1973 Grille chrome question

[Omie01]

I might be buying my fathers 1973 Mach 1 q code, and one of the first things that jump out at me is the grille. It looks terrible and has several cracks. I am looking into replacing it but have seen some reviews that the chrome doesn't line up well and the little plastic clips don't hold the chrome well. Does anybody have experience with a replacement 73 grille and chrome project? I bought my 71 grill complete with chrome so I didn't have to worry about it. Thanks!!

 

[A.Nilsson]

I did it many years ago but can not remember that there were any big problems.

I do not remember what brand it was on the one I bought but I think it came from NPD.

The only thing I reacted to was that the color was not the same as on the original, if that is important.

But regardless of whether I had no problems or not, if you can find an original I think it's better every day of the week.


 

 

 

[Fabrice]

Restored both a 71 and 73 last year, and I must say the repops clips were fine (Think I got them from OMS), even better as they did not break when you have to compress them to fit unlike some of my old originals. They were white, and the few old ones I had also white but had turned yellowish.
The way you proceed matters as you can bend the chrome or break a clip in half. I did insert all the clips into the chrome first, on top of the grille facing up, once all aligned in their respective holes, I've pushed them into place going going from current clip to its neighbour. click click. done.

The 71 corners are bit tricky as they refuse to stay pre-assembled, but on a 73 you should not have the problem.

Oh and for what it's worth, fixing the cracks on these grills is fairly easy, same applies to many abs parts found in our cars.
I've used a dead simple soldering tool made for electric wires and bits of a broken 71 grille to act as donor material as some material goes into smoke in the process.
Once all was repaired, saw there are tools for this, where the hot tip is more like a spoon and they come with abs rods too. 

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

I have done a couple 73 grills. I restore the parking lights using argent, 0000 steel wool to clean up the plastic chrome and I pop the clear lens off so I can polish it with headlight polish. I refinish the white light receptacles using Krylon Fusion satin white looks like new.
Daniel Carpenter makes the grills using the original Ford molds. Only issue when he sent to Taiwan to run I think they polished the mold so surface finish is not right. You can blast with walnut shells to make it look better. He also makes the clips for the stainless trim. I buff the stainless but if you are not use to doing it you can destroy it in a split second. I got my clips from NPD and also the argent paint.

 

[Omie01]

Thanks for the info!! Thats the same color as the car I might buy. Wasn't sure if I liked it, but it is growing on me.

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

Here is a short video going  into museum. The engine had not ran in 37 years until that morning did not smoke              with original factory exhaust.



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