Chromed our grill

[painterljp]

What do you all think?? Sent our aluminum grill to be chromed. This is how it turned out. Now do we get a chromed center plastic or put stock silver back in it??

[Andy4639]

Who did the chrome work? Look great!

[truckster]

It looks great. I think a chromed eggcrate would be too much for most trucks.

Mind if I ask how much the chrome cost?

[painterljp]

Electro plating of El Paso. It was 550. With headlight trim rings. But the grill was a stock aluminum one. The cost would be about the same as an aftermarket one basically. And we know this one fits the truck it came off of. So should be an easy fit putting it back in.

[yuccales]

VERY nice!

[nds1968]

Nice grill, I've used them for my hubcaps. They were easy to work with and fast turn around. What about a black center...

[special-K]

Definitely no chrome insert. Grey will look just fine

[72 tigger]

X2 ^ (and the chrome looks great!)

[jocko]

another vote for stock gray. how or will you paint the factory black on the surround? would be kinda difficult to make it stick on chrome i'm guessin. looks real nice!

[painterljp]

Originally Posted by jocko

another vote for stock gray. how or will you paint the factory black on the surround? would be kinda difficult to make it stick on chrome i'm guessin. looks real nice!

Yes the black is gonna go back on although the grill didn't have black on it before we sent it. But am gonna go call to paint shop and see what we can get to stick to it. It was the stock grill from a one owner truck so don't know why it wasn't on there before. Do all 1971 Chevy have the black around headlights??

[CG]

Did they have to do any work to the grill before chroming, or was it in perfect shape when you sent it in?

And like most others I would definitely keep the inner grill stock color.

[jocko]

Yes, all 71s have the black on the grille surround around the headlights. In fact, 71s, unlike any other year, also have a black perimeter stripe on the grille surround. Its seldom seen because it wore off of most stock grilles over time - as did at least some of the headlight ring black too usually. Nobody sells a 71-specific grille surround, only 69-72 common and then an owner would need to add a 71 perimeter stripe to be correct (if desired). Most don’t normally put the perimeter ring back on unless it’s a full blown numbers resto, it’s just gonna wear off again anyway! But it is worth at least putting the black on the headlight area, personally I think that makes a big difference. Just looks like something is missing to me if it’s not there. I don’t have a ref pic of the 71 grille handy, will post one tonight unless someone beats me to it (hopefully)

[Mike's money pit]

This is the stock grill on my original paint 71. As you can see, the black perimeter stripe is almost entirely gone. There is a little at the bottom corner below the headlight as well.

[68Stepbed]

Paint the egg crate section black. That'll make the chrome really pop.

[WIDESIDE72]

Originally Posted by jocko

Nobody sells a 71-specific grille surround, only 69-72 common and then an owner would need to add a 71 perimeter stripe to be correct

Only the 71/72 grill are visually similar. The 69/70 have the center bar with parking lights and "CHEVROLET" lettering.

[painterljp]

Originally Posted by jocko

Yes, all 71s have the black on the grille surround around the headlights. In fact, 71s, unlike any other year, also have a black perimeter stripe on the grille surround. Its seldom seen because it wore off of most stock grilles over time - as did at least some of the headlight ring black too usually. Nobody sells a 71-specific grille surround, only 69-72 common and then an owner would need to add a 71 perimeter stripe to be correct (if desired). Most don’t normally put the perimeter ring back on unless it’s a full blown numbers resto, it’s just gonna wear off again anyway! But it is worth at least putting the black on the headlight area, personally I think that makes a big difference. Just looks like something is missing to me if it’s not there. I don’t have a ref pic of the 71 grille handy, will post one tonight unless someone beats me to it (hopefully)

A friend of ours has a 71 or 72 stock also. He said the same thing it was all around the grill and the headlights. Think just gonna put it around the headlights. But don't know what paint is gonna stick to chrome. Thanks looking forward to your pics. The truck is not gonna be all stock anyway. It currently has a 307 3ott in it now. It's a factory shortbed from NM, so no rust at all. Already built a cammed 327 for it, just with stock closed chamber heads and roller rockers. Gonna add power steering and brakes. Automatic behind that but want it more stock looking than not. Found some buckets on here for it. Gonna be the original color of medium olive with parchment. We hope anyway. The aftermarket grills just are not correct in most cases. And the stories on here of trying to make them fit. By the time we bought one of those we figured about the same money and we wouldn't have all the fitment issues.

[71CHEVYSHORTBED402]

Chrome looks awesome. I'm with some others, factory "silver".

[painterljp]

Originally Posted by CG

Did they have to do any work to the grill before chroming, or was it in perfect shape when you sent it in?

And like most others I would definitely keep the inner grill stock color.

Had a couple of really small dings in it and almost like a cut on drivers side toward top of headlight. They fixed that also. And it was dingy looking. We figured when we get around to painting it its gonna look really bad with new paint. Cause with the aluminum grill because they are anodized you can't really make them shiny. We don't have funds for NOS stuff.

[jocko]

Originally Posted by WIDESIDE72

Only the 71/72 grill are visually similar. The 69/70 have the center bar with parking lights and "CHEVROLET" lettering.

Duh. Yes, sorry about that brain fartage - thanks for the correction!

[toolboxchev]

Originally Posted by painterljp

Had a couple of really small dings in it and almost like a cut on drivers side toward top of headlight. They fixed that also. And it was dingy looking. We figured when we get around to painting it its gonna look really bad with new paint. Cause with the aluminum grill because they are anodized you can't really make them shiny. We don't have funds for NOS stuff.

Well done to say the least. Thanks for the inside info on the fixes also. I have seen too many grilles go to the way side due to a couple of dings.

[painterljp]

The people whom chromed it had a lot of problems doing it. They had it for about 10-12 weeks we weren't in a hurry to get it back but on portions of the curve at bottom of grill wasn't coming out very well. They finally were able to get it done. But they told me that they weren't going to do anymore of this year aluminum grills. But bet they do.

[72 tigger]

I bet they'll do more also- for more $. Do you think that you could mask off all the chrome that doesn't get painted & then scuff the areas that you want to paint with coarse steel wool? As long as you can "dull" the chrome, I think the paint will adhere

[painterljp]

Good idea. Just gotta be careful.

[74baggedbug]

I paid 750 for mine to get done In houston, most shops told me they would not chrome a aluminum grill or wouldn't give a warranty

[chewychevy67]

I would like to get my 67 gmc body mouldings done in chrome. That grill looks real nice. It will look sharp!