Front Grills on 73
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 154
Likes: 0
From: Maple Ridge 1973 Corvette under restor BC
Front Grills on 73
What kind of finish do the grills have from the factory? Mine need to be re-done. They look like they are aluminum painted black over a chrome plating. Big pieces are just peeling off. What is the easiest way to remove the rest of this plating? Should I just paint them black after? Do I need to prime the aluminum?
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 2,340
Likes: 2
From: Moro IL
Re: Front Grills on 73 (bobbydene)
From the factory they will be what I think looks like a semi-gloss black with the front edges still shiny aluminum. I might be wrong on the color black though. I cleaned mine pretty good and took some light sandpaper to mine and shot them gloss black, turned out pretty good.
:cheers:
Pat Kunz
:cheers:
Pat Kunz
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 168
Likes: 4
From: central Washington state
Re: Front Grills on 73 (bobbydene)
Bobby;
The grilles are pot metal. From the factory they are chrome plated and painted black all except for the very leading edge of each grille bar. Mine were peeling just like yours when I got my car. I took off all the loose, peeling chrome and painted the grilles flat black. Other than replacing them, or spending a huge amount of money to have them repaired and replated and repainted, that's about the best you can do.
The grilles are pot metal. From the factory they are chrome plated and painted black all except for the very leading edge of each grille bar. Mine were peeling just like yours when I got my car. I took off all the loose, peeling chrome and painted the grilles flat black. Other than replacing them, or spending a huge amount of money to have them repaired and replated and repainted, that's about the best you can do.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,405
Likes: 418
From: Chester Virginia
Re: Front Grills on 73 (bobbydene)
Early model year grilles had the leading edge showing the chrome plating. Late model year cars had the leading edge painted over the chrome black. There is a post in the restoration forum about this.
Roger
Roger
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 2,125
Likes: 9
From: Crescent City, CA
Re: Front Grills on 73 (bobbydene)
73 grills had the leading edge chrome and 74 grills were all black.
Try sanding the pot metal smooth, spraying them black and buying a modelers chrome paint and paint the leading edge.
This will look good, at a low cost.
Terry
Try sanding the pot metal smooth, spraying them black and buying a modelers chrome paint and paint the leading edge.
This will look good, at a low cost.
Terry
