69/70 Grill Differences
 

This topic became a hijack on the Craigslist thread. It was suggested we move it out here. I thought that was a good idea...so I thought I'd kick it off with some pics. Also I'll talk about the reproduction version and how we made it work for a 69 and a 70.

These pics are all complete, some very low mileage 69s. Note the "egg crate" on the 69 inner grill is uniform in color and form. Also fwiw, note the paint on the center bar just past the parking lights.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

My son in laws 70 K10.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

Thanks Larry.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

A 69 C10 Big Block truck I have in the shed. Per the rivets the grill has been changed.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

A new grill I have on the shelf.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

Ok here are some 70s. The inner grille has horizontal "stripes" that are raised and arranged in columns and highlighted in silver against a black egg crate.

Again, notice the paint at the edge of the parking lights. Here you can see a variation. The first pic is the 80 mile barn find truck (known original) it has the two stripes painted to the end. The others show the black blocked off. My feeling is that this is just a manufacturer variability and either way may be considered correct. More detailed data gathered from know originals is needed to get to the bottom of that. Whether or not it was a variation among suppliers or if it was a model year change (ie before or after a certain serial number).

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

The inner grill in post #4, although the correct color, has no raised areas at all. I need to look at the build date on that truck.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

That should be absolutely correct for a 69.

The new insert in post #5 looks exactly like a repro. Which is what I would assume it was unless you knew otherwise.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

For our 69, we just installed the grill set as it came with no modification. We didn't do anything crazy like try and cut the ribs down. But to make the repro as correct as possible for a 70, we had to work on it. Let's look at the layout:

The 70 is often described as having "Seven black vertical stripes". In actuality the 70 grille is a black "egg crate" with six columns of raised horizontal ribs that are painted silver...I'm assuming the silver is screened on at the factory. (I've seen one that looked like it had little silver runs at one end where the excess dripped a little).

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

Between the raised columns there obviously ends up being a black notch (which are the "seven black vertical stripes"). The reproduction inner grille has all of these except the ones that separate the outermost vertical columns and their immediate inner neighbors.

First pic is a factory notch.
Second pic is a reproduction notch.
Third pic compares the area where the repro piece lacks a notch.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

Since the inner repro "crate" is already silver, I elected to mask that and respray everything black.

So with just some 3M tape and a few razor blades, I masked everything I wanted to stay silver.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

Since almost all the notches are on the reproduction piece, the masking is pretty straight forward. The notch that you have to measure to cut is between columns that are different widths. All the columns except for the outermost columns are 7 inches wide. The outermost columns are 7-1/8 inches wide.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

Then it was just a little satin black plastic/trim paint.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

Here are both trucks when done. Same reproduction grill on both trucks. One as a 70 and one a 69.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

Is that an NOS outer grill in post #1?

The parts on the shelf have no part numbers or stickers. Did the original plastic insert have a part number?

I bought that yellow 69 off CL several years ago. I agreed on a price, loaded it, and the guys says "Hang on I need to get the rest of the parts." He brought out a bunch of trim and that grill set.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

Post #1 as far as I know are all 69s with that factory grill set. I collected those pics from different sources because of their appearance of originality and the reported supporting histories.

Your grill may be a GM grill, I don't know what variations/replacements they carried over time. But it clearly has the 1970 ribs on it but is all silver...like the current repro version. What looks different from the repro version we've used, is that yours appears to have the last notch between the ribs that the repro lacks.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

The first picture below was taken about a week after I purchased the truck in 1969. The picture quality is poor due to digital conversion and poor lighting, but it shows what was original for a '69. The inner grille color was actually quite a bit more silver than it appears. See additional color comment below.

The second picture shows the inner and outer grilles put on my '69 after an idiot slammed into the front of my truck in early 1972. Both were genuine GM replacement parts and the outer originally looked the same as today's reproductions. I removed some of the black paint on the center bar to reduce the width of the horizontal lines and the paint adjacent to the turn signals to make the outer grille look more like the original.

The third picture is my first attempt to make a current outer grille and the inner grille installed in 1972 look more like the originals.

After looking at a bunch of inner grilles on what appeared to be original junkyard and car show '69s, I noticed that the solid horizontal portions below the top and bottom egg crates were also painted silver. The fourth picture is courtesy of SSTim and Jocko and seems to verify this. I then replicated that as shown in the fifth picture.

I also recall the original silver paint on the inner actually had a greenish-gray cast and not as bright as mine is today.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

Great pics Jim. Thanks. I had wondered myself if the inner grill on 69s were monochromatic. All the ones I'd seen in person were in sorry shape or super faded. Pics are hard, because there's always a shadow. Just looking at the 69 Larry posted earlier...it's hard to imagine that was ever two colors.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

FirstOwner69, I always used "Argent Silver" for GM trim pieces. It has that green tint you are talking about.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

Will throw this in the mix. I have 2 each 69 and 70 inserts "supposedly" NOS. (hard to prove with open boxes) Here are those side by side.
Both 69 grills have the impressions like a 70 would have but are painted. Notice the date on one box.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

And an outer. Notice the date again.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

That is really helpful. Thanks for these pics. I would assume they are genuine GM. Especially the 1970 one.

It seems reasonable to me that:

1)The original 69 grill inserts could have been monochromatic (all silver)
2)Later, GM replacements were all made from the same mold (with 1970 style notches)but painted as pictured above according to YM desired
3)A Repro manufacturer just copied one of these later two tone replacement GM parts-omitting one of the notches
4)The stamping on the outer grill "bar" and the "blocked off" style paint lateral to the parking lights was the later version and carried on in the parts supply

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

I am 95% sure my original '69 inner grille did not have the raised areas that were silver in 1970. I'm not sure if the entire face of the horizontal ribs were raised or if the raised portions were added in 1970. However, I believe sanding these off the horizontal portions of the egg crate and painting it as described in my post above would replicate the '69 grille. Again, I'm not 100% sure here since mine was replaced with the '70 style GM part 48 years ago. I vividly recall not being pleased with the new inner and outer grilles. Unfortunately, I'm not near my truck or parts to confirm some of this. Input from others with originals would be very helpful.

That looks exactly like the GM outer grille that was put on my truck in early 1972. I have the repair invoice on file that indicates both replacement grilles had GM part numbers.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

From my observations, I would say the '69 inner grilles were not monochromatic but rather like the top grille in the first picture in post 20. Below is a re-post of the last picture in post 17 showing where I believe the exposed portions originally were black.

Also, as I suggested in post 23, I believe the original molds were different relative to the raised portions of the horizontal ribs.

Re: 69/70 Grill Differences
 

Thanks for the clarification Jim. Important detail.