Beer bet about 69 grilles

[69CudaFan]

Did the cores start black and then painted argent (silver) for standard cars, or were there seperate colors for black and argent. Seems black was a much lower demand item. I do know that black should be black through and through and not painted.

Someone claims the factory painted them silver over black cores. When I see broken grilles, they look silver through and through. The notion the factory would paint them silver seems counterproductive in my opinion since black was a much lower demand....

 

[4spdragtop]

Im pretty sure "S" and 'Cuda were molded black plastic. Not sure if the standard barracudas used silver argent spray or if they were molded silver argent.

Here is a link with NOS ones
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=252966

Im gonna chk my parts manual and see if there are different part #s for the 2 styles.

 

[4spdragtop]

Ok, well part #s are different for "S" and non "S" grills...dunno if that helps or not.

 

[iw378]

My 69 has the original grille surrounds that are cracked. The plastic is grey. through and through. No black at all.

 

[iw378]

Is there any pics of black ones that are cracked and are black all the way through ? Seems to me that if argent was the main thing they'd they cast them all in grey then paint black.??
Luke

 

[Oklacarcollecto]

The 69 I have had broken argent grilles and they were gray all the way through. Have no idea about the black grilles.

 

[69CudaFan]

Steve,

What PNs do you have for the black and silver grilles? I am certain Formula S grilles are black through and through. BB-Daves NOS set is black plastic not painted, and perhaps he can chime in with the PNs as well. Hopefully the two different PNs will be enough to convince.

I have a pic to help my argument. Looks through and through argent to me.

 

[moparclown]

69 S grilles were molded black
the rest were gray plastic mold and then painted silver
I have seen 2 colors of gray,a dark and a light tone but both had the same part #s
Doug

 

[69CudaFan]

Doug,

Do you have part numbers on your garage art?

 

[moparclown]

Doug,

Do you have part numbers on your garage art?

Sorry I don't as all my extra 69 grilles have been repaired and sold.

 

[jimharvard]

for what it's worth....
i have a 69 original 383 4sp fastback "S" cuda and it has black plastic center grills with the common chrome surround. there's a pic of it here on FABO under 1969 Cuda 383 Formula S and 68 340 My Cuda's link.

i could probably take a drill and bore a hole through one of the grills just to check the consistency of the plastic .... but i'd rather not.
just saying....