Automatic gear indicator restoration

[CowsPatoot]

No matter how nice of condition your center console is in, they all seem to have that faded white spot on the gear indicator...you know, the one that used to be orange, but years of sun faded just the spot that is visible when it is in park...so not it looks goofy when you are in gear.  That's right....THIS spot:


Anyway...that just won't do in the convertible with the new dash, new center console, new door panels, power windows, auto-dimming mirror, new steering column (with working delay wipers), etc, etc.  Ok, OK...these parts obviously aren't new...but they are in really nice condition and they all match.  No point in doing a half-assed job installing them.  So...I pulled out the 2000 grit, and cleaned it up nice and fresh:


Now the question is...what do I use to re-paint that orange part?  Just regular paint?  Does it need to be translucent, or will the light shine through normal paint properly to indicate the gear?  What won't fade in the sun (the convertible gets it's fair share of that)?  Where are my photography experts, i need to know what the light will do through different filters.  I feel foolish asking such a simple question...but you know how it is.  And I really hate re-doing things.

[TopNotch]

I put red reflector tape on mine. It doesn't let light through at night, but it looks very good in the day time.

[Fierofool]

If I learned anything from my 40+ years in printing, it's that reds and oranges don't hold up well to UV exposure.  Fluorescents are the worse.  If you used a paint, it would need to be of a plastics type paint to make it adhere.  Model car paint or fingernail polishe thinned down really good, but I'd test my transluscency on something else before applying it.  Each of those will tend to melt the surface of the plastic, so you would need to dry it quickly with a hair dryer.  You could use a pressure sensitive material and that way as you needed to , you could replace it without needing to sand and scuff the plastic each time.  Check out this site.

http://www.tapebrothers.com/Translucent-Colored-Lamination-Tape-s/356.htm

[CowsPatoot]

Thanx, Charlie...that link made me go to the auto parts store and buy some of the tape that people use to repair a broken tail light.  Unfortunately, I got the Amber tape, and a couple layers of it make it look greenish yellow instead of amber.  Oh well, it will work for now.  Should have gotten red though.

[Fierofool]

I think I have 3 or 4 automatic shifter plates.  If any of them are salvageable, you're welcome to them.

[CowsPatoot]

I have extras as well (actually, the before and after pic above were two different ones taken at the same time)...but I am too cheap to buy another round of tape right now, and in kind of a rush to get the car back together.  Gotta drive it to Pennsylvania on Friday.

The good news though...it now has (or will by the end of the day) power windows with waterproof lighted switches, delay wipers (that work), auto dimming rearview mirror, proper wiring for the TCC, nice new dash and door panels in light gray, courtesy lights, dome light, working horn button (now just need working horns, thinking I'll go with the Delorean horns), properly installed accessory power outlet under the dash...and that stupidly painted driver's door panel is replaced with a proper white one.

And a teaser pic (showing the greenish yellow tape on the gear indicator)...