was street-rodded.I was worried I'd have to disassemble it and repaint it Gray...didn't really want to do that till I was absolutely sure. Tiny, I appreciate the close-up of the odometer. I'm still not sure how it works though...maybe I'll turn mine by hand (not in the car) and see if I can figure it out..Thanks a bunch Guys for the info..Billu38

By the way, Jmmmn37, that looks like a one fine restoration you have there! Billu38

That piece of plastic on Tiny's panel looks like it should be a cover for the odometer that got dislodged and pulled up somehow.

It's the back end of the speedo needle, a counter weight I assume. It's clear plastic so it doesn't block the odometer while the car is moving. I'll have to try to remember to take a picture of my speedo while driving it to better illustrate it. Also the bezel around the instrument cluster is plover beige. That shows well in the lower of the pics. You can see just a peek of the condor gray below the bezel.

Jim, looking at your middle pic (0792 I think) I see your temp gauge doesn't have any numbers. That's the first I've seen like that. Was it in the car when you bought it?

OK, it got up into the 50s today so I took the coupe out for a spin and got some pics with the needle in different positions, indicating different speeds so you can see the clear end of the needle in relation to the odometer.

Indicated just over 40 MPH.



Indicated at about 60 MPH.

Gee Tiny..I certainly do appreciate the detailed photos and explanation but I didn't want you risking you and the car by you taking 60mph photos of the dash cluster!!! Talk about Chev dedication! thanks again to all the responders...I understand all the details...Billu38

The speedo goes to 100, doesn't that mean I can drive that fast?

That'a almost redline on the speedo for my old car. smiles

Tiny,
those red letters "Safety First" are there to keep you from going over 100 mph!

Tiny, as an aside, with you pushing your Chevy all the way to 60, there are those who would expect you to find babbit particles spattered around in your crankcase!

Tiny,

Yes, that temp gauge was original with the car when I got it. The first owner of the car seems to have fitted it out with accessories like a radio, clock, etc. I have a hunch the original may have come with one of those "Chevrolet" delete plates for the temp gauge and he had the dealer add this.

Joe,

I experimented with at least three versions of "Plover Beige" and in the end I decided to use the same color as the exterior of the car, i.e., Brookwood Beige Poly. I had some fairly good patches of Plover beige on parts of the glove box and elsewhere, and in the end, the Brookwood Beige was about the closest in hue, etc.

Steve,

Yes, the green stripe on the wheels is also on the side of the car as per original with Brookwood Beige Poly. See attached photos below.

When I first posted the finished restoration of the car in this forum a year or more ago, it was determined that someone at some time had bent the gear shift lever to accommodate a passenger riding in the middle of the seat; apparently they never came that way. I decided to leave it as a mark of the original modification of the original owner.

Jim


IMG_0804 by Jim May1, on Flickr


IMG_0801 by Jim May1, on Flickr

Great looking 38. You did a good job on every part of the restoration. Perfect

It's probably out of a MD since they had the numbers on the glass. What size are your tires Jim, they look really large to me. It may just be the wide whites that make them look big (or it may be old man eyes).