Any posts on restoring or taking dings out of 67-69 Barracuda headlight bezels??

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Are the bezels stainless or pot metal? The technique is different depending on the material. If they are stainless, you can use typical metal-finishing techniques to get them straight, (hammer and dolly, filing) and then buff/polish. There are lot's of Ytube videos on the subject, here's one of them:

If they are die cast pot metal, you can cause more damage by hammering on them. The only good repair method I've seen for cast pot metal is soldering/brazing and then replating them.
 
richierichpoky said:
Has anyone had any luck with doing their own?? Are there any posts or how too's on doing this??
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I did all of mine. Disassembly, striping, paint, prep, polish and reassemblely. I did have the brackets powdered and the aluminum straightened by a professional though.

Disassembly

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richierichpoky said:
Has anyone had any luck with doing their own?? Are there any posts or how too's on doing this??
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This will come down to how much patience you have. I did mine from scratch including dollying out many dings and sanding out scrapes. It took me about three months to complete as whenever I got frustrated with it I put it down for a day and then went back at it. I'm very happy with the results though.
Extra strength Easy Off Oven cleaner will remove the anodized finish, just be sure to rinse the parts well after using it as it will eat the aluminum parts if left for too long.
 
Any trim restoration takes time, patience, and tools. Except for the hammers and buffer, most of my trim tools are homemade -- custom made hardwood bucks, round bar, etc. -- bent or carved to fit the different recesses and curves.

Fastenal has suitable replacement studs if you don't have access to a blind riveter. Aluminum rivets do not rust like the original studs did, and tiny washers provide stability.

Take lots of Before Pictures from the front and back to help with reconstruction. Note especially the support bracket placement and direction each one faces.

Taking these grilles apart requires patience and usually pre-soaking with PB Blaster. Expect studs to be difficult to remove and break off. Dremel cutting wheels get right in the crevice though. Eye protection is a must.

The masking for the two-tone finish, especially on the headlight surrounds and main assembly, is not easy. Keep in mind though they were far from perfect from the factory.

The headlight rings are pot metal with shiny edges and dark argent outside. They can be polished up with some 00 steel wool but be careful if you buff them with a machine. Rough edges are common and will remind you you're alive if you catch one with your hand or buffing wheel.

The mounting tabs on the headlight buckets should be done in flat black or they can show through your grille (plastic dip might be easier than paint here but I haven't tried it).

Take your time with the process and you can have the satisfaction of doing it yourself! Farming it out to a pro can be costly and take longer than you expect.

There are quite a few existing threads here on FABO regarding trim restoration. (One by our member @waggin was especially helpful.) You can also go to CaswellPlating.com and look for the Buff Book -- it's an introduction to polishing and buffing and will get you up to speed pretty quickly. They also sell good buffs and consumables.

Here's a few shots of one I did a few years back; all finishes are powder coating rather than paint except for the headlight surrounds which were polished on my buffer.

Jim Gleason headlight bucket.jpg


Jim Gleason grille assy driver.jpg


Jim Gleason headlight bucket pass side.jpg


This last shot shows a factory front clip in original condition behind the restored one.

Cuda grilles.jpg


Good luck! Keep us posted.
 
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"Patience" being the key word here.:D
If you want to try it yourself use every little tool you can find to get the right curves you need.
I have used washers rounded on the edges, small pieces of hardwood, cut down drill shafts and about every other thing you can think of.
Using a hardwood backing surface works good for supporting your metal without ruining the area around your ding.
Then file and sand to get the small imperfections out.

I see Leanna posted before I did.
 
It will be a lot of work for sure. Maybe I will keep an eye out for a spare pair of headlight bezels and work on mine in the meantime.
 
TrailBeast said:
"Patience" being the key word here.:D
If you want to try it yourself use every little tool you can find to get the right curves you need.
I have used washers rounded on the edges, small pieces of hardwood, cut down drill shafts and about every other thing you can think of.
Using a hardwood backing surface works good for supporting your metal without ruining the area around your ding.
Then file and sand to get the small imperfections out.

I see Leanna posted before I did.
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No worries Mr. Beast. You gave me new ideas too :thumbsup: and there's no such thing as too much good info.
You rock!
 
richierichpoky said:
Yeah Ya never know. :) I'm going to try doing it myself
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Woo hoo! You'll either love it or hate it. If you've never tried before, I'd recommend picking up some test pieces at a junk yard first, pound on them here and there, twist them up, etc., and then practice getting them back into shape instead of learning on your near-unobtainium headlight surrounds.
 
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