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I picked up 1972 coupe last week and as I comb over it I have come across an issue with the front grilles that I cannot figure out. I have searched the forum and I am still at a loss as this is my first Stingray.
Each grille on either side of front plate has a hole. Mine are each missing the screw and the bracket behind. I ordered the brackets last week and got them today...I must be missing whatever THESE brackets mount to because there is nothing around to fasten them to.
Anybody that can show me what I am missing? I would greatly appreciate any help. I have looked at every schematic I can find but I just dont see what I need.
OK, I will go out and have a look. My license plate bracket is a reproduction but appears to be a copy of the original according to what I am seeing in Ecklers. I took it off in preperation of installing these brackets.
Thanks for the input.
IMO, the 1972 Assembly Instruction Manual or 72 AIM should have an assembly drawing showing this. The 72 AIM is one of the best manuals you can have if you own a 72 Corvette. You can get them on ebay for 20 to 25$. If still an issue, please post a photo of the problem. Congratulations on your purchase!
Thank you 20Mercury, I will order one asap. I just got in from working on it. I didnt see how these tabs could possible attach in any way to a plate bracket.
I did find a schematic showing these brackets attaching to another bracket that maybe hangs from the chrome bumper like the two that hold the upright chrome bumper guards. But I didn't have any of those on my car...
So I bent two L shaped hangers, with the upright held on by the 3/8 bolt that attaches the top of chrome bumper guard and the bottom with a 1/4 hole and I hung the brackets I purchased by a 1/4 bolt between the two. It is adjustable by threading the nuts tighter or looser so I was able to tweek the grilles to line up better.
Problem solved. Didnt think it would be such a pain in the butt.
Ralphspears, I was tired last night. The bumper brace the plate bracket attaches to is probably 6 inches up from the screw hole in the grille. The brackets I purchased and installed were 2 1/2 inches long max. Whatever was the missing link to make up that difference is what I needed and didnt have, or even have a picture of. I thank you for your time, I have a feeling this wont be the last time I need help.
Number 6 looks like the bracket to hold the CENTER GRILLE. I have those. Those pictures are the ones I have seen and they dont show anything in regards to the screw hole on the inner edge of the left and right grille. They dont even idicate that there IS a screw or mounting hole in the left/right grille. Thats what I dealt with last night. When I purchased the brackets I envisioned them being larger so they'd reach somewhere to bridge the distance between the screw hole in the grilles and something solid. Thats what I fabricated. One day I'll run across an original 1972 and I will crawl under and have a look.
That bracket holds the center grille too it shows in the picture do you see screw # 7 it goes through the center grille the the bracket # 6 is where the screw from the side grille goes
Then my car must be screwed up worse than I thought. My center grille mounts with two screws on each side utilizing both of those bracket holes. And it sits back 6 inches or so behind the outergrilles to make room for the front plate bracket which comes out about flush with the outer grilles. What your telling me may be so, but the two 2 1/2 inch long brackets CorvetteCentral mailed me left me 4 inches short of anything to mount them to...including anything in those photos.
Here is a pic of my '72's grill bracket. The L-shaped chrome vertical portion is part of the bumper - welded on. The Rockford bolt attaches the vertical bumperette.
That picture is worth 1000 words. My tabs coming down were cut off below the bolt and dont have that rearward tab on bottom. Bit thats essentially what I made to fasten my grills to the bumperette. Thank you Sir!
FWIW and it sounds like yours were cut completely off, earlier bumpers only had the vertical part coming down and not that last bend. Mine was replaced at some point with a 68 or 69 and I needed to make up the extra 90 degree part
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1972 Front Grille bracket help
