What's the deal with my grill?

[67_C-30]

I have thought ever since I bought my '69 C/10 that the front looked a little different than other '69's or 70's, but I thought it was probably the color and trim, because all the other 69 - 70's I have don't have body side molding. After looking closer, I realized today that I have totally different grill altogether. The parking lights are in a different location and the stripes above and below the CHEVROLET lettering are a little wider. The parking lights are a little closer to the headlights. Does anyone know if this is an older aftermarket grill or something. My truck was restored in 1990, but don't know if the grill was replaced because the grill is the most weathered piece on it. All the body side moldings, Etc. are still very bright and almost look new. Here's some pics of it and a pic of my '69 C-30 for comparison. I have another '69 and 2 70's and they both have the same grill as my '69 C-30.

[Old Chevy Mech]

Now I'm gonna have to go look at my 2 70's and see which one or both are like one of yours! I see what you are talking about!

Frank

[wibilly]

i belive the first one is a repop second one is gm

[67_C-30]

Originally Posted by wibilly

i belive the first one is a repop second one is gm

That's what I'm thinking too. I know you can't get a reproduction grill with Chevrolet on it anymore, but I think you could years ago.

[uncle]

2nd is definitely GM. I just looked at 3 in my yard.

[tcb-1]

I'm with everyone else. the first is a repop. the second is oe GM.

there are still oe GM grilles out there, but the supply is rapidly running out. My brother was able to get one through a GM parts department several months ago.

BUT they are expensive. around $700 if I remember right.

[Blue_71]

ive always heard the ones with the small black spot by the parking light was 69 only, and the stripes going all the way to the headlight bezels was 1970. my 69 has the same as yours

[too much stuff]

An original gm grill will have the lines going from the turn signal to the headlight bezel. I also agree, the first grill looks like a repro.

[basketcase]

Here are 2 pictures I just took of my junk. The first is the original grille out of the '69. It still has the mounting brackets rivited on from the factory. It's weathered and the black in the stripes is worn off but still has remnants in places. The second is a new GM just slid from it's original box. This grille was bought about 15 years ago from the Chevy dealer where my wife worked.

I would like to add that in the old grille the traces of paint are in the horizonal groove only. It could be that the '70 grille was slightly different and superceeded the '69 grille as the GM replacement for both years. This was a common practice.

Tom

[basketcase]

I also see that the grooves on the original grille extent all the way to the headlamp opening where the new part's grooves stop just after the park lamp and there is a difference in the distance that the park lamp is spaced from the headlamp also. I was the first person to ever open this box and it still has the parts label on the box end.

The grille in your first picture is different than either of the pics I posted. No groves out past the park lamp. Also it looks like my original grille and your bottom pic of an original grill have slightly different park lamp spacing even though their horizonal grooves are the same. Could this be due to GM using more than one supplier for this part? Possibly. The plot thickens.

Tom

[Blue_71]

thats something i forgot to mention-- ill have to look, but im 99% sure mine has the factory rivited braces, with the black barelly past the park lamps

[Palf70Step]

First shot is the original from my 70 and according to my friend the prior owner it is the one that came on the truck when new.

Second shot is the best of the grill that came on my 69 (No Gman69 didn't come with the truck )

I know the inner grill on the 69 is a 70 inner grill, but I am not sure if the outer is original or not. I know the 69 has a ton of non-69 pieces. I had another 69 grill that looked more like the second one


The original 70's was narrower on the outside, than the ones from I got from 69 models.

[C10-Driver]

This is the one that was on my '70 when I bought it. Don't know if it was original to the truck but it sure looked like it.

[special-K]

Back in`90 grilles were still available from GM and there was no reproduction made,yet.It looks like GM had a later version that was a re-tool.

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by special-K

Back in`90 grilles were still available from GM and there was no reproduction made,yet.It looks like GM had a later version that was a re-tool.

He speaketh the gospel. In 90, you had two options, either pony up for a GM grille at the deler or buy an aftermarket without letters on it.

The aftermarket ones with letters came much later than 1990.

[67_C-30]

Interesting stuff. I was sure it was a repro until I saw some of these.

[ChevLoRay]

As for the differences, it seems to me that the black painted area between the parking lights and headlight is due to the painting that was done, not anything else. If the paint is eliminated from between the two grooves on the outer end of the parking light, it'll be just like the original that has aluminum showing.

[corn]

Here's my 69 grill...