wabco40

I cleaned up the rough casting edges of my originals and then had them re-chromed.

I then masked up the front edges. Its quite easy to do by laying tape along the full lenght of each horizontal and vertical line. The corners are then cut in using a sharp x-acto blade.
The tape was then folded down the sides of each section to a ridge that is about 1/8" down. The excess tape was trimmed off with a sharp blade.

I then etch primed and as my car is far from original painted them in satin black.

jr9170

wabco40

Thanks Alan,
Regards
Brad

F4Gary

How much?

Baldguy53

In a month or so I'll be changing my engine. When I do that I will try to restore the grilles using powder coat. There is one that kinda resembles chrome that I have used on some stuff for the engine compartment and looks pretty good to me. The powder coater says if I grit blast the parts he can fill the pits with his coating before the final coat.
I'll post process and pictures when done.

7T1vette

Be very careful if you powder coat any parts that are "pot metal"...which I believe those grilles are. Powder coated paint must be baked at a high temperature (over 300*F). Pot metal is a LOW melting point amalgum of various metals: lead, tin, etc, etc.

IF the oven temp is set higher than the melting point of pot-metal, you will end up with a puddle in the oven, rather than a nice, newly painted grille. Very expensive mistake.

Baldguy53

I appreciate that info!

68/70Vette

My understanding is that these grills are not pot metal. They are a cast aluminum alloy. The windshield wiper doors, 68, 69,70,++ are also a cast aluminum alloy. The chrome shop I've been dealing with for 30 years refused to chrome plate my 70 grills because they are aluminum.
Chrome plating aluminum requires an electro-conducting anodize plating first, then the traditional copper, nickel, chrome.

This is what Ive been told. If I'm wrong, I'd be glad to hear about it.

7T1vette

If the grilles are aluminum, there is no problem with powder coating them. Are they?

68/70Vette

Billet aluminum wheels can be powder painted. The grills are an aluminum alloy, or so I've been told. I don't have a clue as to what their temperature maximums are.

7T1vette

About 1200 degrees F. Aluminum is not a problem.

Baldguy53

my grilles look like (and corrode like) pot metal

68/70Vette

I agree. I have been told they are an aluminum alloy, but I'm beginning to think it's an aluminum alloy that's of very poor quality. I have actually no real knowledge, except that my long time replater refused to replate them since he said there were aluminum.. He did polish them for me, and except for some pits, they looked very good.

69FASTFUN

They are potmetal

wabco40

Thats what I reckon.

In Australia we call it die cast aluminium. Its very brittle low quality.

I wouldn't know its melting point though

oldgto

The grills I got with the front clip I bought have been powder coated. They`re not real shiney like chrome, but close enough that I plan to use them as they are.
I don`t know where, or how it was done, but they came through it in great shape.

7T1vette

Melting point for pot metal is somewhere between 300 and 400 degrees F. Low enough that powder coating (and the following baking process) presents a significant risk to melting them.

STL Zombie Hunter

I know this is past 45 days old, but didnt want to start a new thread for the exact same thing. Hopefully it won't get locked.
Has anyone determined what the actual color is on these front grilles? Gunmetal? Dark phosphate? Is this info in any NCRS books?

FWIW: Powder coat bakes at 400 degrees for approx 15-25 min.


EDIT: Nevermind. I seen that Alan 71 has come to the rescue again in a different thread.
Eastwood's Zinc Phosphate #10281Z

lsvet

Just surfing the site and seen this from some time ago, you don't still have the front grille do you or know of one for sale Reasonably priced?

Thanks

Larry

larry.schenk@yahoo.com

drspencer

Did you etch prime & paint them using a spray can?

Thanks