Colour of the grille / bezels 70 Challenger R/T

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    Author Topic: Colour of the grille / bezels 70 Challenger R/T  (Read 6576 times)

    Offline joehiggins

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    Colour of the grille / bezels 70 Challenger R/T
    « on: February 22, 2015 - 12:18:44 PM »
    I just started to work on a 1970 Challenger R/T, the car is a survivor, no rust and very original as far as I can see.
    But one thing I don`t understand. The grille surrounding and the headlight bezels on this car are silver / just polished. Not black or grey as they were on the R/Ts as you can read and see in all the e-body books.
    Does anybody know if it is possible that this is original, was it may be a orderoption? I have seen some R/T pictures on the internet that look exactly the same, but I don´t know if they are original. Maybe on my car somebody changed all the parts a long time ago, whyever.
    I attach a picture of the car and I am thankfull for every information. The car is a factory R/T, I have the fender tags.
    Thank you in advance guys.
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    Offline soundcontrol

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    Re: Colour of the grille / bezels 70 Challenger R/T
    « Reply #1 on: February 22, 2015 - 12:30:23 PM »
    Mine is the same, and I have a picture from a previous owner, early 80's I think, with its original paint, same grille back then. Mine is not an R/T though, so it would have been grey if it was factory painted. I see no trace of paint at all on it. I also have the SE tail panel, also not painted.
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    / Ken
    Restoration thread: http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=102525.0
    topic=108917.new#new

    Offline soundcontrol

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    Re: Colour of the grille / bezels 70 Challenger R/T
    « Reply #2 on: February 22, 2015 - 12:32:36 PM »
    Welcome btw! First post.
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    / Ken
    Restoration thread: http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=102525.0
    topic=108917.new#new

    Offline 1 Wild R/T

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    Re: Colour of the grille / bezels 70 Challenger R/T
    « Reply #3 on: February 22, 2015 - 02:37:33 PM »
    Pictures from the 80's hardly prove anything... Show me a picture from 1971 & I'd be skeptical.. You want a grill with no paint, paint stripper will take the paint off perfectly.... I've done it dozens of times... While preparing to apply new paint.... But before I paint I scuff the raw aluminum so the paint has something to bite into... I've done the rear SE panels too, same deal it's bright dipped polished aluminum paint sticks but it comes off quick & easy cause there was no prep....

    Oh BTW Welcome Sherriff Joe!!! :roflsmiley: Great name choice..
    « Last Edit: February 22, 2015 - 03:15:04 PM by 1 Wild R/T »
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    JS27N0B 70 Challenger R/T Convertible  FJ5 Sublime, Show Poodle w/90,000 miles since resto
    WS27L8G 68 Coronet R/T Convertible  PP1 Bright Red, Project
    RM21H9E 69 Road Runner Coupe R4 Performance Red, Sold...
    5H21C  65 Falcon 2 dr Wagon... Dog Hauler...

    Offline joehiggins

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    Re: Colour of the grille / bezels 70 Challenger R/T
    « Reply #4 on: February 22, 2015 - 02:47:55 PM »
    Thank you. If I understand it right normally the R/Ts were painted black, and non R/Ts (JH cars) were painted argent. But how about those cars with no painting at all? For me it doesn´t look like anybody ever touched the car (of course I am not sure about that), and I can`t see any paint residues at all
    just polished aluminium, strange. Anybody with any informations about cars without paint on the grille surrounding??? Thx
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    Offline FY1Cuda

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    Re: Colour of the grille / bezels 70 Challenger R/T
    « Reply #5 on: February 22, 2015 - 03:04:33 PM »
    My son has a real R/T and we got it as a total basket case back in 2000.  It came with a textured argent grill (which I happen to like).  No telling if it came out of the LA plant like that.
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    Offline bc3j

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    Colour of the grille / bezels 70 Challenger R/T
    « Reply #6 on: February 26, 2015 - 11:03:19 PM »
    I have a E code '70 R/T from the CA plant. The headlight bezels are black on my car.  I believe all R/T's had black insert headlight bezels along with the rest of the grill trim which was also black.  Only the egg crate grill was argent.
    « Last Edit: February 27, 2015 - 11:15:19 AM by bc3j »
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    Offline soundcontrol

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    Re: Colour of the grille / bezels 70 Challenger R/T
    « Reply #7 on: February 27, 2015 - 05:23:26 AM »
    Quote from: FY1Cuda on February 22, 2015 - 03:04:33 PM
    My son has a real R/T and we got it as a total basket case back in 2000.  It came with a textured argent grill (which I happen to like).  No telling if it came out of the LA plant like that.


    Was there different shades of the argent (grey)? That one looks darker then what I had on my previous Challengers.
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    / Ken
    Restoration thread: http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=102525.0
    topic=108917.new#new

    Offline GranCuda1970

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    Re: Colour of the grille / bezels 70 Challenger R/T
    « Reply #8 on: February 27, 2015 - 06:19:11 AM »
    Yes 70 was lighter than 71 on barracuda  / cuda's. Not sure about the 71-72 chargers.
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    Offline burdar

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    Re: Colour of the grille / bezels 70 Challenger R/T
    « Reply #9 on: February 27, 2015 - 09:17:40 AM »
    Quote
    Only the egg crate grill was argent.


    The egg crate was NOT painted argent.  It was just plain anodized aluminum.

    Correctly detailed R/T grill...
    http://www.moparaction.com/Article/PoP/J.jpg
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    Offline bc3j

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    Colour of the grille / bezels 70 Challenger R/T
    « Reply #10 on: February 27, 2015 - 11:26:40 AM »
    My car is an original survivor with all original body parts. The 45 yo grill is aged and probably is anodized aluminum. Mine differs slightly from the picture in that my grill's egg crate area has a duller appearance than the picture.  My outer ring of the grill has the same polished appearance.
    « Last Edit: February 27, 2015 - 12:29:45 PM by bc3j »
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    Offline js27

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    Re: Colour of the grille / bezels 70 Challenger R/T
    « Reply #11 on: February 28, 2015 - 09:32:42 AM »
    I have been around Mopars for the last 45 years and worked for Chrysler dealer back in the 70's. I have never seen an original challenger without some style of paint on the headlights bezels. I also have used paint stripper on them when I restore a car and they come out perfect. A little elbow grease and aluminum polish and they look like chrome. I would say sometime early on someone stripped them to repaint them and like what was underneath and left it that way or the factory paint just wore off. I had a friend with 70 T/A Challenger he bought with 7000 miles from the original owner that was untouched and he stripped the paint off to repaint them because of some small chips and I talked him into leaving them unpainted and he did. I have some old photos somewhere of it. I have never seen an unrestored untouch original car with un painted one though.
    JS27
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    1967 GTX
    1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Conv.

    Offline bc3j

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    Re: Colour of the grille / bezels 70 Challenger R/T
    « Reply #12 on: February 28, 2015 - 10:13:20 AM »
    That's good info js29. I haven't done anything to my grill other than wash the car. I don't really know how it was originally finished and I don't want to mess with it because it is original. I've seen a variety of grill finishes at car shows. Some owners who told me their grills were reproductions don't have the same finish as mine. I also don't know which company was sourced for their grills. I've also seen other R/T's that were exactly like mine. Anyway great info. I've never asked my mechanic friend who worked for Chrysler back then and dealer prepped them for delivery. He's a wealth of info but I never asked about the grills. Thanks again for the info js29. 
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    Offline js27

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    Re: Colour of the grille / bezels 70 Challenger R/T
    « Reply #13 on: February 28, 2015 - 07:19:56 PM »
    Here is a picture of what an original R/T looks like behind the grille.
    JS27
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    1967 GTX
    1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Conv.

    Offline js27

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    Re: Colour of the grille / bezels 70 Challenger R/T
    « Reply #14 on: March 01, 2015 - 01:29:58 PM »
    Here is a Shot of my buddys T/A. Yes he raced a 7000 mile original car--hey it was the 70's/
    JS27
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    1967 GTX
    1970 Dodge Challenger R/T Conv.
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