Instrument cluster cleaning/refresh?

[JoshT]

So my instrument cluster is very much in need of some new bulbs, some serious cleaning, and maybe some needle paint.

Plan is to pull and clean cluster, clean and polish the lens (or replace), and upgrade to LED bulbs.

For cleaning the cluster... I know I've read to use a soft brush to clean gauge faces and absolutely no liquids on them. Needles are easy enough to repaint, just need to get the proper paint. Should I remove the gauges and paint inside of the backplate to improve the backlighting. If so what color? I'm thinking either chrome paint or gloss white, but not sure which or if I should even bother.

The lens definitely needs a good cleaning, and I'm going to attempt to polish it while out. I think I've read toothbrush and toothpaste or plastic polish.any recommendations on a brand/type that works best? If cleaning and polishing doesn't work I'll replace it, but I at least want to give it a try.

I'm also going to put in some LED bulbs. I'm not sure but I think this cluster came with incandescent bulbs and no filter for a warm white backlight. I'm going to use the HiPo Parts Elite led kit, it's their brightest led kit and retains full use of dimmer switch. I'm considering their factory color, which would replicate the warm white light, or their green color set. Not sure which to use. On one hand I like the original color, but worried that bright white light might affect night vision (that's what dimmer is for right?). Green would be better for retaining night vision, but I'm concerned that the color might not look right in the dash. Put up a poll for this, so please vote, but I'd also like to hear your opinion on it. No cutoff date in poll, but I'd like to get started get started into this soon.

[Nitekruizer]

When I pulled my cluster it had about a pound of black dirt in it. The previous owner had used the truck to carry a sprayer on the farm. Anyway, yes, the bulbs were incandescent and the inside of the cluster was white. The paint is actually a flat white, not glossy. I tried a very light blue flat paint and I liked it, but later went back to a flat white with some blue bulb filters that I pulled from a late sixties Ford car.

Personally, if I was to go with LEDs, I would choose aqua or blue LEDs, but that's just me and they would have to be dimable. I don't like bright lights in my vehicle when I'm driving at night.

I used a flat white spray paint followed by a fluorescent red spray on the needles. Fluorescent orange may have been more acurate though, but I already had the red. Definitely do not use any liquids for cleaning the gauge face, not even water. The white lettering will come off.