I don't know what I can do with this A/C panel but will try. The problem is the Lettering on the front, if I sand it off it's gone forever.

 

If you take an accurate photograph any Laser etching/engraving data plate place can put the labeling back on for you. The same could be said for silk screening but it's not worth it for one item. Might be worth getting the laser etchers to take a correct image.

Laser etchers in SA will do one offs.

 

ok, what is laser etching? I'll do a search for Laser etching/engraving but I've never heard of that. I also thought of having Saul laminate it with wood.

 

Google ~ you will find out all about it. They could even make you a fancy face plate for that but could also reproduce pretty close to what you have on the original steel painted black.

 

They could even make you a perfect replica of this.

 

I just wrote to a local company, may have hit the jackpot.

Orlando Laser Engraving | Laser Marking & Cutting Metal, Plastic, Wood, Leather, Stone & More

that panel is very pretty too but I wood prefer would !

 

Whatever makes you happy!

 

too expensive!! here's the reply:

 

Rip off! Find a small operator. Here they will make you a Hot, Cold slider plate for your Classic MG or whatever for a fraction of that & make a plan with a fill colour if necessary.

 

yes, and the restored panel won't sell for that much !

 

Absolutely ~ companies like that are just telling you they don't want your business.

 

It doesn't look that bad, remove the switch and the knobs and clean them separately.
I bit of super fine steel wool on the switch will bring up the nickel plating.
The knobs can be cleaned with toothpaste as well as the painted metal surface with out harming the white letters.
It won't take much to polish the painted surface, after that a little paste wax and should look pretty good.

 

Thanks for the tips Jeff

 

Better shot of the Artic Kar panel. Knew I had one somewhere.

 

I tried toothpaste to clean the knobs, they are solid but the black plastic is dull. I have a pair of Series 3 XJ-6 rear air vent floor knobs which fit the same way.

Almost there, painting the edges today, all disassembled and cleaned as best as possible.

This is not an Artic Kar controls panel, this is the Factory a/c controls panel.
I assume one potentiometer with 4-detente positions is for Fan Speeds, the other potentiometer also with 4 detente positions is for the Temp ?

 

There is no such thing as a factory panel. AC was only fitted in the US from a couple of suppliers. I guess you could consider them factory authorised & Artic Kar was one of them.

The ones I have seen have just been left & right. 2 identical controls ~ low ~ medium ~ high. 2 vents & 2 fans. They were real basic! Turn on the compressor & control temperature in the car manually by how much cold air you blow into it. Arctic Kar was sophisticated. They fitted a blue idiot light to show that the unit was active.

 

so here it is, Finished as best as possible. The XJ-6 knobs work fine and are like new. I pictured the original knobs to show how they have turned brown and dull.

The edges and the rear were painted gloss black, and the front fascia polished carefully, then reassembled.

 

Nice job, Jose! It looks pretty good to me anyway...

 

There ya go, that turned out well !

 

Jeff, the digital camera exagerates any imperfection, it looks a lot better in person, the eye doesn't see the imperfections like the camera.

The toggle switch cleaned nicely, the fascia I polished with "New Finish". I tried toothpaste on the knobs but you can see they are browned and dulled. The funny thing, the XJ-6 knobs fit perfectly on the half-moon shafts of the potentiometers!! Those knobs were waiting for the A/C Panel !!