Replacing '73 grille

[Vinnie]

Hey folks,

My Grande has a Mach1 grille and I'd like to have the original grille in it. Is it easy to replace the grille without removing the fenders or anything? Or do I need to remove other parts to be able to swap a new grille in?

Thanks!

Vincent.

 

[rackerm]

You did not say what year your car is. In most cases the grill can be easily removed without removing fenders. I've done it on my '73 more then once. Usually the headlight bulbs can be in place as well. Just remove the headlight bezels. and the surrounding screws and the center support screws. I think you may need to adjust the center support, but you will know when you fit the new grill in place..

 

[Vinnie]

Thanks, it's a '73, like yours, so I guess it will come off and on just as easy as yours then

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

Just a note and I am not sure if you could get Decor Group on the Grande or not. If your car has the Decor Group it should have the Mach 1 Grill and the textured black out panel between the tail lights that was part of the package. Not the honey comb panel but textured.

Daniel Carpenter has the tooling for both standard and Mach 1 73 grills and is the original tooling from Ford and they do fit correctly. The trim clips do not work good at all. Were too narrow and trim would not snap on and had to bend trim to fit the clips. I had a NOS grill in the attic that I put on my 73 vert with Decor Group. Old one had one cracked place.

Not a bad project but you will probably want to strip and repaint all of your brackets while in there. Some are painted the SLOP gray color and some semi gloss black.

 

[Vinnie]

Would a standard marti report mention the decor group if a car was equipped with it?

 

[JD79]

Yes it will mention it in the standard report.

Marti report 3F03Q209889.pdf

 

[Vinnie]

No mention on mine so guess I need the standard grille.

 

[mustang7173]

All,

1973 Mustang Overview This has the sale brochures-

https://myclassicgarage.com/marketplace/knowledge_base/1973-ford-mustang#sales-brochures

A new, grained, black applique with bright trim was placed on the rear body panel between the tail lights. This was replaced with a honeycomb style on the Mach 1 and Grande models.

Source: http://www.mustangspecs.com/years/73.shtml

1973 Décor Group

Décor group, including black or argent lower body side paint with bright upper edge moldings, unique grille with sport lamps, trim rings with hubcaps, deletes rocker panel and wheel lip moldings, with decor group ( $51 )

Source: https://mustangforums.com/forum/classic-mustangs-tech/357568-1973-mustang-facts-and-features.html

mustang7173

 

[Vinnie]

So without Decor group there is honeycomb at the back and none af the front. And with Decor group it's the other way around? Somebody went all the way getting the Decor group on my car then pffff. And I don'r really want it.

 

[JD79]

So without Decor group there is honeycomb at the back and none af the front. And with Decor group it's the other way around? Somebody went all the way getting the Decor group on my car then pffff. And I don'r really want it.

Your car has the correct rear applique .  The honeycomb rear applique was only for the Mach 1. I think the info in one of the links is incorrect. I had a look in the illustrated facts and spec manual. It doesn't mention the honeycomb back panel applique. If I google the photo's of an original mustang Grande,  none of the original ones have the honeycomb version...

 

[Vinnie]

Very confusing all of this but I do indeed think a standard Grande does not have a honeycomb rear app. Photo's do seem to confirm this, so I don't know why one of the links says something else...

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

So without Decor group there is honeycomb at the back and none af the front. And with Decor group it's the other way around? Somebody went all the way getting the Decor group on my car then pffff. And I don'r really want it.

Your car has the correct rear applique .  The honeycomb rear applique was only for the Mach 1. I think the info in one of the links is incorrect. I had a look in the illustrated facts and spec manual. It doesn't mention the honeycomb back panel applique. If I google the photo's of an original mustang Grandé,  none of the original ones have the honeycomb version...

I agree that the honeycomb was only on the Mach 1 for tail light panel. My only question would be on the spring special in 72. The ad does not say anything about the tail light panel or grill. How about that price, lol?



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[rackerm]

According to my '73 illustrated facts book and I quote.....

Mach I - Standard Features

Exterior:

"Black honeycomb lower back panel applique with bright metal moldings."

Sportsroof, Hardtop, Grande' and Convertible (essentially all models other than the Mach I) - Standard Features

Exterior:

"Rear applique and bright surround moldings." or "lower back panel applique with bright metal moldings"

With no option listed to add the "Black honeycomb lower back panel applique with bright metal moldings."

 

[Vinnie]

According to my '73 illustrated facts book and I quote.....

Mach I - Standard Features

Exterior:

"Black honeycomb lower back panel applique with bright metal moldings."

Sportsroof, Hardtop, Grandé' and Convertible (essentially all models other than the Mach I) - Standard Features

Exterior:

"Rear applique and bright surround moldings." or "lower back panel applique with bright metal moldings"

With no option listed to add the "Black honeycomb lower back panel applique with bright metal moldings."

I think we can conclude this thread by saying that on my Grande there should NOT be honeycomb at the rear and that's really cool.

Thanks for all your input guys!