71 Challenger R/T Grill Restoration

[70Cuda]

Has anybody ever totally restored their challenger grill and had any horror or great success stories?  I have to fix the typical cracks, etc but that dang grill has trim I can't get off and is black and silver in a variety of places where masking isn't going to be much fun unless it were totally torn down.  By that I mean a guy would be pretty good off if he could get the buldges out (rivots would have to be removed and then replaced - if this is even possible without cracking the grill) and somehow I'd have to get that trim off the buldges too. 

If anybody has done either or any of this, let me know what you would recommend.

Thanks in advance!

[Stacked440]

Not sure on that one...my grill has one of the inserts that i need to glue one crack but i was just going to use some of that plastic melty stuff and stick it together with some small clamps and then paint it.  Depends how bad your grill is.

[Carlwalski]

If you get real stuck, I purchased a complete restored grille from www.anobrite.com
Very VERY god service and show quality pieces.


 

[70Cuda]

Thanks guys.

I did figure out how to get the trim off without hurting it and will share the trick if anybody is interested.

The moulding has clips that push into the grill buldges and those clips have a forked prong that sticks up against the inside of the buldge.  I was able to take a stiff 3-4 inch putty knife and stick it between the grill and the moulding (this knife was actually big enough that I could span the buldge and work two clips at a time and keep things flatter) and pry slightly out away from the buldge and get the clips to release.

With the trim off, and with a lot of detailed masking, I feel much better about restoring this grill now.

[ROMI]

I happen to have my grill out presently and found your post interesting.  Now even more so because I wasn't going to attempt to take the trim off.  Now that you have I'd like to ask you if you think you were able to get it off without spreading it too much to be able to get it to fit right when it comes time to put it back on? (wow that was wordy).  I'm not sure I see a way to get it back on. Did you take any pics? Maybe if I saw it off I'd be a little more confident.  I'm not afraid to do anything as long as I know I'm not going to permanently change it so that it doesn't go back to "normal".

[70Cuda]

There was no damage or spreading done whatsoever by removing the trim in the way I described.  The clips themselves stay in the moulding and they are pretty substancial.  If you get the knife up next to the clip, you are actually prying against the clip since it spreads so far into the moulding.

However, where the trim clips push into the grill, there pressure over time has spread the plastic some and you might feel that on yours if you check.  Currently, I'm planning on taking care of that while doing the rest of the work on the grill but don't want to make it too thin so I might have to fill the inside some too.

Even though the knife was big enough to do two at a time, I didn't, I worked from one side towards the other doing top / bottom as I went.

Since you have such a good looking car (same as mine :-)) I took some pictures just for you.  The car picture is as it looked when I bought it last July and it's a fun 4-speed driver right now.

[ROMI]

MAN ! thanks for the pics, I totally misunderstood the whole clip thing (I am getting up there in years  ) but I noticed the "wavy" plastic behind mine when I first started.  After I get the trim off I'll see if I can't figure out a way to fix that without sanding.  I can't believe how my car looks like yours, I've never seen one like ours before now.  I kinda wish I had the road wheels like you have though.
So do you think you're going to pop the rivits out of the inserts?  I'm thinking that I will and if I have to use cap head screws to mount them back that they won't be that noticable.  What do you think?

[70Cuda]

Yeah, pictures are pretty helpful however, those are actually Keystones.  Mine is an original 14" ralley rim car and I have a set of '71s to put on it.  Other options: 383 Magnum, PS, PDB, rear sway bar, 4-speed, ralley dash.  Tell me some options on yours, we might be good references for each other.  Right now it has a built up 440 in it but I have the 383 rebuilt and it just needs paint.  I see you at least have the remote mirror where I have the most basic of them all and only the driver's side.

Without sanding, well, are you thinking about clamping and heating?  Not sure if I'd try that since it might warp something else but it could work.  I think I'm going to leave the rivots in now and think I can mask enough stuff off and getting the trim off was a major weight off my shoulders on this one since now I can polish that and not have to tape around it.  I'm worried about having a rivot spin and break something while trying to drill it out and part of the reason I wanted to take the buldges out was to help me get the trim off anyway.  If you do yours, let me know.  However, I wouldn't consider doing mine without coming up with the right rivots first since I try to keep everything very stock looking, but yeah, you probably wouldn't notice but I'd know on mine.

The July 2004 Mopar Collector's guide features what they call an Ultra Rare Citron Yellow (which we both know is offically called Yella) '71 Challenger R/T.  It looks just like ours but has a wing, 15" ralleys ugly front bumper guards and the blacked out hood treatment opposite of ours - it's like a 70 hood blackout but the R/T is cut out and is yellow on that car so we got the part they cut out apparently.

[ROMI]

Yeah, I notice the wheels now that you mention it. My car is very similar to yours except it's a 340... pistol grip 4 speed, no console (however I do have one that I'm getting ready to put in) PS, PDB, rally dash, 8 3/4, (haven't figured out ratio yet).
Yes, I was thinking about heat to try and straighten the inserts.  I may not do anything since I only have 2 spots where you can tell and you really have to look and feel to know it's there.  I know what you mean about the rivets, honestly I probably won't do it but I have been considering it. I'm sure I can take the time to mask and work around it but I also know the job would LOOK better if I could seperate them, paint, then reassemble. Also I noiced that your grill is already black and that it's smooth.  Mine is argent and has that rough finish. Makes me wonder if I'm doing the wrong thing by painting it black?  I'm thinking maybe I should be looking for another grill that's smooth (or am I just being too picky?) I also am going to paint the radiator core support black and the rear panel above the tail lights.  Lately it's just been way too cold to paint (even in a heated shop) so the car is just sitting there waiting for warmer weather.....

[70Cuda]

Look at what CamJam posted in this link for a front and back reference and he even comments on the lack of texture.

http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=15827.0

I don't have a console either, my other cars do so having that difference is OK with me.  Mine's a 8 3/4 3.23 non posi...but has 3.91 with posi right now in it.  Lower gears can be fun around town.

[ROMI]

Well, at this point I don't have any options.  My grill is textured and I doubt that I can safely strip it so it looks like I'm going to have the first textured R/T black grill.  Black was standard for an R/T and I want it to look as normal as possible, so not much else I can do!

[70Cuda]

It's the paint that's textured, not the plastic.  I've heard of people blasting grills and I suspect the right stripper would work too - check Eastwood.

[ROMI]

Yeah, I know it's the paint that's why I said I didn't know if I could SAFELY strip it.  I'll look around cause I'd rather strip it so if you should stumble across a stripper for plastic, let me know.  I'll check the SEM line of products, they seem to have quite a few plastic restoration products.  Thanks for your help!

[70Cuda]

OK, got you.  Yes, be very careful stripping plastic.  I tried it one time and ended up turning the pastic kind of mushy.  If you come up with a product, you might post it back here.

[70Cuda]

Here's another Yella '71 in a different forum

http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=17808.0