[wizardofx]

I'm restoring the '68 GT grille and am looking for a picture of a stock 68 grille with correct paint scheme.

I can't seem to find one on line painted in original shape. Most are blacked out, or otherwise painted different than stock original. Anyone?? I only need a close up of half the grille. (I'll assume the other half is the same)

Thx.

 

[FEandGoingBroke]

This good?

 

[wizardofx]

and there's the confusion... in one pic, the vertical "bars" in the egg crate part of the grill are painted. In some pic I've seen different styles:

1. all blacked out
2. all polished
3. only vertical bars blacked out

I think they're all supposed to be polished, but over the years people have painted them insted of removing the anodize and spending hours polishing.

I just want to grill to be factory correct either way.

 

[wizardofx]

Here's an upside down picture of my grille. The paint pattern on bottom is almost weaved. Mine is a second owner car, so I doubt anyone messed with it, but who knows now. I just need her to be correct.

 

[FEandGoingBroke]

Very very hard to tell but to make is factory to your car simply paint all the low areas semi flat black and polish the high areas.
Do not paint the verticals over the top of the horizontals break the vertical paint with the horizontal lines.

Nobody will know that from OEM.

 

[wizardofx]

That makes sense. I'm using drain cleaner to eat through the anodized coating first which will also get rid of paint. Then comes the fun of sanding and polishing.

 

[locksmitty]

I have a NOS grill still in the box........ I can dig it out and take some pics if you want.

 

[wizardofx]

A '68 NOS grill.. really? Yea pics would be great! I appreciate everyone's help.

 

[locksmitty]

A '68 NOS grill.. really? Yea pics would be great! I appreciate everyone's help.

yah NOS been in the attic for 35 years just waiting for me to get started on my 68 FB

I will get up in the attic tommorow.......... kinda want to see it myself .

 

[locksmitty]

yah NOS been in the attic for 35 years just waiting for me to get started on my 68 FB

I will get up in the attic tommorow.......... kinda want to see it myself .

well I'm in the same boat as you now.

I pulled it out of the box and it is mostly all black.

This part number is C80Z 8200 with a tag that reads to keep stock down this is a multi fit grill.

Parts are heavy black and parts are a lighter painted black.

It looks like you would use a paint remover to take off the lighter black for some uses and leave it on for others.

pics to follow later today.

 

[locksmitty]

Here's some new pictures of the Torino grill. I also have some pics of front/rear eyebrow trim and trunk lid trim. The part number after further study is: C80Z 8200B

 

[wizardofx]

Friday night at the classic car meetup in Burbank there was a nice, original '68 Ranchero.
The grille paint was the same as mine... an over, under weave of black vertical painted bars.

I'll assume now this is true factory in '68. Locksmitty's one-size-fits-all grille is just that, although I like the blacked out look better, (Cobra). I'm going to buff it all down and paint the weaved pieces per original. Thanks for everyone's help!

pic of '68 Ranchero.

 

[gadejfan]

This is what us guys on the torino cobra forum came up with. I had the same worries/wonders.

TorinoCobra.com - Torino and Cyclone Technical Forum • View topic - What is the deal with the grille? <--Rhyme

 

[wizardofx]

So there are are a variety of opinions here. Unfortunately, there are no part numbers on the original grille itself. It would makes sense that the blacked-out grille would be used on the GT, vs. the shiny one, however there are a bunch of pics out there that illustrate otherwise- including mine. I just need mine to be correct.

"If you look at the body assembly manual - it does call out 2 parts numbers and has the following wording:

C80B-8150-A - For C80B all except 63D-65D-66D-76D
C80B-8150-B - For C80B 63D-65D-66D-76D
Grille - Radiator

63D - Torino GT Fastback
65D - Torino GT Hardtop
66D - Ranchero GT
76D - Torino GT Convertible"

All we need now is a pic of both of those part numbers and the Great Grille Mystery is solved! Then Scooby and I chase a phantom at the theme park!

TorinoCobra.com - Torino and Cyclone Technical Forum • View topic - What is the deal with the grille? <--Rhyme

That's a great resource!

 

[wizardofx]

I know this is an old thread, but I'm ready to paint my grille with krylon or rustoleum, and am looking for the correct grey tone in the pics here.

Anyone paint their grille before? It looks like the ends are flat black and the center section is a flat grey. Going for an OE look on locksmitty's pics.

Thx.