I blacked out my grilles years ago and now want to restore them. I've seen them either all silver or silver/black. Anyone know what is correct? They are non-hideaways and the valances don't have grilles.

I blacked out my grilles years ago and now want to restore them. I've seen them either all silver or silver/black. Anyone know what is correct? They are non-hideaways and the valances don't have grilles.

Blacked-out were for Judge optioned cars. Other GTOshad silver grills. Ron

The previous owner of my '69 Custom S painted the grilles black and the paint is chipped now. What's recommended procedure to restore them back to factory silver? Repaint them the appropriate color (chipping problem again?) or strip the paint?

It also looks like I need to pull the radiator to get the grilles out, is this true?

Thanks! http://forums.performanceyears.com/g.../icon_cool.gif

Jim.

Strip them well (I have used Easy Off Oven cleaner on a few I did with great success). Spray them well, and let them soak overnight in a plastic bag. You may have to repeat if alot of coats of paint have been used. This will remove all paint down to palstic without harming them Remove all trim around them if there are any. I then spary painted them with two coats..

Excellent, thanks robz! I'll try that as I'd much rather go back to the stock gray color, which I can easily see as I use my fingernail to scrape the black paint off (so there's probably only one coat).

Do I have to remove the radiator to get to the grille "hold-in brackets" or can I remove the headlight and bezels and get to the brackets by removing that plastic cover under the hood behind the radiator (it sits behind the front bumper)?

My '69 Service Manual shows how the grilles are held in, but no details on how to remove them/what needs to be pulled to get to the brackets. I'm hoping that once I remove the headlights and hold-in brakets I can remove the grilles via the front bumper...

Thanks!

Jim.

Sorry, tremo, can't help with the grilles on a Lemans, but on the GTO, you can access the bolts from the top near Rad support (Endura bumper) but on the Lemans it may be different. Someone will surely be able to shed some light on this...

OK, thanks. So on the GTO can you pull the grilles thru the front bumper once you loosen the bolts on those brackets? If so, I bet I can too... http://forums.performanceyears.com/g...icon_smile.gif

Jim.

Tremo...I think you have to take off the front bumper on the '69 LeMans,Tempest and Custom_S to remove the grills?Its a lot more difficult and less room to get in behind the grills on the LeMans Chrome front bumpers.

Tremo, you need to remove the whole bumper assembly to get the grills out. You need to remove the lower valance to get the bumper off. I've done this procedure more times than I care to remember.

I don't know if the Custom-S grills are painted the same as the Lemans. My Lemans grills, which I believe to be original paint, are kind of a metallic gray background with silver highlights on the front surface of the horizontal bars.

Thanks guys. Bummer...I was hoping it was easier. Oh well, I'll work on this as I get to the bottom of my list. http://forums.performanceyears.com/g...icon_smile.gif

Seee-ya, http://forums.performanceyears.com/g.../icon_cool.gif

Jim.

So what are the correct colors for 69 GTO, non Judge grilles. I need to detail mine also.

Tim.

They are painted silver. If you have hideaways, the inside of the squares on the headlight covers is painted semi-gloss black (to have the effect of having them hollow, like the grilles) and the rest is also silver. I have use Dupli-Color Steel wheels silver (WP 316) with Krylon or Duplicolor Semi-gloss Black. Here's what the came out like.

Tremo
The Custom S Grilles are that same argent silver color as the GTO, and have the same blacked out color/effect for the inside of the squares as the GTO. You will have to remove the entire bumper assembly and believe me it is not fun, since the bumper is substantially heavier than the endura. I'd recommend having a friend help you.