71 Center Grille Finish

[Frank B.]

I am tring to find out how the Center Grille was originally finished. Was it painted or was it plated? what was the paint color and shade or the color of the plating.

[Kainnon D. Vilminot]

Re: 71 Center Grille Finish

mine are not cherry by any means but it appaers the edges are chrome and the inside of the squares seems to have rough almost industrial plate type finish--kinda rough texture---would be great to verify this as id like to re-chrome mine

[Chuck S.]

Re: 71 Center Grille Finish

Frank and Kainnon, the grill forward edges are chrome and the insides of the egg crate squares are painted a rough (like sand cast) dark gray. The narrow border around the parking light lenses is flat or semi-flat black.

There are many posts in the archives on this topic with details on paint formulas; do a search on "grill" or "grill paint". If you are going to have them plated, they will need to be plated first, then painted. The insides of the squares probably won't get good coverage in plating anyway, and that may be one of the reasons the grilles were originally painted.

[Kainnon D. Vilminot]

Re: 71 Center Grille Finish

your the man ---thanks!!!

[Patrick H.]

Partially Correct

The CENTER grille is NOT chrome plated whatsoever. It is a pot metal piece that is painted the same very dark gray as the two outer front grilles. The paint often appears somewhat darker due to the lack of chrome plating underneath.

The front "side" grilles which contain the parking lights/turn signals are plated and then painted as Chuck mentions. The correct paint formula is in the Archives, but a semi-flat textured dark gray can be used with good success to refinish the grilles.

Patrick

[Chuck S.]

I "Love" Seeing A...

P. Hulst response to one of my posts...it always means I have committed some "faux pas". :-)

Actually, Patrick, I knew the "completely" correct answer, but did not address the center grill in spite of Frank's original question...chalk it up to NCRS syndrome. (The side grill question shows up twice as often as the center grill question.) Still, it's good to have a "clean-up" crew follow some of us "junior" restorers to insure that bad information is not left laying around. :-)

[Roberto L.]

Re: 71 Center Grille Finish

Hello, I need a bit of explanation. "The narrow border around the parking light lenses", is it the concave area around the lens (almost hidden by them) or the thin depressed line between two thin chrome-plated lines around the lens? :S

Thanks, Roberto, NCRS #30019, RMC

[Chuck S.]

Re: 71 Center Grille Finish

Roberto, I was describing the "thin depressed line between two thin chrome-plated lines around the lens". I am unfamiliar with the concave area around the lens...maybe I better go check it out and recharge my brain cell. :-)

[Patrick H.]

Re: I "Love" Seeing A...

I knew you'd love that one. It's even a topic we've debated before.

Junior, yeah. And how much OLDER than me are you again???

Patrick

[Chuck S.]

At The Risk of Being Colorected By The Dr...

Roberto, I would say that the "concave" area around the lens is...uh, eruh, OK...hmmm...at least the paint remnants seem to show, uh...well, it's maybe...oh, what the heck, DARK GRAY? How about that, Doc? Do you agree? :-)

(Debate: I still think my center grill was flat black, Doc. I guess I'll have to get my wife to remind me to check out the next Bowtie 70-72 we see. Maybe my center grill was "customized" by a previous owner. :-) )

[Patrick H.]

Re: At The Risk of Being Colorected By The Dr...

Chuck,

Potential Bowtie 72 (at least an easy 3 Star) right in my garage. Grilles all match. VERY dark gray at this point, but they match. My 71's also match, and at least the front grilles are unrestored.

I'd have to see EXACTLY which part you're trying to refer to. Part of the area around the lens is gray, part is flat(ish) black.

Patrick

[Chuck S.]

Re: At The Risk of Being Colorected By The Dr...

The part that I, and Roberto, was referring to is the "bezel-like" area around the lens, which transitions from the lens gasket surface to the two-chrome-ringed border that surrounds the lens area. Part of this area (between the inboard side of the lens gasket surface and the grill egg crate) is like a flat, narrow, angled plane. Find the two-chrome-ringed border around the park light, then stare at the area between the border and the lens gasket surface area nearest the grill...you'll be looking at it.

I'll have to wait on seeing your Bowtie candidate until it gets closer to Texas than your garage. :-)

[Roberto L.]

Re: At The Risk of Being Colorected By The Dr...

Quite clear Chuck!!...

Seriously, from a logical standpoint the concave area (almost hidden by the plastic lens) should be flat black, to avoid reflexions of the lamp, theoretically...

Thanks, Roberto, NCRS #30019, RMC

[Chuck S.]

Re: At The Risk of Being Colorected By The Dr...

Roberto, let's wait and see what Patrick says on this (I was having a little fun with the Doc ).

I am at a distinct disadvantage on this question since my grills have already been stripped, and there is only traces of the original paint left in the corners. These remnants apprear dark gray, but it could just be black that has been stained by the paint remover. I agree with your logic on the black completely, but vaguely I remember when I was stripping the grills that something didn't make sense about the paint around the park lights (like, why would they have a black outline border, and then change the color back to dark gray?).

I have depended on my memory on these grills, and we know how that goes...I have probably forgotten more about 70-72 Corvettes than I presently know.

[Roberto L.]

Thanks any way! *NM*