Dash-Knob Detailing

Many restorers concentrate on the large picture, but the smaller items are just as important. Intricately detailed dash knobs were used during the Sixties and Seventies, and they deserve restoration as well. Most were finished in chrome plastic and can be easily saved with a little gentle attention. Nicotine and dirt, accumulated from years of use, settle into the design of the knob, eventually turning your bright chrome to dirty gray.


The fix is simple and takes only a few minutes with normal household supplies. Do not use powerful cleaners or hard brushes that might attack the surface of your parts. Mild cleaners without ammonia work best. Here's the simplest pro-restorer trick to brighten your decorative dash knobs.

Examination
After removing the knobs from your dash, examine each for condition of the plastic and concentrated dirt. In the case of flat radio bezels, care must be taken not to scrub off the paint inside the letters denoting usage. TONE, SPEAKER, etc., are usually painted in black or white, and strong cleaners or a hard brush can remove the old paint. This also holds true for switches, which can't be easily removed, such for wipers and power tops. You can use the same cleaner and soft toothbrush to clean these in place. A used soft-bristle brush works best.

Dish-Washing
This GM dash headlight switch knob has a circular design in the top that is the perfect catchall for various types of residue. Nicotine is particularly attracted to these areas and, while dangerous to humans, it does a nice job of preserving metal and plastic chrome. It also attracts dirt and oils from your hands, eventually causing the black buildup in the top of the knob. We are using a 50/50 mix of mild dishwashing detergent and water. The soapy detergent brakes down the dirt buildup with gentle use of the toothbrush. Several applications might be needed to remove the most stubborn dirt.

Lettering
The same technique is used on the side of the knob, which is usually even dirtier than the top. This is the area most touched by fingers, leaving behind dirty residue. The radio and headlight knobs usually see the most use and therefore are normally the dirtiest. Gently brush the paint in the lettered areas, using care not to scrub the paint away. If the paint is already gone, thoroughly clean the lettered areas and use a small paintbrush and model paint to re-color the areas. A quick swipe with thinner on a paper towel will remove the paint you let flow over the edges. Restored dash knobs make a great difference in the overall appearance of your interior.