'67 Barracuda Grille Removal HELP

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67fish383S

67fish383S

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Trying to remove the grille surrounds from a '67 Notchback header panel and need some advice and a sanity check. All studs/nuts are rusty as hell of course. The nuts appear to be 9mm, which baffles me. Moving on...

I have only successfully removed a couple so far. Every other one I've worked on, I get it to break loose (or snap off of course), but then the stud just spins. What the hell?

Wondering if I'm going to need to sacrifice the header panel just to be able the cut these surrounds loose and then work on each stud individually. Can't see how I'd get in there on the top sides of them with any cutting tools I have.

Any advice out there from anyone who has dealt with this head-scratching assembly before? Please tell me I'm doing something wrong. Thanks!!

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67fish383S said:
Trying to remove the grille surrounds from a '67 Notchback header panel and need some advice and a sanity check. All studs/nuts are rusty as hell of course. The nuts appear to be 9mm, which baffles me. Moving on...

I have only successfully removed a couple so far. Every other one I've worked on, I get it to break loose (or snap off of course), but then the stud just spins. What the hell?

Wondering if I'm going to need to sacrifice the header panel just to be able the cut these surrounds loose and then work on each stud individually. Can't see how I'd get in there on the top sides of them with any cutting tools I have.

Any advice out there from anyone who has dealt with this head-scratching assembly before? Please tell me I'm doing something wrong. Thanks!!
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Hey 67Fish383S,

I've gone through this a number of times. May not be what you want to hear but I found the best way to access the nuts was to remove the header panel completely. Depending on how corroded and rusted the nuts are you might get away with penetrating fluid but its useless if the nuts are spinning. I put the header panel upside down on my bench and then used a dremel tool with a cutting disk to slice the nuts in half. This method is way less time consuming, not near as frustrating and worked great!
 
AAndrews said:
Hey 67Fish383S,

I've gone through this a number of times. May not be what you want to hear but I found the best way to access the nuts was to remove the header panel completely. Depending on how corroded and rusted the nuts are you might get away with penetrating fluid but its useless if the nuts are spinning. I put the header panel upside down on my bench and then used a dremel tool with a cutting disk to slice the nuts in half. This method is way less time consuming, not near as frustrating and worked great!
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Yeah that is where I am at. The header is out of the car and I'm trying to cut all the studs that are spinning. The struggle is getting into the top header space with the Dremel. I'll keep at it. Thanks.
 
Heat them up and melt/pull them off.
 
67fish383S said:
Yeah that is where I am at. The header is out of the car and I'm trying to cut all the studs that are spinning. The struggle is getting into the top header space with the Dremel. I'll keep at it. Thanks.
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Do you have the flexible cable adapter for your dremmel tool? It works way better in restricted space. If you are not already doing this, concentrate on splitting the nut. Once you have a cut through one side of the nut,it backs off easily.
 
AAndrews said:
Do you have the flexible cable adapter for your dremmel tool? It works way better in restricted space. If you are not already doing this, concentrate on splitting the nut. Once you have a cut through one side of the nut,it backs off easily.
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That's a great tip. No I don't have one, but will get one. I am making decent progress with getting a decent enough angle with the Dremel in the tight space. I'm just burning through my supply of these fragile cutting wheels quickly lol. Someone else suggested doubling or tripling them up and that is working pretty well. They still break way sooner than they should though. Thanks.
 
Turns out the Dremel worked much better than I though it would. Just make sure you remove the header panel from the car first. It would be nearly impossible to remove the surrounds with the header still in place. Thanks to all for the replies. For any future readers of this thread, don't expect these surrounds to just unbolt. Most likely not happening, but be surprised if they do I guess.
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67fish383S said:
Turns out the Dremel worked much better than I though it would. Just make sure you remove the header panel from the car first. It would be nearly impossible to remove the surrounds with the header still in place. Thanks to all for the replies. For any future readers of this thread, don't expect these surrounds to just unbolt. Most likely not happening, but be surprised if they do I guess.
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Agree! That Dremel is a staple of my tool box! Got me out of many a trouble spot. The flex cable attachment is a must.
 
I've replaced all the studs on every grille I have removed. The 10-24 T studs I use are same as those in the 67 models narrow trunk trims.
 
Now the real fun part.

Are you going to refinish them before reinstalling?
 
AAndrews said:
Now the real fun part.

Are you going to refinish them before reinstalling?
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These are not for me. Parting a donor car. I need other things but not these. Hopefully the new owner will refresh them. My challenge was just getting them off the donor car without wrecking them lol.
 
demon6835 said:
Where did you get the T bar studs? THANKS
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I replied to your other comment on my for sale post already, but perhaps others on this thread will chime in. I'm working on getting a source list together. I've not bought any myself, but I am told they are not difficult to get.

Update: I thought I saw a link in the comments on another version of this post elsewhere, but it turned out I was mistaken. The only thing I have to offer at this point is that a couple of guys said suitable replacement stainless steel studs are available at Lowes and Ace Hardware. Perhaps @RedFish and @4spdragtop (who also commented above about replacement studs) might be able to post links or other info on availability. That would be super cool. Thanks
 
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I bought the T bolts from mrgusa.com Mr.Gs fasteners but that was several years ago. Example from Google search T stud trim fastener...
Auveco - 19626 - Univ.Moulding Fastener
Wide variety of types and prices. This cadmium plated 10-24 X 3/4 is what I used, along with stainless flat washers and nuts. There was one spot on each grille where the end of the little wire wanted to peek out between two parts. Easy enough to clip off.
If you use these to replace originals in 67 B'cuda upper and lower trunk trims, the very end ones are trimmed shorter and get a closed nut. As is will dig into the body when trunk is closed and could grab a ring or finger too.
 
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