Grill paint lines

[custom10nut]

Someone just recently posted pictures of "original" vs "aftermarket" paint lines at the ends. If you look at the picture I posted, it shows my unmolested "original" outer grill shell.
I don't want to start a war, but the pictures posted before would say mine is aftermarket.
And. It begins

[BlueBullet]

I was wondering the thing because my grill on my low millage K20 firetruck looks like your grill also.

[FirstOwner69]

Either aftermarket or a GM service parts replacement used as early as May, 1972 (when mine was replaced after someone hit me).

[custom10nut]

I see now. After I posted, I went back and found the other post, and I agree that mine is probably a factory replacement . Mine of course, doesn't have the lines to the headlights, and I notice that the top and bottom ribs also continue. Now I want one. Not that I would give up my grill, but I wish it was the original. As I've said before, I've often suspected that my truck had been in an accident long before it came to me. Soon I'm going to take it off and go through the process of polishing it to its former glory.

[FirstOwner69]

Originally Posted by custom10nut

I see now. After I posted, I went back and found the other post, and I agree that mine is probably a factory replacement . Mine of course, doesn't have the lines to the headlights, and I notice that the top and bottom ribs also continue. Now I want one. Not that I would give up my grill, but I wish it was the original. As I've said before, I've often suspected that my truck had been in an accident long before it came to me. Soon I'm going to take it off and go through the process of polishing it to its former glory.

You can make it look more like the original by removing the excessive black paint at the ends and along the horizontal depressions as seen in this pic of mine. I also thought about extending the black lines but they would not be in depressed areas at that point.

[cericd]

Originally Posted by custom10nut

Someone just recently posted pictures of "original" vs "aftermarket" paint lines at the ends. If you look at the picture I posted, it shows my unmolested "original" outer grill shell.
I don't want to start a war, but the pictures posted before would say mine is aftermarket.
And. It begins

I posted the comparison picture. Yes your grill has been replaced.

Another tell tale sign of you grille having been replace is the pop rivets used in the areas around the headlight buckets. They're easy to spot since they are bare aluminum. GM used smooth rounded head rivets at those spots and they were black dots in a black painted line. On many original trucks where the black lines have worn away the factory rivets appear as black dots.