Topic: Question on mounting left and right front grills on a '70 vert
in Forum: C3 Body
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Former Member
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Easthampton, MA - USA
Joined: 5/27/2007
Posts: 114
Vette(s): 1970 corvette conv, 350 auto.
OK My grills are here, and I want to put them on this weekend. I used some nice crome screws and u nuts and the grills are good with that, but, they should have a brace that goes from the hole in the grill to the bracket that sits just behind the bumper guard. Looks like just a small piece of angle iron with a side cut off, but, I tried to make one (kinda quicky) and it would not work as the angle was a little off. I looked at a couple pics in the catalogs of this replacement piece and realy only looks like a little piece of modified angle iron. Has anybody used anything else that works good.....kinda hate to order 2 little pieces of angle iron for $14 each, but, if they are special in some such way that they are worth it....I will.
Thanks, E.M.


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Former Member
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Mounds View, MN - USA
Joined: 5/24/2007
Posts: 1031
Vette(s): 70 LT1 coupe, 69 350 HP coupe, 69 390HP 427 coupe, 71 LS5 convert, 85 coupe, 93 coupe
I did what John suggested. I had a pair of repros, but they didn't fit, so I bent some heavy sheet metal. The ones on the outer top are a lot more complicated, but can also be bent.
Larry
Larry
Former Member
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Easthampton, MA - USA
Joined: 5/27/2007
Posts: 114
Vette(s): 1970 corvette conv, 350 auto.
Well I think I got 'em now. I had a small pc. of angle iron and i took my time and cut 2 pieces 2 3/4" long, cut them out like the aftermarket ones are shown plus rounded the edges more so i could make adjustments,and this time there gonna work fine......just had to cut down the width of the angle iron so it would line up with the area on the back of the grill....it was to big before! I may as well paint them up flat black so they dont show.....did not save any real big money...but...right now TIMES ARE TUFF! and these brackets will probably be much more rigid support that sheat metal ( i would guess)
Former Member
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Easthampton, MA - USA
Joined: 5/27/2007
Posts: 114
Vette(s): 1970 corvette conv, 350 auto.
Well Here it is....lines up perfectly! the only other thing I will do is put a small thin rubber washer between the grill and the bracket...just for a little isolation. Also was the square in the grill (where the bolt goes through to bracket) also painted black so you would not see the screw head and the area around it??
??

Former Member
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Mounds View, MN - USA
Joined: 5/24/2007
Posts: 1031
Vette(s): 70 LT1 coupe, 69 350 HP coupe, 69 390HP 427 coupe, 71 LS5 convert, 85 coupe, 93 coupe
That piece is entirely too nice to hide behind your grill! In typical Chevrolet fashion, the area around the screw is cast iron gray like the rest of the grill. The rest of the screws are stainless, and the one you are talking about is black oxide. It really shows, so I sometimes paint mine with cast-blast, even thought that is not correct.
Larry
Larry
Former Member
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Easthampton, MA - USA
Joined: 5/27/2007
Posts: 114
Vette(s): 1970 corvette conv, 350 auto.
Thanks guys!! One grill in and one to go....just have to dig out a stuck lens screw that the head broke off ....Any tricks? Thanks!!
If you have a bit of the screw showing, rap a small piece of a rag around it, soak it with wd40 or?? and let it sit over night, then try a pair of small vise grips and wiggle it back and forth to loosen it, becarefull not to brake the housing. What I usually end up doing is drilling it out and re tap the hole. I file the remaining part of the screw flat then you have to center punch the screw so that the drill doesn't get off center, the housing is softer than the screw, and the drill bit will want to go off center, start with a 1/16" bit and work up, sometimes I have been able to pick the remaining threads out after going up a drill bit size or two after the 1/16" bit. Also replace with the factory collared screws.
Hope this helps
John
in Forum: C3 Body
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