Can anybody tell me how to get the speedo and other needles off of the guages without breaking them. I wanted to repaint the orange underneath them

 

The easiest way to remove them is with either prying on them from the center with a small flathead screwdriver, or using your fingernails, one on each side.

 

I used a fork, because it supports each side of the needle and it's the right shape to prise the needle off.

 

Will the guages require recalibration after removal?

JamesC

 

your best bet is to use something that will allow you to apply even pressure to both sides while lifting straight up. it doesn't take much to break the need shaft, then you're screwed. i used a pair of dykes, they seemed the cradle the needle pretty good. as far as calibrating the gauges, here's what i did. start the car and let it warm up. once it is all warmed up, with the car still running, write down on a piece of paper where the needle sits on each of the gauges that you're working with. then after you've done your work, warm the car up and while the car is running, replace the needles at the position that you wrote down. it's not a perfect method, but all of my gauges seemed to be pretty accurate afterwards.