Product Condition Grades
Below is a general description of what the criteria is for our product condition grades. These are generalizations that are intended to give you an idea of the condition of the product at a quick glance. Because different parts degrade at different rates, there are variances in what the letters represent, please see the products description for details about the condition of any particular product.
A = Excellent / Above Average
B = Average / Some flaws / Good to Excellent Driver Quality
C = Obvious flaws / Poor to Average Driver Quality
D, E, F = Worse, Worser, Worsest
Most of our grade A pads (other than black) will show some degree of fading. If you plan on repainting let us know and instead of replacing the reproduction emblem and beauty ring we will leave them off the pad for you to install after painting.
Used grade "A" horn center / pad in aqua for the Mercury Cougar. Keep in mind that Aqua and Light Blue are very similar in color, once Aqua starts to fade, it becomes Light Blue. This is the best used example of a 1967 horn center / pad. Rarely do we have more than one center as nice as this one in stock but we'll do what we can to get you a good pad. This unit includes a reproduction center emblem and reproduction outer ring, but will be shipped disassembled so that you can paint it to match your interior. The reproduction center emblem and outer ring can also be purchased separately.
*Restoration Tip* If you choose to repaint your horn center, we recommend SEM “Color Coat” brand vinyl aerosol paint. “Color Coat” is fade resistant, flexible, and is a semi-permanent coating. At present we do not offer any colors other than Landau black and parchment due to the fact that almost 100 different colors and color variations were used from 1967-73. Many vendors do offer a "generic" sampling of colors, but to obtain true restoration quality results, you will need multiple variations of the same color. However, if you have black or parchment colored interior then Landau black or parchment will in fact do most all of your 1967-73 interior parts. There were multiple suppliers (over a dozen) for the different plastic and vinyl interior parts and whereas one would think they all would be identical in color they are not. Due to the vast array of materials used and different suppliers and manufacturing methods used to produce these parts, multiple shades of any one color are needed to obtain a correct original appearance. Locally we rely on "Industrial Finishes" to custom match and mix our SEM brand interior paint. This automotive paint supply store uses a hand held electronic scanner to scan an original part that has not been subjected to harsh UV rays. This service is less costly than you might think, usually multiple custom mixed colors can be obtained for under $200 and supplied within 48 hours. Nothing looks worse than an old interior that someone has "fogged" heavily with a "one size fits all" off the shelf color. It will take extra time, effort and money to recolor your interior parts correctly but the results are worth it.
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