1971/72 RT/Rallye Tailight Bezels for a 1972 Dodge Charger Paint Question

[RTclassicfann]

Wanting to repaint the bezels Satin Black. Since the bezels are pot metal, does anyone have any advise on how to remove the old Satin Black paint? Should I sand them, use a paint stripper, or have them media blasted and if so what media is the best and safest to use with pot metal? Since the bezels are fairly expensive, I want to do this the best and safest way possible. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Charger72]

I soda blasted mine and then masked and painted.

 

[RTclassicfann]

I soda blasted mine and then masked and painted.

View attachment 891204

Wowwwww, they look great.

 

[Charger72]

Thanks RT and let us know and update what you end up doing.

 

[Skytrooper]

just cleaned and painted

 

[fatecaptured]

I used my blast cabinet on mine. Black beauty. My air supply isn't very good, so I couldn't tell you what pressure it was. Mine was pitted pretty good, I think they came out ok.

 

[Charger72]

Nice job, I am following along on your resto thread.

 

[WP29440SE]

I used air craft paint stripper in a can. took the old paint right off. then duplicolor semi gloss black. it was pretty dark in the garage for this pic

 

[dodge1972]

I soda blasted mine and then masked and painted.

View attachment 891204

Like the original gray look. What brand and color did you use? Thanks

 

[Charger72]

I painted these two bezels two weeks apart and somewhere along the line I mixed up the finishing paint.

I think the top is Eastwood's Detail Gray, and the bottom is Spray Gray; I went with the Spray Gray.

Used some argent I had kicking around for the outer part of the bezel:

 

[Nacho-RT74]

I like the top one better

 

[RJS]

I painted these two bezels two weeks apart and somewhere along the line I mixed up the finishing paint.

I think the top is Eastwood's Detail Gray, and the bottom is Spray Gray; I went with the Spray Gray.

View attachment 946164

Used some argent I had kicking around for the outer part of the bezel:
View attachment 946165

I believe the top has a more correct original look. Here's a picture of an NOS piece
Ron

 

[Nacho-RT74]

I sold once 4 NOS R/T louvers and to me the correct gray shade is in the middle of both HOWEVER, pics can lie due the light and angle. Just side by side in person you can see the reallity. but on pics I like more the darker, not because correctness but my taste. The darker gray also makes looks better the lighter outline

 

[71SandbugCharger]

Whatever you do, don't use Citristrip! It will disolve the plastic housings! Lesson learned the hard way, and had to buy all new housings (which were better than mine, and now I have extra restored lenses to someday offload.) - '71 SE.

 

[71SandbugCharger]

There is also this writeup on the subject: https://www.hotrod.com/articles/restore-your-mopars-taillight-panel-yourself/

 

[Charger72]

Here it is with original paint.