What determines which chrome goes on the grille of a 69? My grille has a chrome strip along the bottom edge but the middle rib is blank and doesn't look to have holes to mount any chrome.. but from looking at the feature cars, it looks like some of them have a chrome strip along the middle rib? Is it an SS/non-SS thing?

derek,

To the best of my knowledge (and I will certainly defer to others who may know better), both the Malibus and the Super Sports had chrome or stainless trim at the bottom of the header panel, and the center and bottom 'ribs' of the grille. I'm not certain about the 300's and 300 Deluxe's. If your grille has no provision for mounting any trim on the center 'rib', I'd bet someone put a recently produced replacement grille in the car. I have heard of some people drilling holes in order to mount the trim on the replacement grilles, but then it sticks out farther than normal.

------------------
Bill Pritchard
69 SS396 Convertible
"Life is short; eat dessert first." - Ogden Nash
My low tech web page (http://home.att.net/~bpritchard/index.html)

Just to follow up on what Bill has said, in particular regarding 300 Deluxe models.

When the SS option was ordered on the 300 Deluxe Model, as is the case with mine, you got all the "exterior" trim of the Malibu. The one exception to this was the "center horizontal" grill which apparently the 300 Deluxe SS's did not get. That was the general consensus in a similar forum in here earlier this year. However, most of the 300 Deluxe SS's have had this molding added at some time, including mine, just because it looks better.

Now the interior trim differences between the Malibus and 300's is a whole new ball game http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif

Hope this helps.



------------------
ACES #4241, TC #947
69 SS Sedan (http://www.angelfire.com/rock/69ss)
CanAm Chevelle Club (http://www.angelfire.com/folk/canam)

The new GM grills that are out there now are only correct for the 300 models in that they do not offer a provision for the center molding. It's possible that someone replaced the grill along the way used a 300 grill.

------------------
Jason Babal
69 Chevelle SS
3100lbs. W/O driver

The Car Thehttp://www.chevelles.com/showroom/igotta71launch8.JPG (http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/igotta71launch8.JPG)

<A HREF="http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/igotta7110.jpg" TARGET=_blank>The Man
http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/igotta7110.jpg</A>

http://www.camaro1.com

Goodmark still lists the correct one. I have the 300 grille on my Malibu. I had to drill the holes myself and there's not much room for the correct nuts.

Close but no cookie.



------------------
Bob

My 69 Malibu (http://chevelles.com/showroom/bftrratutt5of01.jpg)

Cool, thanks!

Sounds like for an El Camino (malibu) I need to drill holes to put the molding on for now, and keep an eye out for a used grill later.. sound about right?

Would not surprise me if the grill was a repro, but it can't be too recent, I've had the car for 12 years now http://www.chevelles.com/forum/smile.gif