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73 front grille edges were chrome from the factory?
Just reading this.....The edges on the front grilles on the 73 left the showroom chromed? I have owned my 73 for over 15 years....Anybody have an accurate answer? I painted mine black many years ago.....Was all black when I bought the car...
I can't say anything about your car, but the 68's grilles were advertised with silver edges. One more thing I might try for my 69. Like this, you may be able to find some of the original advertising online to see what Chevy thought they were selling.
73's had the front edge sanded on the front edge. It wasn't chrome, more had the appearance of brushed aluminum but is actually pot=metal. If you have original 73 grilles yuo can sand the front edges and restore that look.
The 73 original grilles are chrome plated die cast pot metal. The grilles were painted semi gloss black with the leading edge removed to expose the chrome.....Your parking light lenses should have chrome paint on its edges to match the grilles.
The grilles changed in 74 and were made of die cast aluminum. The grilles were completely painted semi gloss black in 74.
Tooch
The 73 original grilles are chrome plated die cast pot metal. The grilles were painted semi gloss black with the leading edge removed to expose the chrome.....Your parking light lenses should have chrome paint on its edges to match the grilles.
The grilles changed in 74 and were made of die cast aluminum. The grilles were completely painted semi gloss black in 74.
Tooch
The 73 grills absolutely were black, with chrome plated edges. The grills were die cast, chrome plated, and then painted flat black with the edges left unpainted, so that the chrome edge showed.
Here are some pictures of an NOS 73 center grill, that I have.
73's had the front edge sanded on the front edge. It wasn't chrome, more had the appearance of brushed aluminum but is actually pot=metal. If you have original 73 grilles yuo can sand the front edges and restore that look.
Originally Posted by dosoctaves
So you guy's are saying you all have chrome grilles, and they painted over the chrome? Thats not what mine are.
You may have 74 grills. 74's used the same grills as the 73's, but they were painted black, without being plated first.
Pot metal, Zinc die cast, white metal, what ever you chose to call it, corrodes and pits quite easily. GM would never leave pot metal exposed to the elements, where it could cause it to corrode.
As an aside, the repro 73 left and right grills available today are plastic, not metal, but the repro center grill is chrome plated metal, as original.
You may have 74 grills. 74's used the same grills as the 73's, but they were painted black, without being plated first.
Pot metal, Zinc die cast, white metal, what ever you chose to call it, corrodes and pits quite easily. GM would never leave pot metal exposed to the elements, where it could cause it to corrode.
As an aside, the repro 73 left and right grills available today are plastic, not metal, but the repro center grill is chrome plated metal, as original.
I have original left and rights, and a repro center. The PO painted them black like a 74. I stripped them, painted them and sanded the front edges. At first I thought it was just cheap aluminum, but based on this it's just cheap chroming I guess. Learn something every day.
01-10-2018, 08:25 PM
73 front grille edges were chrome from the factory?
