70 Challenger Grille Restoration?

Author Topic: 70 Challenger Grille Restoration?  (Read 3727 times)

Offline filmsurgeon

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70 Challenger Grille Restoration?
« on: March 28, 2007 - 12:08:54 AM »
Anyone have a recommendation for a good source to restore my 70 Challenger Grille and headlight bezels?  It is an original non-R/T grille with a very dirty argent finish.  The car has been done as an R/T clone, so I'd want to do the grille with the black satin paint finish.  The grille is in almost perfect condition and the bezels are in very good condition with just a few minor dents and scratches in the fender molding areas.  Any ideas on cost for stripping, polishing, anodizing and painting.  I've received rates from $1K to $2K for all three pieces.  Thanks
1970 Challenger Convertible (JH27N0B); Resto-Mod; 605 HP, 412cid Small Block; Holley 750CFM Carburetor; A-833 23-spline 4-SPD; A-body 8.75 rear-end w/3.55 gears; 3" mini-tub; leaf spring relocation kit with split-leaf mono and Caltracs; American Racing AR500 Wheels, Rears = 15x10 (5.5" BS) with 315/60-15 BFG Comp T/A Drag Radials; Fronts = 15x7 (3.5" BS) with 215/70-15 BFG Radial T/A Radials.




Offline ksierens

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Re: 70 Challenger Grille Restoration?
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2007 - 03:45:13 PM »
Though I can't speak for them personally, you could check out ...

http://www.tuffwheelrestoration.com/metal.html
1970 Triple Black Challenger R/T  440 Six Pack - 4 Speed - 3.55 Dana
Kurt - SE Michigan

Offline MEK-Dangerfield

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Re: 70 Challenger Grille Restoration?
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2007 - 04:02:34 PM »
Though I can't speak for them personally, you could check out ...

http://www.tuffwheelrestoration.com/metal.html



   :iagree:

I was just going to mention them.  :grinyes: I haven't had anything re-done by them, but I did buy from them. They seem straight up.



   Mike

Mike

1970 Challenger - SOLD
2016 SXT+.  1 of 524 SXT+'s in Plumb-crazy for 2016.

Offline ksierens

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Re: 70 Challenger Grille Restoration?
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2007 - 04:09:01 PM »
They are about 45 minutes from my house, but I am not ready to take anything to them ... yet.
1970 Triple Black Challenger R/T  440 Six Pack - 4 Speed - 3.55 Dana
Kurt - SE Michigan

Offline scf100

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Re: 70 Challenger Grille Restoration?
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2007 - 11:56:44 AM »
talk to these two places.....Alltrim  I have no experience with them

http://www.alltrim.com/

Annobrite( Also called King of Trim) I bought a repaired/restored SE tail trim panel for my Challenger and was pleased

http://anobrite.com/

.http://www.kingoftrim.com/PlantTour.html
1970 Challenger R/T convertible 383…. 4-speed…3.91 suregrip

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Offline Tropicalcats

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Re: 70 Challenger Grille Restoration?
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2007 - 04:32:20 PM »
Can't speak for the grill but http://anobrite.com did my trim and I was very happy from start to finish
1970 Challenger R/T 383  Matching#s JS23N0E under construction. It's Plum Crazy
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Offline MEK-Dangerfield

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Re: 70 Challenger Grille Restoration?
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2007 - 05:03:31 PM »
filmsergeon,

  What you have there looks pretty darn good to most of us. Going from one color to the other will require more work though. From what I have seen, the 1K, to 2K price is what you are looking at here. Maybe save some $$$, and stay argent??  :dunno: Your grill looks AWESOME as is.  :thumbsup:


   Mike

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1970 Challenger - SOLD
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Offline 70Cuda

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Re: 70 Challenger Grille Restoration?
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2007 - 08:39:28 PM »
I'm not in a rush and have planning on doing mine myself and have been scheming how to do it.  Are they that hard to do?  I did my 71 bezels so I know that's doable.

On the 70, I've been considering taking the grate apart by drilling the rivots and cleaning each strip up and not there is a guy in the area doing anodizing so I thought of going that route after fixing all the dings and then paint / reassemble.  I have two good grills and a bad one to play with and figured I could make something work.

Did being a convert change the grill color back to argent on R/T's anyway?
« Last Edit: March 29, 2007 - 08:56:33 PM by 70Cuda »

Offline filmsurgeon

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Re: 70 Challenger Grille Restoration?
« Reply #8 on: April 02, 2007 - 10:36:28 PM »
Thanks for the help on this.  I actually live about 25 mins from Ano-brite / King of Trim.  Paid them a visit today to show them my pieces.  Altough they are in excellent condition, they still wanted $1,500.00 for the three pieces ($1K for the grille, $500 for the pair of bezels).  I know they'll sell a restored set of 70 Challenger grille and headlight bezels for $2K.  When I initially called them for a quote to do mine (sight unseen), they quoted $2K.  I just didn't understand; I'm bringing them the pieces, so why is it the same price as buying fully restored ones (and they don't do core exchanges)?  I know about tuffwheelrestorations (he will be doing my Tuff Wheel for me).  His rates are $325 for pair of headlight bezels and $600 for grille.  Much cheaper than King of Trim.  I'm seriously considering doing some of it myself, but most of it through a friend of a friend who knows about restoring metals.  I definitely want to go with the R/T look, since it's an R/T clone.  The black grille just looks more ominous, mean and tough.  Don't know if Convertible R/Ts had argent grilles though.  That's a good question.  I feel that I have a large enough network of friends and contacts in order to get this done for about $500 total.  Someone even suggested to me to powder-coat the black rather than spraying it on.  Any thoughts on that?
1970 Challenger Convertible (JH27N0B); Resto-Mod; 605 HP, 412cid Small Block; Holley 750CFM Carburetor; A-833 23-spline 4-SPD; A-body 8.75 rear-end w/3.55 gears; 3" mini-tub; leaf spring relocation kit with split-leaf mono and Caltracs; American Racing AR500 Wheels, Rears = 15x10 (5.5" BS) with 315/60-15 BFG Comp T/A Drag Radials; Fronts = 15x7 (3.5" BS) with 215/70-15 BFG Radial T/A Radials.

Offline Carlwalski

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Re: 70 Challenger Grille Restoration?
« Reply #9 on: April 03, 2007 - 06:20:29 AM »



Anobrite. :thumbsup: I purchased one of their restored show grilles.
Very happy with the service. Well packed & fast shipping with a show class piece. But, you pay for it. :2cents:


1970 Dodge Challenger R/T
White, License Plate, 0A-5599
540ci Aluminium Hemi, F.A.S.T EFI
TF-727 Gear Vendor OD, Dana 60

Offline filmsurgeon

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Re: 70 Challenger Grille Restoration?
« Reply #10 on: May 01, 2007 - 12:02:25 AM »
Well, here's the latest.  I'm doing it myself.  I've removed the grille and headlight bezels.  I've located and selected the individual companies (people) local to my area (Los Angeles) to do the various steps of the restoration (i.e. anodize stripping, scratch/ding/dent removal and polishing, re-anodizing, painting/powder-coating).  I used a dremel with a grinding wheel to remove ALL the rivets holding the grille together (including all the brackets).  I tried drilling them out, but found it nearly impossible to get the bit straight-on for a clean drill.  Found it SO MUCH easier to use the dremel.  Just took my time (3+ hours) and was very careful while grinding off the back side of the rivet.  Pieces came apart very easily once rivets were ground down.  Using a 'punch' helped to knock out the stubborn rivets after grinding.  I stripped the Argent paint off myself using 'aircraft paint stripper'.  The process took me (first time ever doing this; even stripping paint) 6 hours from start to finish (laying down the tarp to cleaning it up).  That's for two headlight bezels and two grill pieces.  The results were AMAZING!  Using 0000 steel wool and a plastic scraper I was able to remove ALL the 37 year old paint after FOUR separate applications of the stripper.  Each application of the stripper was left on the pieces for about 20 mins.  The old anodizing has been stripped (about $100.00).  The scratch, ding, dent removal is being done now (about $65.00).  Re-anodizing should cost about another $100.00, and the black-satin powder coating, about another $100.00. I've included some pictures of the pieces before and after paint stripping.  I'll post some new pictures after I receive the pieces back from anodizing and as the progress increases.  You can see pix of the grille as it was on the car in earlier posts to this thread.  Thanks.
1970 Challenger Convertible (JH27N0B); Resto-Mod; 605 HP, 412cid Small Block; Holley 750CFM Carburetor; A-833 23-spline 4-SPD; A-body 8.75 rear-end w/3.55 gears; 3" mini-tub; leaf spring relocation kit with split-leaf mono and Caltracs; American Racing AR500 Wheels, Rears = 15x10 (5.5" BS) with 315/60-15 BFG Comp T/A Drag Radials; Fronts = 15x7 (3.5" BS) with 215/70-15 BFG Radial T/A Radials.