aaroncorvette

Hey, my front grilles are looking a bit crusty and it's time to do something about it.

I prefer the '68-'69 grills and lights and was thinking of incorporating them into car without the chrome work, so the only chrome will be the bumper, kinda race car looking

like this

[IMG][/IMG]

I'm just wondering whether anyone has done this or has any pics of different ways they have gone about it?

I'm going to get the old grills out tomorrow and take a few pics to see what we have and what might work

aaroncorvette

Ecklers parts needed would be -

Grilles (x2)
http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corve...1968-1969.html

Lights (x2)

http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corve...1968-1969.html

Brackets (x2)

http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corve...ight-1969.html

and few other screws etc

I'll have to get my mate with the '68 to take his chrome off for me and see what his looks like I guess?

roscobbc

Aaron - simply have the existing chrome trim re-finished in body colour - btw the grille support options for '68 & '69 are limited availability and confusing - you'll probably need to make your own ones up. Stock side lights being white with dual filament bulbs are not UK legal (I changed lenses to amber ones off a series 1 Landrover - and have amber side lights/indicators - still not quite UK legal)

aaroncorvette

Hello Ross, just the man I was thinking of I'll get the grille's off today and take a look but it's not constructed how I thought it was, so yes it's looking like some sort of painting.

I don't like the '71 indicators though, yours are much better, and white is the only colour for me as i've gotten rid of the amber rear lenses already

aaroncorvette

[IMG][/IMG]

Right, I got a grille off today to take a look, also look the centre mounted licence plate off which looks much better, I will get a stick on one for the bonnet (hood)

I've decided to paint the centre chrome parts and the lower chrome, basically everything but the bumper in body colour (red).

I'll go with the earlier round lights at the front, so, the parts I need are -


http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corve...1968-1969.html

I can get a skanky pair over here as they will be painted.

http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corve...1968-1969.html

Left and right grills 68-69

Lights 68-69http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corvette-parking-light-assembly-1968-1969.html



Light brackets

http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corve...left-1969.html

Do I need these to mount the early grill in the '71?

http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corve...aces-1969.html

Oh and i'll sell the original '71 grilles.

wabco40

What's with the extra light in the side of your original grill?

Brad

aaroncorvette

I'm not sure, there's electrical tape where someone has added something, indicators and driving lights I guess?

Do you not have that setup in the states?

wabco40

There's the original plug at the back and up to 71 the fibre optic on the top.
Looking at yours someone has added a light in the side.

I'm in Australia however mine is still set up as when it was in the States. The rear bulb for the park lights and indicators.

aaroncorvette

I guess it's where someone has added amber indicators for UK law, so what colour do front US indicators flash, white? This would explain the extra bulb in the side of the light.

aaroncorvette

Have you seen the new price of the '71 front grilles!

$760
http://www.ecklerscorvette.com/corve...1970-1972.html

Taijutsu

Who ever did the drawing is very talanted.

Add an L88 hood and ditch the side pipes,
all black set for Pro-Touring! My dream.

R

aaroncorvette

The pic is great isn't it?

I love the shorty side pipes Each to their own.

carriljc

For my 68 (type in the title) they sure seems like a lot of money for the cheap plastic things they are. Nothing compared to those 760 dollar things. I have an idea floating around in my noggin to fabricate some out of some stainless mess?? Does that do-able?

aaroncorvette

Yeah I was thinking about the mesh too, also thinking about a cold air intake system with the air filters extending down to the centre grill area?

Something like this but extended further -



http://www.summitracing.com/parts/spe-764/media/images

Or would that throw water into the filters? Is there a recommended height?

Bob Heine

I actually did something along those lines but using an Ecklers 68-72 custom grille. This photo is taken from a very low angle so the gap at the top really shows -- from a normal viewing angle it looks better.


It required some fiberglass work and cutting up the light housings. Here it is in my '72 project car. It eliminates the center grille, which means you have to fabricate a new lower panel. The new grille surround is just a fiberglass half-tube formed over some copper tubing and then adhesive-bonded to the edge of the surround.

The grille was P/N A6882 in the 1985 catalog and sold for $99.95. I believe it was intended for one of their custom front ends. It is a pretty simple design with extruded aluminum bars cut and tack-welded into v-shapes. It wouldn't be that difficult to duplicate. Here are some photos of the construction looking the bottom side of the grille:

carriljc

They are fairly straight lines.....seems like fabrication of a grill with some stainless bars would work? Just gotta fabricate to work with the turn signal assembly?

Bob Heine

Stainless or aluminum should work just fine. I cut the housing out of the stock grille (my grille was pitted and had a couple of cracks). Used a couple of aluminum bars to mount them to available bolts on the headlight assemblies.

carriljc

do you have more pictures you can share? Just for ideas and whatnot.

Bob Heine

carriljc,
I'll preface this with my rationale for the grille change. In the mid-to-late 80s Zip Corvette and others sold stock replacements 70-72 grilles for $195 each and the center section for another $176. With shipping it was around $600. This Ecklers grille was $105 delivered to my house. Today's prices make me cringe, especially when the original grilles were pitted by the time they were 6 years old (I bought my 72 in 78).

As requested, here’s a few more pictures.

Here’s a shot of the light housing with the grille cut off (just a hacksaw job). The mounting brace is just a piece of aluminum attached with a ¼-20 bolt and nut. The bracket attaches to the headlight bracket brace bolt.


The other side of the light housing has two 1/4-inch holes that attach to the side of the grille shell.


The small metal surround left after cutting the grille off will have to be painted body color or silver – I won’t be wasting money on re-chroming it.


The actual opening for the grille started with two pieces of aluminum angle, with notches cut for the curved section. This is taken inside the grille area looking at the side marker light.


At the center of the grille the two pieces are bonded with some polyester resin and fiberglass. These days I do all my work on the Vette using epoxy resin, which seems to be a little tougher and holds better. All of the fiberglass in this area is homemade, using some pieces of Formica (might have been Wilsonart) laminate. It held a decent curve and the polyester didn’t stick to it very well. This side of the fiberglass is pretty uneven but the other side looks as good as the original glass.


This shot shows how much new material is involved. Everything from the end of that rubber seal mounting flange to the other side of the car in the same place is fabricated. The new openings are an attempt to provide more cooling (this is a big block automatic car). At one point I was going to build a new mounting flange for the rubber seal but it’s going to be a duct under the radiator to aim some fresh air at the small power steering cooler I mounted behind the radiator.


The cooler mounts on the front crossmember using the fan shroud mounting holes.


The driver side light or the surround needs a little work to get everything lined up.


The Ecklers grille didn’t come with instructions or photograps so I had to wing it on the mounting. I used thicker aluminum angle to make small brackets to mount the grille. Four of the brackets lined up close to some of the holes in the stock bumper but there was nothing convenient in the middle. The brackets for the grille are similar to the ones I made for the cooler.


I made up a couple of aluminum rods for the lower mounts. I used a die to cut threads in the end of the aluminum rods. They should keep the grille from flapping around at speed.

Hope this helps.

aaroncorvette

Nice pics


Does anyone have an exploded diagram of a '69 grille assembly please, I have a '71 AIM but no way of comparing the 2 layouts.

Cheers