Blackout grill?

[pagilman]

Thanks for the pics, looks like u moved the bumper?

 

[shadango]

Not that this helps with a Chally, it may help in general....when I got my car the grill was blacked out and I painted the bumper to match (it was in poor shape)

I decided to revive the grill and go with a new bumper...I didnt replace the headlight surrounds yet....they are still blacked out....

 

[pagilman]

Looks great!!!!!!

 

[pagilman]

Finished grill

Finished the grill, does anyone like it better than my first attempt? Flat black on the fillers and flat black metalic on the grill plastic grid, even though you can't see it on the pics...trying to do my best to make a T/A clone as I know I will never be able to own one..............ccasion1:

Also three beers to look over my handy work........

first pic was when I started....

 

[shadango]

Looks real good to me!

 

[burdar]

It does look good. The gray grill just looked out of place IMO.

I'd still remove the fillers and push the bumper in though. You can always do that down the road if you want to.

It's hard to tell by the first picture but were the stainless rings that hold the headlights in always painted black or did you paint those too?

I think those would look better if they were polished but that's just me.

You did a good job...it does look better then it did.

 

[pagilman]

Thanks to all for the input, Iam happy with it, that gray grill was out of place, no I didn't paint the headlite rings, they were already painted, I should have replaced them ,but I not putting anymore money in this car......I just bought a rear window louver and I'll never get my money out of her!!!!!!LOL

 

[burntorange70]

Much better. Nice work.

 

[mr340]

Looks Good!

 

[modfly]

Painting the grill black is not a good idea. When ever I see this I think to myself..Oh boy, another person who likes to customize
something thats already perfect..what a waste. I guess I prefer them the way Chrysler (factory) intended.

Hard to beat those boys at the factory when it comes to body paint and specs. Leave it stock color or freshen up the color with
stock paint colors but please, just say no to blacked out grills!

 

[modfly]

Not that this helps with a Chally, it may help in general....when I got my car the grill was blacked out and I painted the bumper to match (it was in poor shape)

I decided to revive the grill and go with a new bumper...I didnt replace the headlight surrounds yet....they are still blacked out....

Good move! I like the car much better now!

 

[shadango]

Painting the grill black is not a good idea. When ever I see this I think to myself..Oh boy, another person who likes to customize
something thats already perfect..what a waste. I guess I prefer them the way Chrysler (factory) intended.

Hard to beat those boys at the factory when it comes to body paint and specs. Leave it stock color or freshen up the color with
stock paint colors but please, just say no to blacked out grills!

It may not be your taste, but "not a good idea" and "a waste" ??

If we all felt that way, no one would run even custom wheels (after all, the designers at chrysler cant be wrong there could they?)

Or what about the guys who customize the interiors or add stereos? Didnt chrysler address all of that almost 40 years ago?

And after 71 engine choices were not all that hot ...so does that mean a guy with a 72 or 74 cant swap in a 440 or a Hemi? I mean, chrysler would know best, right?

Customizing is what hot rodding and cool cars is all about.

If you are restoring a numbers-matching, concourse resto car for judging, then maybe I can see your thinking.

But we all have our own tastes.
But these cars are cool no matter what is done to them.....

Not looking to start anything -- but geez......saying "what a waste" just because it is not to your personal tase? Kind of harsh IMHO.

 

[Juan Veldez]

Agree with shadango. Do it how you like, let the next owner change it back if he/she prefers a total stock looking vehicle. I mean, heck, it's already altered big time from a real '73 anyway.

 

[modfly]

Well, like I said, I prefer them stock especially the body. Now the engine and drive-line thats another story however, If I change an engine, or upgrade a trans (a 4 speed is an upgrade IMO) I use mostly stock parts on the outside of the engine for stock appearance purposes. My thinking is to preserve the original look of the car. When I drive one of these cars, its like a time machine to me and I like it to look like it did back when it was made (in the USA!) Its nostalgia for me and I have seen so many "custom" upgrades that were done poorly that I think its just better to stay with the stock specs in the appearance department. A lot of these "custom mods" don't age well and I really laugh to my self when I see a rattle can mod like a black out grill on a car that did not have one. I never have subscribed to the "custom car" way of thinking. I even prefer the factory radios that came with the cars originally. I rarely even listen to the darn radio when I'm driving a vintage mopar muscle car so you can keep your after market radios as well. When I'm driving a vintage car, I'm driving and listening to the car, not the radio! The first thing I do when I get a mopar is remove all the custom junk the previous owner added and put it in the proper place...the trash can! This is especially true for aftermarket radios. If there is any custom decals or paint work on the car, that gets removed ASAP! I don't mind custom valve covers if they are made and sold by mopar performance or direct connection, other wise off to the trash can or ebay with that custom junk! Yea you can do what you like, its your car but I feel that customizing has limited appeal, First time vintage mopar owners or people that are not true mopar enthusiasts seem to like custom mods but with their short attention span they won't own the car long anyway and all their custom mods will wind up in the trash or Fee bay.
Now don't get mad at me because I like the factory look of the vintage mopars. Not everyone is a "cal custom" type of guy. These days, you rarely see a Challenger or cuda or Road runner etc cruising down the road so every one you see these days represents a piece of USA history on wheels so there is no need for "cal custom" add on mentality. As far as wheels go, I cringe when I see 17'' or larger custom wheels on a vintage mopar. I prefer the factory rims as well. Now there was a time when there was mopar muscle on every corner so I could understand the need to customize the cars then but those times are gone my friends so Leave that mopar body stock! After all, mopar had some of the best colors and stripes and color matched grill colors etc around and still define good taste to this day.

 

[modfly]

~If we all felt that way, no one would run even custom wheels (after all, the designers at chrysler cant be wrong there could they?~)

.

I strongly disagree with you on this one. I think Chrysler rims look very good and are super reliable.

I prefer the stock Chrysler wheels in all forms including the steel wheels with dog dish hub caps. If I'm in a street race, I trust the stock wheels to not come loose or alter the handling characteristics of the car so that the handling is predictable. I have actually had custom rims fail right after a race. I have never had a factory wheel come loose or fail or crack after hitting a pot hole. So not only do I prefer the look of the stock wheels but they are also designed for the cars and never fail like custom rims can.

 

[btceng]

Again, to each his own. I have been interested in blacking out the grill area on my 72 when the time comes. I'm glad to get a look at it up-close so to speak. I still like it. Is that a flat black (i.e., Hot Rod Black)?

It does make the car lose a lot of it's frown, but it's still there at second glance. Good work.

 

[pagilman]

Modfly, you were on a roll, lol

 

[modfly]

Modfly, you were on a roll, lol

Yea, I still would be if I had more time to sit at this computer. I have been swapping motors in a Ramcharger 4WD so I have very been busy the last 4 days.

 

[modfly]

Again, to each his own. I have been interested in blacking out the grill area on my 72 when the time comes. I'm glad to get a look at it up-close so to speak. I still like it. Is that a flat black (i.e., Hot Rod Black)?

It does make the car lose a lot of it's frown, but it's still there at second glance. Good work.

I hear people say that a 72-74 challenger grill frowns, I think its BS. It looks more like a scowl to me. As far as trying to hide the frown with black out paint, how about not? Looks bad to me especially on a 72-74 challenger. If a challenger grill is frowning on the 72-74, then it must also be a four eyed geek as well! Look at the new Chrysler 200. They tuned the grill into a smile for all the followers