[JoePeek]

I've also seen some pictures of Trans Am's in the very early 70's that had chrome color plastic rings around the gauges. There are a few examples in some Firebird books I have that show cars with the chrome rings around the gauges. I have never seen a T/A in person with these chrome rings in the engine turned T/A style bezel, except for mine. But in several magazine adds, posters, sales literature I've seen them. I always thought they gave the dash a real vintage 1970 look. So when I saw that you could get the chrome rings from Year One, NPD.....can't remember which, I swapped my black ones out for the chrome ones....looks really pre-smog era, pre-Bandit, vintage T/A...perfect for a '71. I think the black ones look best for the wood grain style bezel though.

 

[JoePeek]

I agree, the chrome rings would look really terrible on the wood grain. While the black rings look good on the T/A bezel as well, I wonder why the chrome rings were not around long, and why even in the early 70's most T/A gauges still used the black rings? Oh well, makes them all the more rare and unique now days......kinda like how a back seat console looks..... some folks see those and never even knew they existed.