I am curious about the “balance” between “LIGHTS", “WASHER”, etc. being printed (tampo decal?) directly on the black paint of the bezel, vs. a black version of the woodgrain sticker??? This linked thread seems to suggest that, at least at some point, Buick intended non-woodgrain dashes to have no “overall” sticker. https://v8buick.com/index.php?threads/nos-dash-bezel-70-72.380742/#post-3354209 In the mid-1980s I owned an original ’70 GS 350. It had a black bucket-and-console interior, identical to my ’70 GS 455, except for the dash. It did not have the gauge package, and the “woodgrain area” was black. I’m pretty sure the bottom part of the cluster was painted black, with individual decals of white lettering for “LIGHTS,” “WASHER,” etc… Just like the NOS one in the linked thread… On the other hand, we have repro “black stickers,” and I think I have seen that also on original cars…??? Just speculating, but maybe production was simplified at some point…? Maybe another (more or less) Jan 1970 change…??? Replacing an “inconvenient” process where some/all clusters got little word decals, while some got a woodgrain applique added on top of that…??? Replaced with a process in which everything got an “applique…???”
I believe all of them were black w/lettering (lettering itself looks like a decal of some sort to me but maybe Jason is correct) & then certain models (GS 455 & seemingly some higher end Skylark model) got the woodgrain right over top of that. The repro decals (2 diff kits avail plus heat/AC only from @Briz) are just a simple way to replicate the factory look but I don't believe there was ever a factory black decal that covered that area.
Interesting... The fact that a black dash car still had to have an applique on the climate control face may account for some of my question... If the above is correct, we might be best served by reproduction “decals” for black dashes. (I, too, believe I remember a rectangle of “decal film” surrounding the lettering. I remember one even being slightly crooked...) For those of us with one foot in the model building world, printing decals is “no big deal.” But, there are two complications, in this case: 1) Having the correct font 2) No home printer can print white Were such available, and if someone were restoring a “black dash” car with the Parts Place repro, they could “kill two birds with one stone,” adding the missing black paint on the “ledge” around the “woodgrain area” in the process… Looking forward to further discussion…
The black dash decals are now available from the same guy who just made the wood grain ones. I believe his name is Mark My original black dash Skylark had the painted black pebbled plastic, with smooth areas for the white screen printed Lights, Lighter, Washer. I bought a set of Greg Setter black decals in 2002 here on the board and put them on the Parts Place bezel. There are gaps between the Setter decals and the TPP bezels. Mark has corrected this with his decals and has decals sized for either OE or TPP bezels. I can take photos if anyone needs to see what I am referring to.
We may have a "terminology issue" here...??? I have tried to use the term "applique" to refer to something that covers the whole "woodgrain/pebble grain" area. By "decal," I refer to a roughly 1/4" by 1/2" means of adding "LIGHTS" to a smooth 1/4" by 1/2" flat, molded into a black-painted, pebbled dash, molded with small flats, sized to those "decals." Using "my" terminology, black "appliques" ARE available from Mark Wadja. (Corrected for the TPP bezel...) If I am reading correctly, your "original dash" had "decals..." (I presume no "black apliques," Greg Setter, or Mark Wadja, have a "pebble grain..." If Greg made "decals," as I define them, I am not aware...) I only propose, if/when correct, wouldn't a 1/4" by 1/2" "decal" on the molded pebble grain, painted black, be "better," where original...???
I've never seen an original one with a black "applique." I think Jason is correct that the "decal" was actually somehow printed on there rather than being an actual decal. Mark's black applique takes care of the problem of how to reproduce/position/etc. the lettering - Something I'd been struggling with how to do until finding an NOS bezel. I bought one of Mark's kits just to get the one piece for the Heater. I'll probably sell the rest to someone who needs a complete kit for an A/C car along with the repro heater appliques I bought from Briz on here which are very nice but Mark's is marginally better.
I think technically appliqué and decal are the same thing. They both refer to a film or thin layer that sticks or glues onto another surface. I think the text and marking are screen printed onto the Appliqué or decal ;~)
