C3 Grill Color

[Mike South]

I have an early 69 BB (10171). The judging manual states that this car should have the leading edges of the grille painted silver, mine is black. What kind of paint should I use to reproduce the silver color? Is the grille painted just on the horizontal bars or the verticle as well.

Thanks
Mike South
Member #35686

[George Romano]

Re: C3 Grill Color

You can use any silver paint as this area is seldom, if ever exposed to sunlight which would fade the paint. You can even use enamel model paint.

Use a foam brush, and apply the color to the horizontal edges only.

I think it looks better all black myself.

George

[George D.]

Re: C3 Grill Color

I have an early 69 (ser#8080) and the grille is painted on the horizontal sections only. This includes the leading edge and back to the first step in the hoizontal bars. I only had to touch up the leading edge. I used a felt tip marker type applicator that I bought at a craft store. If you have to do the the horizontal part this can be tedious. If you are going for Flight judging I doubt it's worth the effort. The other option is to check swap meets for the correct grilles.

George

[Ed S.]

Re: C3 Grill Color

Mike,

My '69 (with Oct.-'68 build date) had what I believe to be the original, silver-painted grills when I acquired the car in '82. The grills looked to have been painted with some type of "mask" at the factory, as only the front halves of the horizontal fins had silver paint on them, and the edges of the silver/black interface had a "feathered" appearance (no crisp paint masking lines)....and no paint on the vertical grill sections.

Unfortunately, these original grills were in rough shape, and since I was young and even more uniformed in '82 than I am now....I quickly discarded the originals and replaced them with a set of repop, all black grills.

Good luck,
Ed

[Mike South]

Re: C3 Grill Color

Thanks to all of you for your great help! I think I will try to reproduce this paint as per your instructions and observations.

Mike

[Jim T.]

Re: C3 Grill Color

Mike I looked in my Vette Vues Fact Book of the 69-72 Stingray by M.F. Dobbins the second edition, it states that 69's had the painted grilles to at least SN 14255. The verticle areas are not painted. I don't know if they still have them, but GM did still sell new grilles that seemed reasonable.

[Mike South]

Re: C3 Grill Color

Thanks! I will check this out to see if GM still sells them. The only ones I have seen for sale are black.

Mike South