Doc.
Original silver grills are painted silver with lacquer.
The plastic is a kind of bone color; a bit off white.
I bought a GM grill over the counter in 1976. It was all black plastic. GM chose to make all the replacement grills out of black plastic. You could not buy a light color grill by 1976.
I painted it with white epoxy primer after applying an adhesion promotor for plastic parts. Painted the surround black lacquer (my car is black lacquer), and the grill silver. The first time I painted it, I used a lacquer from a company who guaranteed me it was an exact factory match acrylic lacquer. It wasn't. Way too dark. I repainted it a few years ago, and used Imron from a local paint store. They got the color right. Yes, I know it isn't lacquer, and I know it isn't the highest quality enamel. But it IS the correct color, and it is MORE durable than the lacquer used from the factory. Had to paint the headlight bezels at the same time.
I have no idea how the repop silver grills are made, what color the plastic is, and whether they paint it with lacquer.
