Well, it is going to be a rainy weekend here at Lake Norman, and my family is going out of town, leaving me home alone. I thought this might be a good time to pull the dash off of the 1999 Air Tique 176 and get it cleaned up and fix a few broken things.
The first thing I wanted to do was restore the Airguide speedometers. They both work great, but they look very dirty and weathered. The needles, which are supposed to be orange, have faded to white, and the lenses have spider webs inside and the dials are dirty.
Here are some before pictures.
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I pulled the Airguides out of the dash, and disassembled them.
First, remove the black bezel. It is just a pressure fit, so twist and pull and it should come off pretty easily.
Next, remove the three small screws on the back. This will allow the lens, dial and the works to come out of the carrier.
Be careful when removing the lens. You don't want to crack it with the adjusting knob, or damage the gasket.
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If you're lucky, you can remove the needle by just pulling up on it.
One of mine came off easily enough. The other didn't want to come loose, so I left it in place.
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Clean the dial with a gentle cleaner and a soft cloth.
Paint the needle with a good orange paint that is sun-resistant. Be careful not to get any on the black center piece.
If you were unable to remove the needle, I like to put a single paper towel between the needle and the dial to prevent orange paint from getting on the dial.
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When you're done painting, it should look like this.
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Reassemble everything carefully. Marvel at how just a little work can make very tired looking speedometers look new again.
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The first thing I wanted to do was restore the Airguide speedometers. They both work great, but they look very dirty and weathered. The needles, which are supposed to be orange, have faded to white, and the lenses have spider webs inside and the dials are dirty.
Here are some before pictures.
I pulled the Airguides out of the dash, and disassembled them.
First, remove the black bezel. It is just a pressure fit, so twist and pull and it should come off pretty easily.
Next, remove the three small screws on the back. This will allow the lens, dial and the works to come out of the carrier.
Be careful when removing the lens. You don't want to crack it with the adjusting knob, or damage the gasket.
If you're lucky, you can remove the needle by just pulling up on it.
One of mine came off easily enough. The other didn't want to come loose, so I left it in place.
Clean the dial with a gentle cleaner and a soft cloth.
Paint the needle with a good orange paint that is sun-resistant. Be careful not to get any on the black center piece.
If you were unable to remove the needle, I like to put a single paper towel between the needle and the dial to prevent orange paint from getting on the dial.
When you're done painting, it should look like this.
Reassemble everything carefully. Marvel at how just a little work can make very tired looking speedometers look new again.
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