1968 Rally Sport grille research

[noschevys]

No problem.  Give me a couple of days since I am out of town.

[Steve68]

Thanks!  Another question:  is the paint on the car original?

Steve

[noschevys]

Not in that picture, but when I bought it in 82 it was.  Here is a scanned copy of the polaroid when I bought it in 1982 with original paint and silver lines on the grille.

[Steve68]

noschevys

Thanks noschevys for the picture.  Would you mind taking some pictures of the inside of the grille where it attaches to the upper and lower grilles?  I am particularly interested in the rivets.  If it would not be asking to much I would appreciate you removing the headlight covers (4 screws) and taking a pic of that too.  Would you also note whether there are part numbers or mold numbers on the back side of the headlight covers.

Just checking in with you.   

Steve 

[Daytona Yellow 69 Z/28]

Hey guys I know this is a really old thread but I am about ready to order a new grill for my 05D SSRS 396 and wanted to make sure the grill with the chrome was correct for my car. When I bought my car in Feb. 1980 it had been wrecked and a we put a new Black grill and left side head light cover. The right side cover was original to the best of my knowledge and looks like it has traces of chrome on it.

Here a few pictures and any all input would be greatly appreciated.

[Steve68]

From the picture it looks like your headlight cover is original and possibly had the chrome ribs.  It is also possible that someone may have sprayed (after the wreck) gray primer on it and then black paint which has worn off exposing the gray. Note that the chrome around the outside is in pretty good condition.  One would expect the perimeter chrome to wear like that on the ribs.   You may have one of the last of these chrome grilles installed on your 05D car as the change over from chrome to black was around this time frame (last of May).  Do you see a mold number on the back side?  Have you read the report on the RS grille?  Here is the link:  http://www.camaros.org/68rs.shtml

Steve

[Daytona Yellow 69 Z/28]

Thank you Steve for the quick response & the link. The grill & head light covers got sprayed back in early 81 when I had the car painted The only pic I can find from back then that shows the cover on it is this one, but it is so bad I can't see anything anyway, lol...


I dont remember it being chrome & I was just a 14 year old kid anyway so I probably didn't car anyhow.    I am sure it was painted long before I bought the car anyway, as the kid I bought the car from had changed the color to Gold from Butternut & done some pretty bad repairs to the car, prior to wrecking the car & then selling it to me.

Here are a few more of the head light cover. The mold # is 3


I took a knife and scratched the black paint off the horizontal bar and it likes it could have been chrome?? I also did it on the vertical bar & it didn't show anything but Black, so I think that would rule out primer??


Here is another pic of the outside chrome piece , I am pretty sure it has been masked and painted as the tape line looks to be very inconsistent.

Thank you again for all the great info,
 Nick

[Steve68]

The 3 is consistent with an original part.  Do you care to scrape some of the outside chrome to see if it is paint?  The photo looks as if repairs had been made to the car at this point.  The Polaroid photo, to me, does look like it could have chrome on the horizontal ribs but we have seen other such photo's that looked that way and it turned out to be just a light reflection on the higher edge.  If you will send me a personal message with the VIN it might help.

Steve

[Daytona Yellow 69 Z/28]

Steve68,
 I think I sent you a PM with the vin, but it isn't showing up on my end, can you confirm you received it?

Do you want me to scrape the out side of the cover its self or do you mean the door cover molding?

[Steve68]

Got your PM.  Scrape the door cover molding outside chrome a little.  Sent you a reply PM.

[Daytona Yellow 69 Z/28]

Steve,
 here is the pic you requested, it looks like where I scraped it, it's just metal under the polished area. I dont see any paint or anything else. 
Thanks again,
 Nick

[Sauron327]

Note that the chrome around the outside is in pretty good condition.  One would expect the perimeter chrome to wear like that on the ribs.  

The perimeter, or headlight cover trim, is not chrome but anodized aluminum with painted black. Same as upper and lower grill moldings and headlight bezels. The ribs are an applied finish and will wear off.

[firstgenaddict]

The ribs are either stamped foil or the whole thing was vacuum metalized then painted.
I do not believe it is possible vacuum metalize a specific area of a part.

[cook_dw]

Here are a pair of NOS headlight covers that someone painted silver..