How to clean up metal dash cluster gauge housing

[1967RS/SS]

Cleaning up some wiring in my 67 and found surface rust on the back of the metal housing when I pulled the cluster out.  I am sure this has to or will cause some problems down the road so how to I go about cleaning it up and preventing this from happening again?  Is evaporust or and/or steel wool to harsh for this?  It looks like the inside is painted white, so should I repaint?Thanks,

Joe   

[lakeholme]

Clean it with Evaporust and extra fine steelwool, then coat it with clear Zero Rust. Don't think the exterior was white like the interior.

[adjudimo]

I agree with  Phillip about rust removal and prep. The back side of all tjhe 67-68 housings I've seen were the dark color as seen where theres no surface rust in your post.
J.R.

[lakeholme]

I believe Zero Rust's black is too glossy. But you could always give it one last coat of flat black after all else has dried.

[1967RS/SS]

Thanks for the help guys.  Evaporust and  steel wool it is then.  I dont have have to about any contact or ground issues with the printed circuit board or lightbulbs if I paint the backside do I?

[lakeholme]

Joe, have you done any of this yet? I'd like to see the results.

[69pace]

Thanks for the help guys.  Evaporust and  steel wool it is then.  I dont have have to about any contact or ground issues with the printed circuit board or lightbulbs if I paint the backside do I?

Yeah I  would be careful of the screw locations for the Printed Circuit. 67 & 68 are notorious for grounding issues. You might want to screw the screws in so the threads and the bottom side of the screw head will make good contact with the circuits. Or mask the top of the right half so you only paint the side and edges.

[1967RS/SS]

Joe, have you done any of this yet? I'd like to see the results.

No, not yet.  I have been working mad as of late so I havent had any spare time to work on my car.  I will post pics when I get it done though. 

[Mike S]

Interesting....I examined the gauge housing on my 67 NOR 5B and I don't see any traces of the dark coating. The metal is in surprisingly good shape with only a few traces of surface oxidation. The date on the printed circuit film is 3 15 67. I wonder what that dark coating was?

Mike

[68Zproject]

I know the inside looks white on a lot of these but it was actually a greenish color (at least on 68s) that gave the gauges a greenish tint when the lights were on.  I found a dead on color match for this when compared to an original.  Krylon "Catalina Mist Satin".