chrome alignment
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,692
Likes: 157
From: Miami, FL
chrome alignment
Please look at these two pics and let me know if you think the chrome on this '70 could be lined up this awkwardly form the factory. The passenger side looks too crooked to me but I haven't seen enough to know.
Thanks,
Greg
Thanks,
Greg
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 8,732
Likes: 1,905
From: LONG ISLAND
2025 C3 ('68-'73) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Racer
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 382
Likes: 24
From: Uxbridge Ontario
When I put my car back to together after stipping it and having it painted I spent I think about 3 hours getting the bumper and the grills lined up. When I took the car apart there were no shims a the end of the bumpers once I added these I found that the bumper holes did not line up correctly with the bumper and put a lot of stress on the front bumper itself. I religned the holes put the shims in and adjusted the shims until the ends of the bumper had even gaps and the center line matched the center line of the car. The grills also had to be adjusted but as we all know these cars were never perfect. Have fun, spend the time and in the end it will be worth it.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,485
Likes: 7
From: Peekskill NY
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 19,350
Likes: 654
From: Tampa, Florida
Hows that work? The outer grills are in a fixed poistion therefore adding the bracket for the 'empty screw hole' screw shouldnt make a difference. I can see moving the 'bumperettes' around but not the outer grills.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,485
Likes: 7
From: Peekskill NY
When you attach the inner bracket to the bumper shim with washers to achieve the desired height when you screw the grill to it, so the bottom of the grill lines up with the bumperettes at the bottom. If you grab the grill, there's some vertical flex there which will allow this adjustment.
Glenn
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,485
Likes: 7
From: Peekskill NY
The thing is you want these to keep the grills rigid and from bouncing when you go over bumps because the lower valence will start to crack over time where the lower grill screws are.
Glenn
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 7,720
Likes: 12
From: Chattanooga TN
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,117
From: Crossville TN
Getting the grillework to line up is not a big problem, if you have the original hardware. If you don't, you can buy it...or you can just make the brackets out of flatstock (stainless would be best). The grille alignment isn't a very good indicator of a prior wreck; frame/glasswork is better to find that. If the grillework is in good shape (chrome, not damaged or bent), you are way ahead of the game.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,692
Likes: 157
From: Miami, FL
Who knows. Why are the brackets missing in the first place? That's my question. I know there was minor front end damage to mine so I believe thats why my grills were replaced and the brackets were either damaged or forgotten.
The thing is you want these to keep the grills rigid and from bouncing when you go over bumps because the lower valence will start to crack over time where the lower grill screws are.
Glenn
The thing is you want these to keep the grills rigid and from bouncing when you go over bumps because the lower valence will start to crack over time where the lower grill screws are.
Glenn
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,237
Likes: 4,330
From: Westminster Maryland
gccch,
The fit from the factory was not great at all, but, I think yours can be improved. I've found that having everything loose, then using shims to get things into position and alignment, and then tightening the screws, bolts and nuts, works. I was told not to use the hardware to move the bumpers and grilles into proper position because this leads to the sound only cracking fiberglass makes, and you get no hint that its coming.
Regards,
Alan
The fit from the factory was not great at all, but, I think yours can be improved. I've found that having everything loose, then using shims to get things into position and alignment, and then tightening the screws, bolts and nuts, works. I was told not to use the hardware to move the bumpers and grilles into proper position because this leads to the sound only cracking fiberglass makes, and you get no hint that its coming.
Regards,
Alan
Race Director
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 19,350
Likes: 654
From: Tampa, Florida
The grill inner bracket bolts to the bracket welded to the bumper, and goes behind the grill. Here's a page from my 70 AIM, you'll see what I'm referring to.
When you attach the inner bracket to the bumper shim with washers to achieve the desired height when you screw the grill to it, so the bottom of the grill lines up with the bumperettes at the bottom. If you grab the grill, there's some vertical flex there which will allow this adjustment.
Glenn
When you attach the inner bracket to the bumper shim with washers to achieve the desired height when you screw the grill to it, so the bottom of the grill lines up with the bumperettes at the bottom. If you grab the grill, there's some vertical flex there which will allow this adjustment.
Glenn
Thats not a '70 A.I.M. pic BTW
Team Owner
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 37,637
Likes: 3,117
From: Crossville TN
Each of the surround screws has a lot of latitude to move, as they screw into "movable" speed nuts. Also, the bracket toward the center nose [on each side] has slotted holes so that you can manipulate its position quite a bit. The most difficult items to get right are the inner "bumperettes". These are mounted to the bumper and also get a bolt through the frame hardware from behind [at the bottom]. You have to get them mounted correctly to have any chance of a small gap with the surround channel.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 5,485
Likes: 7
From: Peekskill NY
Yup, I realized that afterwards. It's from a catalog, but the same diagram is in the AIM.
