The analog senders (oil pressure, coolant temp, and maybe others) don't directly control the dash gauges. Instead, the senders are used to ultimately...
To get a "normal" temperature reading on the dash gauge, I'd drive it at a constant highway speed for a few miles. The gauge reading should stabilize...
It's been a long time since I polished the original tail light lenses on Lil Red. After polishing them the first time, they photographed well enough...