HMBCUDA
Well-Known Member
going to go fire her up now and scare the spiders out!
'68 B'cuda inner (plastic) grill detailing tips?
- Thread starter HMBCUDA
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moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
If the chrome on the plastic grilles is what i think it is its real chrome plating. Exterior plastic parts they have to use real chrome plating otherwise it wont hold up to the elements.
How many of you have seen newer pickups especially dodge and chevy with bubbling chrome on the plastic grilles? Theres a layer of copper under it that was somehow attached to the plastic during manufacturing. When it cracks its so thin its like a razor and will cut you.
OEM interior parts used a vacuum metalizing process that we all have seen has a tendency to fade out or get spotty. Windex will really screw em up. Its actually a shitty way to do this, but its cheap, and quick. This is why these parts were done this way.
Some guys get upset with repop parts however i have a rallye dash bezel, and armrest bases all repop. None of it is vacuum metalized. It is the copper and chrome plating like whats used on OEM exterior plastic parts. These repop bright interior parts will never fade or get spotty or dull in many lifetimes.
All this being said, mineral spirits, or even WD40 are mild enough to remove the road tar and not touch that exterior chrome or plastic.
If you find a crack in the plastic where the pieces still meet together, do NOT use super glue. It gives an inferior repair. Go to lowes and buy MEK "methyl ethyl keytone" using a a small model brush, dab it in the MEK and brush it over the crack. The mek will suck itself into the crack via capillary action, and proceed to melt the plastic in the crack. When its dry the original plastic is fuzed back together. It will be as strong as the oem plastic, because the glue joint IS the oem plastic. Its not as fast working as super glue though. Mek the crack, then clamp it if need be, and let it sit overnight for best results. It is melting the plastic inside the crack and then has to resolidify. That may take up to 12 - 14 hours to do that.
I rebuilt a pair of shattered 69 grille surrounds for my sons car this way with mek along with aluminum based jb weld to fill in missing pieces. Also used mek and lexan plastic to glue in reinforcements where these crack out at the rivet holes. First pic below most would have regarded those as junk, and tossed them in the trash. I would glue and clamp sections, then set em on my workbench and leave em for a day or 2. After a week or so they were back to one piece. The key with mek is not to try to rush it.
Some spots prev owner tried to super glue. That infuriated me. It left a coating the mek would not penetrate. I had to scrape and wire brush the super glue off and then the pieces wouldent fit as tight. This made the repairs harder to do. I used a little mek in a cup with a bunch of ground up grille plastic from a scrap grille piece to make a plastic paste to fill in the gaps. I used a razor blade to scrape on the piece of scrap plastic to make meltable shavings to put in the cup to make the paste. Then i let that dry for a week to be sure it was solid.
How many of you have seen newer pickups especially dodge and chevy with bubbling chrome on the plastic grilles? Theres a layer of copper under it that was somehow attached to the plastic during manufacturing. When it cracks its so thin its like a razor and will cut you.
OEM interior parts used a vacuum metalizing process that we all have seen has a tendency to fade out or get spotty. Windex will really screw em up. Its actually a shitty way to do this, but its cheap, and quick. This is why these parts were done this way.
Some guys get upset with repop parts however i have a rallye dash bezel, and armrest bases all repop. None of it is vacuum metalized. It is the copper and chrome plating like whats used on OEM exterior plastic parts. These repop bright interior parts will never fade or get spotty or dull in many lifetimes.
All this being said, mineral spirits, or even WD40 are mild enough to remove the road tar and not touch that exterior chrome or plastic.
If you find a crack in the plastic where the pieces still meet together, do NOT use super glue. It gives an inferior repair. Go to lowes and buy MEK "methyl ethyl keytone" using a a small model brush, dab it in the MEK and brush it over the crack. The mek will suck itself into the crack via capillary action, and proceed to melt the plastic in the crack. When its dry the original plastic is fuzed back together. It will be as strong as the oem plastic, because the glue joint IS the oem plastic. Its not as fast working as super glue though. Mek the crack, then clamp it if need be, and let it sit overnight for best results. It is melting the plastic inside the crack and then has to resolidify. That may take up to 12 - 14 hours to do that.
I rebuilt a pair of shattered 69 grille surrounds for my sons car this way with mek along with aluminum based jb weld to fill in missing pieces. Also used mek and lexan plastic to glue in reinforcements where these crack out at the rivet holes. First pic below most would have regarded those as junk, and tossed them in the trash. I would glue and clamp sections, then set em on my workbench and leave em for a day or 2. After a week or so they were back to one piece. The key with mek is not to try to rush it.
Some spots prev owner tried to super glue. That infuriated me. It left a coating the mek would not penetrate. I had to scrape and wire brush the super glue off and then the pieces wouldent fit as tight. This made the repairs harder to do. I used a little mek in a cup with a bunch of ground up grille plastic from a scrap grille piece to make a plastic paste to fill in the gaps. I used a razor blade to scrape on the piece of scrap plastic to make meltable shavings to put in the cup to make the paste. Then i let that dry for a week to be sure it was solid.
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HMBCUDA
Well-Known Member
HMBCUDA
Well-Known Member
nice work! the '69's are a whole different animal. I have to repair a rib on one of my '68 grill's (blue tape), i hope they sell MEK here in Calif., sounds like it may work to fix it. I posted on the parts wanted area for a broken grill so i could experiment with epoxy's, had one response for $50, but didn't want to spend that much for a broken grill.
If you get a chance can you post a close up pic of the backs of your grill? I just went through the process of replacing the studs, and riveting everything back together on my '68's. I'm curious how the studs attach on the '69's. I don't believe the '69s have metal brackets, they're one piece it looks like on your post.
also... I assume one or two studs were broken as well? How did you fix them? (if you had to?) '67-'68 are 8/32" threads, same for '69's?
If you get a chance can you post a close up pic of the backs of your grill? I just went through the process of replacing the studs, and riveting everything back together on my '68's. I'm curious how the studs attach on the '69's. I don't believe the '69s have metal brackets, they're one piece it looks like on your post.
also... I assume one or two studs were broken as well? How did you fix them? (if you had to?) '67-'68 are 8/32" threads, same for '69's?
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
I would love to show you, but these are wrapped in bubble wrap, in a box, and packed away until needed. I can describe how i fixed what i have. The 69s die cast chromed loops have studs moulded in, and use trim nuts just like how emblems are held on that bite their way in and make their own threads. I had a pair of those loops that were cracked, and a pair that were good with a few broken studs. I drilled into what was left of the broken studs, and tapped them with a 6-32 tap, then cut good studs off the cracked loops, and drilled and tapped into them with a 6-32. Made small joiners out of 6-32 screws to thread into the loops and then thread the good studs onto them. I used JB weld on the threads to join the pieces to make them permanent. In some ways i like the 67-68 mounting setup with machine screw studs better. I have a 67 that i will have to redo grilles on. Almost every stud is broken. Not looking forward to that.
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Like Matt said,
69 grilles do not have the studs you are wanting to see. The mount is through pegs on the outer chromed/trim ring. Sounds like he went through a lot of fuss to save them. There are also lots of semi hollow tubular rivets that connect the trim to the plastic housings. Pop rivets do no work well here.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
I used 6-32 countersunk machine screws on the inner trim, and used MEK and lexan rectangles to reinforce those holes on the back side. I countersunk the aluminum trim holes a little for the screws to sit flush. I used small washers and nuts on the back. This is better than the tubular rivets IMHO as it spreads the clamping load.. i also enlarged the holes slightly so the screws would not stress and crack the plastic surrounds at the original rivet holes.
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moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Just to clarify, this was all done on a set of 69 grilles.
HMBCUDA
Well-Known Member
I get the picture now. Thanks!
Matt, if you don't mind, I will PM you, (Wed-thurs) regarding stud fix, etc. for the '67, OK?
Matt, if you don't mind, I will PM you, (Wed-thurs) regarding stud fix, etc. for the '67, OK?
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Sure, that will be great. I have a few ideas of what i may want to do to fix mine. Either just drill and tap whats there to 8-32, then thread in studs with some JB weld, or drill holes in the mounts to 1/4" and install 8-32 threadserts / rivnuts, then thread in 8-32 studs into the threadserts / rivnuts.
HMBCUDA
Well-Known Member
I'll send a pic. in a few days of what i used, they press into original holes, no mods/JB weld required, very similar to the original studs. just have to carefully cut the broken stud as close to the base as possible, then grind them a bit, (carefully so you don't enlarge the holes), then use a center punch to pop it out. (used a dremel tool)
PS: I have to go to a library to send Pictures, can't do it with what i have at home. been work'n on the car the past few days, and go'g back to painter tomorrow to touch up grills i assembled...prepainted them, and black lines don't match up where the two pieces meet. (not good enough ;) )
HMBCUDA
Well-Known Member
Ment to ask you too, who you bought your gauge bezels from? Funny you mentioned "NOT" to use windex...exactly what i used in my teens/early twenty's to clean them...now all the chrome is flaking off, ha ha. I was going to have it re finished, but it's around $450-500, re-pops are around $650 i think.
moparmat2000
Well-Known Member
Repops dont fit perfect like factory parts, but they are copper and chrome plated like an exterior plastic part like a truck grille is. I think i got mine from either laysons ,or BEA parts. Had to work it a bit in some areas to make it fit.
HMBCUDA
Well-Known Member
Thanks!
HMBCUDA
Well-Known Member
Hay Jeff,
I just found this stuff on the web that you might be able to use yourself to restore the "chrome" tips on your spring special. Called "Bare Metal" not sure of how it will handle exterior conditions, but it's real metal, wax or other car finish protectant might help. I watched some youtube "how to" videos on it and seems fairly easy to work with.
On the spring special grill inserts use fine steel wool to polish the edges. Then paint with duplicolor flat black vinyl dye. Hit the outer edge with the steel wool again before the paint is dry. I have a NOS one and the other side I restored came out just like new.
HMBCUDA
Well-Known Member
Thanks Jet
I ended up using Mothers detailing spray and a clay bar to get the shine back on the "chrome" tips.
I had to use acetone to remove the white paint over spray, but that took some of the black paint off also.
I may have to try to find the duplicolor flat black vinyl die to touch up the black.
When I get a chance I'm going to post before and after pictures.
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