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Old 01-01-2020, 07:19 PM
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mskrom mskrom is offline
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Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Nashville, TN
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Default Grille restoration

Hi folks- I'd like to remove and restore the grilles in my 66 this winter, and wanted to get some opinions on the best way to go about it. Specifically, I'll need to repair some of the plastic around the mounting points, as well as the edge of the grill bodies right next to where the chrome trim mounts to the grille bodies. Is there a preferred product to use in order to 'fill in' areas that have cracked or chipped away over time? If anyone has any tips or tricks they could share, I'd definitely appreciate it. Thanks!

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Old 01-02-2020, 01:47 AM
topfuel67 topfuel67 is offline
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A trick I have learned with repairing plastic is you can weld it with a soldering iron. Be very gentle with the heat. You can use additional plastic to fill. It has to be the same kind though. I have restored dash bezels and door panels on my old 89 vette using this method. Have a fan blowing on you and wear breathing protection. Practice on junk pieces you plan to take plastic from. I use a cheap harbor freight soldering iron as you don't need too much heat. Once you fix cracks you can sand and paint the plastic. Work the side you don't see first. You can touch the iron to the back side you don't see to really melt and mend the plastic back together. The side you see you can hold the iron right above and gently melt the plastic back together.
I just repaired one of my original arm rest bases and am going to try the alza 3 part spray chrome system.

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Old 01-02-2020, 09:33 AM
66sprint6 66sprint6 is offline
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What is the best paint to use for the silver colour? I'm thinking of redoing mine ('66 Tempest), which are all silver, and the readily available products that I have seen are too "coarse". The original paint seems to have a much finer, or smaller, metal flake.

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Old 01-02-2020, 11:05 AM
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Andre Andre is offline
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The most accurate paint I've found in a can that covers well is Dupli-color silver caliper paint. I compared it to an NOS piece that I had, and it is spot on. It also is good for rally wheels if you want to use a spray can

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Old 01-02-2020, 01:13 PM
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Cardo Cardo is offline
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I've used JB Weld on those mounts with good results. Once dry, it can be ground down, sanded and painted. Can't even tell they were repaired.

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