I have a 1976 280z.  I am putting in a new dash and would like to restore the eyeball vents, mainly by stripping/painting the flaked off fake chrome coating.  I can remove the round center section but can't figure out how to remove the flaps that open or close the vent.   I see how they attach to the round part but without removing the knob I don't know how to get it out   Is the knob non removable?  

 

Are there aftermarket replacements?

 

 

 

6 hours ago, fusion said:

the flaked off fake chrome coating. 

Nothing fake about that chrome.. it's real chrome!!  (it's damped (Vapor deposited?) on the plastic..)

btw.. i don't know if the knob is removable, take some good lighting and a lot of patience, maybe you see how it's constructed.. and see a way out.

There are aftermarket replacements for the 240z eyeballs vents, but not the 280z ones. Going to have to find a better set of used ones or someplace that does plastic chroming. 

Thanks guys.  But does anyone know how to remove the flaps?

Just now, fusion said:

Thanks guys.  But does anyone know how to remove the flaps?

Also do the 240z versions fit into the 280z dash?  I am not hooking it up to any vents, just need it to physically fit

Here are the dimensions of the 280z piece, if anyone knows or could measure the 240z version, that would be sweet.

 

 

It's the smallest ring that has some damage.. i would paint that one black and polish the rest.. you be surprised how nice they are when polished.

All that green stuff is removed easely.. (it's the copper in there that makes them greenish..)

Take a small drillbit in your small powerdrill and put some cotton around it and polish away..

Mine were pretty green and with some polish came back to life pretty nice. You could clean them as best as possible and then try to touch them up with a chrome pen. 

I realize this is long past but it is the closest topic I could find to my green dash (eyeball) vent issue. I am trying to find information on cleaning the green "Corrosion?" without physically polishing because I cannot get into the smaller spaces. I just happened to notice that this thread never has its ultimate question answered, "if anyone knows or could measure the 240z version, that would be sweet."

Well, if someone else comes by the 240z vent measurements are roughly 78mmx30mm

Below is the 240z vent with green deposits.

Edited May 31May 31 by DrFeelGood

They are available...

Maybe some vinegar and then neutralize with baking soda and water??

7 minutes ago, Patcon said:

They are available...

Maybe some vinegar and then neutralize with baking soda and water??

Thanks. That is not a bad idea. I was thinking of maybe CLR but I read that it is not suitable for chromium oxide, (assuming that is what is deposited). I will try vinegar or a baking soda paste as I loathe the odor of vinegar. Trying to avoid dropping $70+ on vents as there are many other things vying for an ever decreasing pot of money.

Cheers

The green comes from the copper that is damped up on the plastic to chrome the part. So it's probably poison.. the copper green..
Maybe google how to remove copper green..

But as the copper shows through the chrome, it will not get very nice after clean-up i think, better to look for better ones that had a dryer life.