53-57 grille bar bracket orientation

[Mike E.]

There is no greater joy than trying to help put together what someone else took apart. 62, no problem for me--56-57, only some clue.
This is one of the original brackets that goes from the top to bottom of the grille oval, and the grille bar attaches to it. As you can see, there is a curved area when viewed from the side. Is that upper half or lower half of the opening. It also has a slight notch on one end and not the other. Why?
I want to do this only once, and get it right the first time.
Any help appreciated.
Thanks

[Mark B.]

Re: 53-57 grille bar bracket orientation

I have to take out my grille this weekend if no one else answers first I can check then for sure. When I get home from work tonight I will see if I can tell by looking at it.

[Dino L.]

Re: 53-57 grille bar bracket orientation



Hope these help...the slots help you eliminate the gap between the grille surround and fiberglass

[Mike E.]

Re: 53-57 grille bar bracket orientation

Thanks, Dino. I guess that puts the teeth at the angle GM wanted. Mark, does yours look the same?

[Mark B.]

Re: 53-57 grille bar bracket orientation

looks same as mine, long part on top from what I can see, but my rad is still in so kinda hard to see till I take the rad out on the weekend.

[Dino L.]

Re: 53-57 grille bar bracket orientation

Mike, let me qualify a few things, I studied a few originals and the AIM to arrive at the orientation. All my parts were original except I was missing a few nuts and washers , but had enough to source the right diameter. If I remember the washers are larger in the curved u shape tall brackets. With that said, my grill was disassembeled when I got the car. When I assembled mine I put the surround into the fiberglass and tightened the mounts by expanding the center of the surround to fill in a slight gap in the center of car fiberglass. The front nose and the chrome oval move quite a bit. Once that was fit nice I removed the two teeth from the bar on the ends, this allows me to insert the bar and reassemble the teeth...this is where the slots in those bars come in to play, you need that adjustment depending how much you flexed the chrome surround to fit. The final fit was very nice...quite nerve racking on a painted car...the other thing to note is the teeth have to be pushed on perfectly or they will scratch the center bar.... I hope that helps.

[Mark B.]

Re: 53-57 grille bar bracket orientation

Mine are like the pictures