Let's see those Original Chevy/GMC truck grilles you restored

[litew8]

Originally Posted by 72 Copper C-10

I think i can still find some of that stuff or close to it, but not in stores (obviously!)

I cant wait to see more! everyone's grilles look awesome, I cant wait to do mine!!

I'd be interested to know what it's called, if it polishes/protects? bare aluminum.

[Lou Boffa]

Guys, I read where the final polishing on several were done with Mother's and a ball. Can someone explain? Thanks

[DT1]

I did mine three years ago when I painted the truck. I had a choice between Repro replacement grill and moldings or get to work on my original stuff. I've showed these pictures before, but since the topic has come up again...

Before


Stripping


After dent removal


Ready to go back on




Did the same with the moldings

[tommys72]

DT1 I need some more info on the process you used for the trim and the grill as I want to do mine also. ..and hope they come out that good

[sduckworth13]

Originally Posted by tommys72

DT1 I need some more info on the process you used for the trim and the grill as I want to do mine also. ..and hope they come out that good

Here is a grille restore thread that DT1 started when he refinished his grille.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=445625

[DT1]

Originally Posted by tommys72

DT1 I need some more info on the process you used for the trim and the grill as I want to do mine also. ..and hope they come out that good

Ok, From what I remember...
First thing is to clean and strip the anodizing off. Forget about the oven cleaners and Greased Lightning. I use pure sodium hydroxide (Lye). It will take anodizing off better than anything I have ever used but you need to be EXTREMELY CAREFUL! This stuff is bad news! If you get any on your skin. If you get a shot of it in your eyes, it can blind you. Protective clothing and eye wear are an ABSOLUTE must.
You can get sodium hydroxide powder by the pound from ebay.
Fill a plastic spray bottle with a solution of one part lye to 20 parts cold water. This stuff will react with the water and become very warm. NEVER shake the bottle after mixing as it can explode.
Spray the clean aluminum grill with the solution and let it set for a few minutes. Test an area by scouring with Scotch-Brite. You might have to repeat this until the anodizing starts to dissolve. Scour the entire grill until it is free of the anodizing and rinse with water until all residue is gone.
The bare grill is now ready for dent removal. My grill didn't have any real bad dents but it had a bunch of dings all over it. I used a couple of pillow cases filled with sand for a backing while I methodically worked the dings and imperfections out from the inside with a screen door roller (Amazon). I gently rolled them out until they were just slightly raised and then tapped them down as flush as possible. I used a Rockwell Soni-Crafter, sander to work the areas smooth using finer and finer sand paper until the imperfections were completely gone.
Now is where a lot of buffing comes to play. I converted a regular bench grinder into a buffer and mounted it to a free standing base.
For the preliminary cutting I used 3M Scotch-Brite (Red) pads cut into 6 inch disks and stacked 4 of them together on the buffer. These disks will blend the entire grill to a semi flat finish and show any imperfections that need to be reworked. The next step was to fit the buffer with a 6 inch denim disk and used with black cutting compound. The next hour or two was spent methodically buffing every inch until the grill gleamed. Next I fit the buffer with a medium cotton disk and repeated the buffing with jewelers rouge.
The entire grill was then wiped down with a lint free cloth and lacquer thinner and at that point ready for finish. I have re-anodized some aluminum but it's not easy to find someone that can do a job the size of the grill. This particular grill got clear coated instead.
I used DuPont automotive clear coat. I applied a very light coat of clear coat and allowed to completely dry, then wet sanded with 1000 grit.
I masked off the area to be painted black and applied SEM Trim Black paint.
After the black was dry I applied two more coats of clear coat over the entire grill. After completely dry (A few days) I hand buffed. That's about it.
At first I was skeptical about how the grill would hold up during normal driving and just plain ol wear and tear, but after a few years, it still looks like new. Hope this helps. If you need information about where I obtained any of the stuff I used, shoot me a PM.

[DT1]

Originally Posted by sduckworth13

Here is a grille restore thread that DT1 started when he refinished his grille.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=445625

Pretty dumb of me. I should have done what you did!

[Lou Boffa]

Thanks DT1. Thats what I'll do.

[tommys72]

Thank you! I will also be using this

[88fordf150]

Before, during & after. Used oven cleaner, polish, paint, decals & lenses.

[sduckworth13]

Originally Posted by DT1

Pretty dumb of me. I should have done what you did!

I appreciate you taking the time to list all your steps, it will be be great info for guys looking for inspiration pictures and a list of steps for real world results.

Originally Posted by 88fordf150

Before, during & after. Used oven cleaner, polish, paint, decals & lenses.

Brad the grille looks great, where did you get you grille decals at ?
Thanks

[tommys72]

These look great! Makes me want to start mine right now

[88fordf150]

Originally Posted by sduckworth13

I appreciate you taking the time to list all your steps, it will be be great info for guys looking for inspiration pictures and a list of steps for real world results.



Brad the grille looks great, where did you get you grille decals at ?
Thanks

I think LMC but I can't remember for sure.

[sduckworth13]

Thank you

[72 Copper C-10]

Originally Posted by litew8

I'd be interested to know what it's called, if it polishes/protects? bare aluminum.

its basically an acid, i will have to look at the bottle but is real close to alluma-bright.

Originally Posted by DT1

Ok, From what I remember...
First thing is to clean and strip the anodizing off. Forget about the oven cleaners and Greased Lightning. I use pure sodium hydroxide (Lye). It will take anodizing off better than anything I have ever used but you need to be EXTREMELY CAREFUL! This stuff is bad news! If you get any on your skin. If you get a shot of it in your eyes, it can blind you. Protective clothing and eye wear are an ABSOLUTE must.
You can get sodium hydroxide powder by the pound from ebay.
Fill a plastic spray bottle with a solution of one part lye to 20 parts cold water. This stuff will react with the water and become very warm. NEVER shake the bottle after mixing as it can explode.
Spray the clean aluminum grill with the solution and let it set for a few minutes. Test an area by scouring with Scotch-Brite. You might have to repeat this until the anodizing starts to dissolve. Scour the entire grill until it is free of the anodizing and rinse with water until all residue is gone.
The bare grill is now ready for dent removal. My grill didn't have any real bad dents but it had a bunch of dings all over it. I used a couple of pillow cases filled with sand for a backing while I methodically worked the dings and imperfections out from the inside with a screen door roller (Amazon). I gently rolled them out until they were just slightly raised and then tapped them down as flush as possible. I used a Rockwell Soni-Crafter, sander to work the areas smooth using finer and finer sand paper until the imperfections were completely gone.
Now is where a lot of buffing comes to play. I converted a regular bench grinder into a buffer and mounted it to a free standing base.
For the preliminary cutting I used 3M Scotch-Brite (Red) pads cut into 6 inch disks and stacked 4 of them together on the buffer. These disks will blend the entire grill to a semi flat finish and show any imperfections that need to be reworked. The next step was to fit the buffer with a 6 inch denim disk and used with black cutting compound. The next hour or two was spent methodically buffing every inch until the grill gleamed. Next I fit the buffer with a medium cotton disk and repeated the buffing with jewelers rouge.
The entire grill was then wiped down with a lint free cloth and lacquer thinner and at that point ready for finish. I have re-anodized some aluminum but it's not easy to find someone that can do a job the size of the grill. This particular grill got clear coated instead.
I used DuPont automotive clear coat. I applied a very light coat of clear coat and allowed to completely dry, then wet sanded with 1000 grit.
I masked off the area to be painted black and applied SEM Trim Black paint.
After the black was dry I applied two more coats of clear coat over the entire grill. After completely dry (A few days) I hand buffed. That's about it.
At first I was skeptical about how the grill would hold up during normal driving and just plain ol wear and tear, but after a few years, it still looks like new. Hope this helps. If you need information about where I obtained any of the stuff I used, shoot me a PM.

Awesome work on your grille! Where did you get the decals for your trim, I would like to buy some but I dont know where to look!

Thanks,
John

[sduckworth13]

I found the decals for the 1969-1970 Chevy Truck Grille. There are several places that carry them. Here is one link.
http://www.tuckersparts.com/Grill-Decals-F-6896.html

[72 Copper C-10]

Originally Posted by sduckworth13

I found the decals for the 1969-1970 Chevy Truck Grille. There are several places that carry them. Here is one link.
http://www.tuckersparts.com/Grill-Decals-F-6896.html

I should have explained my self better! i meant the decals for the wood grain trim. sorry for the confusion and thanks for looking for me sduckworth!

[sduckworth13]

Your welcome

[7d1truckguy]

Hello, since we are talking about grills, I have a 1971 gmc and I was wondering what if any is there any safe way to remove the coating on those grills, THANKS

[sduckworth13]

Here is what DT1 posted in his thread
"
You can get sodium hydroxide powder by the pound from ebay.
Fill a plastic spray bottle with a solution of one part lye to 20 parts cold water. This stuff will react with the water and become very warm. NEVER shake the bottle after mixing as it can explode.
Spray the clean aluminum grill with the solution and let it set for a few minutes. Test an area by scouring with Scotch-Brite. You might have to repeat this until the anodizing starts to dissolve. Scour the entire grill until it is free of the anodizing and rinse with water until all residue is gone."

[yfs200p]

Subscribed, I'll be trying this soon.

[litew8]

Lye is the key ingredient (removing factory anodize - the protective coating on OEM aluminum). Many oven cleaner products contain lye. It can be found cheap (dollar general etc...), just read the label. No need to mix, just shoot and wait a few (no more than 15 min I think?). Use all/every safety precaution (eyes,skin,paint,ventilation etc..) seriously. I found I could sand most of my minor dings out. Careful, it's thin aluminum and you can burn through it with too much sanding.

[DT1]

Originally Posted by 72 Copper C-10

I should have explained my self better! i meant the decals for the wood grain trim. sorry for the confusion and thanks for looking for me sduckworth!

I got the wood grain decals from LMC. To my surprise, they seem like good quality. If you decide to do the tail gate, make sure you inspect the decal for length. I had to return my tailgate decal twice because both times it was over an inch too short. Hard to understand. Why not make them an inch longer then they need to be? I guess the extra length would cost them .05 cents more and that can add up.

[Tom Vogel]

Originally Posted by 7d1truckguy

Hello, since we are talking about grills, I have a 1971 gmc and I was wondering what if any is there any safe way to remove the coating on those grills, THANKS

GMC grills are mild steel, not aluminum like Chevys. They are chromed, not anodized.
It looks like you have a nice original grill. Keep it and get it rechromed when you can afford it. It wont be cheap, but it will be worth it. It will fit SO much better than a repop, You can so trust me on that.

[72 Sierra]

How do you prep the chrome to be painted the black parts on a gmc grill. thanks