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How can i get my side egg crate grills to have the chrome edges. Ive seen both styles of painted entirely and the ones with the edges chromed on top of the paint. This looks amazing and i want to do it to mine. Any tips????
The ones on my '72 were repainted (before I bought it), but I think the following is correct...
The tops aren't chromed. The waffleboards are made out of aluminum. I'm guessing that either the tops of the waffleboard are masked off before painting, or the paint is sanded off (or otherwise removed) after painting. At least that's what it looks like to me.
The original crates were chrome plated and then painted with acid etching primer. (Zinc Chromate) The early grilles on a 1970 car did not have the raised edges like the crate used on 1971-1972 cars.
If you want the edges of the chrome to show, you’ll need to have the entire crate plated, and then painted. If you want the paint to stay on the chrome you will need to use an acid etching primer.
You can expose the chrome on the crate in several different ways.
You can take your time and tape off the area that you want exposed.
You can paint the entire crate and then shave off the paint where desired with a sharp razor blade.
You can paint the crate and while it’s still wet use a lint free rag and some thinner to gently rub off the paint on the edge. All three should work just fine.
Last edited by Willcox Corvette; Sep 13, 2006 at 11:12 PM.
The original crates were chrome plated and then painted with acid etching primer. (Zinc Chromate) The early grilles on a 1970 car did not have the raised edges like the crate used on 1971-1972 cars.
If you want the edges of the chrome to show, you’ll need to have the entire crate plated, and then painted. If you want the paint to stay on the chrome you will need to use an acid etching primer.
You can expose the chrome on the crate in sever different ways.
You can take your time and tape off the area that you want exposed.
You can paint the entire crate and then shave off the paint where desired with a sharp razor blade.
You can paint the crate and while it’s still wet use a lint free rag and some thinner to gently rub off the paint on the edge. All three should work just fine.
Thanks to all, if there are other recommendations send them my way. I live in Dominican Republic and there isnt any chrome plating businesses here so i have to send the crates away to be plated and then back to me to continue with the painting. If you know of a good quality, reasonably priced place where i can send them let me know. THANKS AGAIN to all
I don't know what year car you have but I stripped the paint off mine and they were chrome underneath. I primed them painted them and then scraped the paint off the edges. The paint was removed on the horizontal edges for the 70 only. The other years it was removed from both the horizontal and vertical edges. Take your fingernail and scrape off some paint on the edge whoever repainted your car painted over the edges as they were unpainted from the factory.
AFTER BUYING A N O S CENTER GRILL FOR MY 73 LAST YEAR I REPAINTED THE OTHER 2 GRILLS AND USED CHROME PAINT ON A Q TIP TO GET THE LEADING EDGE CHROME-----------------------------------------
I don't know what year car you have but I stripped the paint off mine and they were chrome underneath. I primed them painted them and then scraped the paint off the edges. The paint was removed on the horizontal edges for the 70 only. The other years it was removed from both the horizontal and vertical edges. Take your fingernail and scrape off some paint on the edge whoever repainted your car painted over the edges as they were unpainted from the factory.
AFTER BUYING A N O S CENTER GRILL FOR MY 73 LAST YEAR I REPAINTED THE OTHER 2 GRILLS AND USED CHROME PAINT ON A Q TIP TO GET THE LEADING EDGE CHROME-----------------------------------------
That looks great man! I'll have to try the same. I've been trying to figure out something to do with those grills on my 75.
If yours is a 70 coupe then you need to look at the 70 Corvette registry they have some great pictures there including one of the correct eggcrate grille. I am assuming you are talking about the side grilles not the front grilles as noted in the previous post. On a 70 the front grilles are all chrome. Here is the website :http://corvetteforum.net/c3/1970regi...xtdetails.html
That's for plastic ... eggcrates are diecast metal. Moreover, be careful clicking on tony's plastics site ... lotsa annoying popups on his cheapazz site!!!!!
If yours is a 70 coupe then you need to look at the 70 Corvette registry they have some great pictures there including one of the correct eggcrate grille. I am assuming you are talking about the side grilles not the front grilles as noted in the previous post. On a 70 the front grilles are all chrome. Here is the website :http://corvetteforum.net/c3/1970regi...xtdetails.html
Chrome bumper vettes rule!!
Yes, i am speaking about the side grills. Thaks for the tip. Also, when you say all front grills are chrome that includes the center grill thats usually hidden behind a license plate?