1970 Challenger grill

[Stu]

In further question…

What’s the best thing to use for stripping ali?

[Blue]

A proper paint stripper from an auto paint supplier, Nitromors or anything else from a DIY place is useless these days now it’s eco. I’m told oven cleaner is also good, especially for getting paint off plastic.

[Stu]

Yes, I’d heard nitromors was a bit Bananarama! these days. I’ll see what the local motor factors has.

[Stu]

To quote Paul Herd, Barracuda and Challenger restoration guide.
Page 132-133 .

"In 1970, Dodge introduced the Challenger, and its grille design was a single piece design with a small cross-hatch pattern that was painted flat black. On the base Challenger, the frame was painted dark gray and on the R/T and T/A models, the frame was painted flat black"

There is no mention of the bezels but I would take this quote as the frame would include the bezels, as Stu says, it would look wrong with black bezels and silver grille surround.

Just re-reading this. So is that saying that the egg crate was flat black on all models?

[Wolfman]

Yes, I’d heard nitromors was a bit Bananarama! these days. I’ll see what the local motor factors has.

My mate that does furniture restorations gets me this stuff it's the dogs do da's just don't sniff it or get it on your body parts
https://www.ktecproducts.co.uk/shop/par ... n-5-litres

[MattH]

To quote Paul Herd, Barracuda and Challenger restoration guide.
Page 132-133 .

"In 1970, Dodge introduced the Challenger, and its grille design was a single piece design with a small cross-hatch pattern that was painted flat black. On the base Challenger, the frame was painted dark gray and on the R/T and T/A models, the frame was painted flat black"

There is no mention of the bezels but I would take this quote as the frame would include the bezels, as Stu says, it would look wrong with black bezels and silver grille surround.

Just re-reading this. So is that saying that the egg crate was flat black on all models?

Bizarrely, on the opposite page is a photo of a non R/T grille and the egg-crate grille section is definitely silver.
Also this came up on a quick Google and its all silver.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/362436190655

[Stu]

Hmmm interesting. I’ve since had various bits of info that the egg crate wasn’t painted at all, just coated, which seems to tie in with a lot of images of original parts.

At this stage, I’ve no idea how I’m going to be able to strip the centre section back, it’s pretty fragile and fiddly as hell to get anything into the corners of every square.

[Stu]

Yes, I’d heard nitromors was a bit Bananarama! these days. I’ll see what the local motor factors has.

My mate that does furniture restorations gets me this stuff it's the dogs do da's just don't sniff it or get it on your body parts
https://www.ktecproducts.co.uk/shop/par ... n-5-litres

Been trying to find someone who will sell me this, but they all want declaration forms that I am an industrial user!

[Blue]

Dipping the egg crate part is probably the best way to strip it, or possibly liberally coat it in oven cleaner and Bananarama! off with a low pressure hose?

[Stu]

Wash. It.?

Got to love the Bananarama filter.

[Stu]

Cheers Dave.

It’s by no means perfect, but it’s a hell of a lot better than it was, so I’m happy enough.

[Dave-R]

To quote Paul Herd, Barracuda and Challenger restoration guide.
Page 132-133 .

"In 1970, Dodge introduced the Challenger, and its grille design was a single piece design with a small cross-hatch pattern that was painted flat black. On the base Challenger, the frame was painted dark gray and on the R/T and T/A models, the frame was painted flat black"

There is no mention of the bezels but I would take this quote as the frame would include the bezels, as Stu says, it would look wrong with black bezels and silver grille surround.

Just re-reading this. So is that saying that the egg crate was flat black on all models?

Bizarrely, on the opposite page is a photo of a non R/T grille and the egg-crate grille section is definitely silver.
Also this came up on a quick Google and its all silver.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/362436190655

The egg crate was never painted except on the T/A. It was a dull natural finish.
the rest of the grille section was bright plated and painted black on the R/T, R/T SE, T/A and argent silver on the others.

The leading edge of the grille and light bezels were roughly masked as well as a mask over the center egg crate section so that the paint didn't reach in around the egg crate, leaving a bright plated ring around the opening for the egg crate.

Don't rely on stupid restoration guides. They are full of mistakes.

[Stu]

I gave my egg crate many baths in the sonic cleaner to clean all the crap off, with the intention of leaving it as Dodge intended, but when I had sprayed the rest of the grille, I just didn’t like the way it looked. It looked washed out and old, a lot like me.

I dust sprayed it very thinly with satin black radiator paint and like it a lot more, so it’s wrong by right to me.

TBH you are right about all the guides, everything conflicts and I’ve seen just about every combo possible on cars and in photos, so I’m pretty convinced it was just a case of they threw what they had on lot of stuff and did things differently dependent on what they had around at the time, including finishes.

A bit like Nobby at British leyland, just get it done and out the door. That’ll do, it’s home time….

[Dave-R]

Yep I didn't like the unpainted egg crate either. So painted mine.

No they really didn't do odd things at the factory. They were all done the same and inspected as they were done. It's just people make judgments based on cars that are not as they came from the factory and Billy Bob that lives over the south side of the tracks swears that his sisters husband told him his grandfather bought the car brand new exactly like that.

[Stu]

Quite possibly right! There’s a man works down the chip shop swears he’s Elvis and all that…