Outer Grill Paint Question?

[67CHIP72]

Awhile back I bought what I thought was a NOS outer grill from GMC Pauls. I also ordered a 72 style NOS inner grill, bezels and emblem elswhere to make up a new grill for a truck I sold last year. When I bought it and made it up I did not know as much about these trucks as I do today. My question is about the outer grill. The sticker on the box is GM, but I know its not something that was produced when these trucks were made; it is new as the box stickers have a website address. The black paint is only a stripe around the headlight area and does not cover the high ridges as the originals did. has anyone bought what is called a NOS piece with the newer sticker that has the correct paint scheme? I would like to make GMC Pauls aware of this as they are a vendor here.

Here are pictures of the grill assembled and the inner and outer grill stickers on the boxes showing the difference I described.

[sameyrasmea72]

I would bet for sure your grill was made by GM. They were still being made/or sold by GM until around 2 years ago. 36 years after they made the first one and put them on trucks. I agree that they are not exactly(painted) like the original ones or even the one you could get 15-20 years ago. If you look at an original 71 grill, they had a lot more black trim painted on the grill, but GM has never sold grills with the 71 paint scheme that I remember, but the ones they sold up till 2 years ago or so even with the slight difference are still genuine GM,

[red71c10]

Since the '71 has the black paint around it and the '72 doesn't, GM probably sold replacements unpainted as fitting '71 or '72 and left the painting up to the purchaser. I think most people leave them unpainted even if they do have a '71 unless they are building a fully restored show truck. IMHO, the black surround doesn't make a huge improvement in the look of the front end, but it does make it easier to tell a '71 from a '72.

[71 super]

What they said- the 72 grill is the replacement for the 71 if you want the stripe you must paint it yourself- etch prime after scuffing with scotch brite and semi flat black.