I see some 69 grilles painted flat black and some with the front edge silver/grey and the rest black. What is correct?

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I think it is supposed to be a semi-gloss black with the front edge silver/grey.

SS grilles should be semi-gloss black, Malibu grilles have an additonal silver paint on all leading edges.
Rich

Just remember you can't buy a true SS grill anymore unless you find a N.O.S. one. The repros are not made right in the center where the chrome strip goes. They are painted semi-gloss just like r/t said.

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69 SS 454
69 Malibu 406
ACES Member #3635

"Reproduction" grills available today are new GM parts that are correct for a base 300 model. If you want one, best buy is your local GM dealer. (Sorry, I don't have access to the Part Number right now) The 300 grille has a center rib without holes in it. If you drill holes to mount the center rib stainless trim, the trim will set too far forward and overlaps the headlamp bezels too much. About half of the '69's I see have this setup.
If you want a correct Maligu or SS grille, it will have molded oval holes in the center rib. The center and lower ribs are painted argent silver. On an SS, the small ribs are semi-gloss black. On a Malibu, the small ribs have argent silver added to the leading edges of the small ribs.

If you need the grille extensions, those are also available from GM and are correctly painted for a Malibu or 300. For an SS, the silver on the small ribs needs to be painted over with semi-gloss black.

Best way to get a true SS or Malibu grille is to pick up any '69 grilles you can find at swap meets even if they're broken and then make a good grille out of several broken ones using JB Weld. Make sure that you have at least one grille with the upper center attachment as this the piece that seems to break off first. I cut up my new GM grille to get this piece.

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Fred Aldrich
The Chevelle Engineer
Web Site: www.CoreComm.net/~faldrich (http://www.CoreComm.net/~faldrich)


[This message has been edited by Fred Aldrich (edited 02-06-2000).]

Fred, would JB weld hold those thin pieces together as well as a solvent type cement that actually melts the parts into each other?
Rich

I used regular two-part epoxy cement on the thin strips and it's held up fine.

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von '69 300 Dlx SS Murphy's Law is always in effect

RT
I prefer JB Weld since I can reinforce the part by building it up on the hidden surfaces. These old grilles are very brittle and always seem to break in the same places. New GM parts are much more sturdy.

Re: JB Weld, any epoxy would probably work just as well.


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Fred Aldrich
The Chevelle Engineer
Web Site: www.CoreComm.net/~faldrich (http://www.CoreComm.net/~faldrich)