Grille restoration

[Sonny]

I bought a '70 road runner grille this week off eBay. It's unbroken and in great shape but it's original and faded gray. What's the best way to restore it? I assume paint it. If so, what should I use? Rattle can for plastics? Should I take it to a paint shop?

 

[MarPar]

you can do it yourself.

here is the place for the paint...

http://www.totallyautoinc.com/paint/paint.html

 

[PurpleBeeper]

Sorry to hijack, but I'm also about to restore a '70 Roadrunner grille. Thanks for the link. Stupid question....what color (s) should it be painted?

For sure I will wash/scrub it with soapy water and probably follow up with 70% rubbing alcohol to get all the dirt & oil off.

 

[MarPar]

dont quote me on it, but I believe it's the argent.

maybe @kiwigtx knows...

 

[kiwigtx]

dont quote me on it, but I believe it's the argent.

maybe @kiwigtx knows...

Actually I don't know the exact colour....but there are a few restored 70 cars on here.

 

[Superb Bee]

Ok so having done this 4876 times I will offer my advice. I know you guys have to be sick of it by now. Sorry.

First. Clean said plastic with sem soap. Worth the investment. It works awesome and the finished product is better for using it. I scrub the sem soap with paint prep pad

Dry it well then I use plastic adhesion promoter also from sem. But you don't have to I always have it. But it's expensive. The sem soap is more important imo.

Next apply plastikote 621 to the grills. I do 4 coats. First just a dusting then second heavier and so on. Follow instructions on can

 

[Dennis H]

5.7 hemi.

 

[kiwigtx]

dont quote me on it, but I believe it's the argent.

maybe @kiwigtx knows...

@hsorman is the man I was thinking of earlier - his car turned out really nice, and recently finished.

 

[Sonny]

Ok so having done this 4876 times I will offer my advice. I know you guys have to be sick of it by now. Sorry.

First. Clean said plastic with sem soap. Worth the investment. It works awesome and the finished product is better for using it. I scrub the sem soap with paint prep pad

Dry it well then I use plastic adhesion promoter also from sem. But you don't have to I always have it. But it's expensive. The sem soap is more important imo.

Next apply plastikote 621 to the grills. I do 4 coats. First just a dusting then second heavier and so on. Follow instructions on can

Great advice. Thanks. Were the grilles all silver from the factory? If not, what is the correct number for the black part?

 

[Superb Bee]

Great advice. Thanks. Were the grilles all silver from the factory? If not, what is the correct number for the black part?

Go to 521 restorations website and see the pictures of grills they have done, it will give you a good idea of what you want.

I have played with the paints, paid the $25 a can some companies ask, also had some stuff custom mixed and sprayed it through the detailing gun base clear and ss. But now I just keep it simple that 621 from pk is just as close as anything else I have used, if you are doing an oem gold car, sure go nuts, get it perfect (or what some may think is perfect, who knows what it looked like on day 1? even NOS in the box parts change color a bit after 50 years on the shelf).

As far as the black goes, I have seen them 3 different ways
all silver
black center with silver around lights and rim (I prefer that one)
and black center but with silver on each fin

For the black on grills I use #616 its a satin black, some people like a gloss black on the grills, but I think the satin is closer to what I expect them to look like, that paint doesn't say satin or matte or gloss, but it sprays out a nice satin sheen.

PS while in the garage looking at the numbers on the cans, I found a plastikote adhesion promotor I have used and forgot about, it worked well on some 71 grills I did #469 not sure if its still available amazon is a good source if you cant get it local.

I hope this helps, for $25 of paint products, try spraying them on some card board or grills pieces and see what you think compared to what is left on your grille. I have done a lot of grills this way and they come nice, I can take some pics this week of a set I have been working on, should paint them by the weekend, depends how I feel. been having some chest pains, maybe working on 4th cardiac event lol, don't get old guys, all down hill after 60

 

[Sonny]

Go to 521 restorations website and see the pictures of grills they have done, it will give you a good idea of what you want.

I have played with the paints, paid the $25 a can some companies ask, also had some stuff custom mixed and sprayed it through the detailing gun base clear and ss. But now I just keep it simple that 621 from pk is just as close as anything else I have used, if you are doing an oem gold car, sure go nuts, get it perfect (or what some may think is perfect, who knows what it looked like on day 1? even NOS in the box parts change color a bit after 50 years on the shelf).

As far as the black goes, I have seen them 3 different ways
all silver
black center with silver around lights and rim (I prefer that one)
and black center but with silver on each fin

For the black on grills I use #616 its a satin black, some people like a gloss black on the grills, but I think the satin is closer to what I expect them to look like, that paint doesn't say satin or matte or gloss, but it sprays out a nice satin sheen.

PS while in the garage looking at the numbers on the cans, I found a plastikote adhesion promotor I have used and forgot about, it worked well on some 71 grills I did #469 not sure if its still available amazon is a good source if you cant get it local.

I hope this helps, for $25 of paint products, try spraying them on some card board or grills pieces and see what you think compared to what is left on your grille. I have done a lot of grills this way and they come nice, I can take some pics this week of a set I have been working on, should paint them by the weekend, depends how I feel. been having some chest pains, maybe working on 4th cardiac event lol, don't get old guys, all down hill after 60

Thanks for the information and the great tips! As far as how to do the black and silver, I assume you paint the silver front lip and the headlight openings first, then tape those off and spray the fins black. Seems like it would be harder to do it the other way around. Any suggestions?

 

[HawkRod]

@hsorman is the man I was thinking of earlier - his car turned out really nice, and recently finished.

Thanks - I've had a lot of fun with it so far!

As far as my grille is concerned: I painted mine with silver and flat black (no fancy high dollar paints). Yes, I know, it is not correct, but I was running out of time before I left on my drive across country. My grille is not perfect, so I have to go back and improve it some time in the near future. I must say, through, even through it is too dark I like it! I will make it more correct soon...

This isn't a great picture, and obviously the car wasn't done, but it shows the contrast.

Hawk

 

[5.7 hemi]

Light argent silver and matte black are the correct colors for a 70' RR grille and h/l bezels. Don't forget to pull out the stainless trim and fix/polish those and your grille will be bitchin'!