69 Barracuda grille work

What color should I paint behind the grill?

  • Black

    Votes: 74 84.1%

  • Exterior Color of Car

    Votes: 14 15.9%
  • Total voters
    88
  • Poll closed .
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akrateffil

akrateffil

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Location
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Hey guys,

I been working at some smaller projects on my car. I really like the looks of the Formula S black grilles. I had a set about 4 years ago that my wife coerced me to sell, since I did not have a Barracuda at that time. So I figured I would give my grilles the once over. I have done the drivers side and now working at the passenger side.
Now the question is: Should I spray the core support a black or the cars exterior color? What do you all think?
 

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That looks great! The core support was painted black by Ma Mopar. I think that the grill area looks much better without the distraction of color behind it.
 
I don't like seeing body color behind the grilles at all especially when the add states complete restoration. The flat in the grilles is supposed to be argent. Your black there looks nice.
I've rubbed mine to polished aluminum. What is reflected from above doesn't look so good though since they didn't complete the tops of the grilles. Anyway...
I've seen body color there a very few times. I like it too. It makes the outer edge look like a separate and smaller piece applied on a more intricate body part.
 
Were the headlight surrounds painted black in the Formula S cars? 25 years later, and I still haven't installed mine on my car. I have 4 of them and they are all silver.
Rod
 
rklein383 said:
Were the headlight surrounds painted black in the Formula S cars? 25 years later, and I still haven't installed mine on my car. I have 4 of them and they are all silver.
Rod
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No they were silver argent.

See many out there redone in black which is not correct if you are concerned with that....
 
1969383S said:
No they were silver argent.

See many out there redone in black which is not correct if you are concerned with that....
Click to expand...

I think the grill looks a little better with silver headlight rings.
 
Cuda models had the surrounds and eggcrate painted black, headlight surrounds argent? That's how mine are.
 
rklein383 said:
Were the headlight surrounds painted black in the Formula S cars? 25 years later, and I still haven't installed mine on my car. I have 4 of them and they are all silver.
Rod
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The main reason for many years that I didn't put my headlight rings on is because my pass side fender is a 67 fender that had a marker light opening welded in. The 67 fenders don't have the brackets to attach the headlight ring.

A couple of years ago, I found the brackets on a trashed fender, but I need to weld them on. Just haven't got around to it.
 
I am not sure what the 69 grill is like, but the large argent colored surrounds around the headlights were chrome under argent on my 68 grills.

vbpgimage.php
 
4spdragtop said:
I have never seen headlight trim rings painted black. But ya never know......
Here is a link that shows an NOS set of grills(no rings) and pics of a 69 'cuda with the blacked out grill
http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=137364&highlight=formula

I vote for black by the way
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Look at the OP's orginal post #1 . He has done the headlight trim ring in black as well. It does not look bad and he can do as he wish's, but I agree with rklein383 that silver on the ring stands out better and for the purist is correct color.
 
1969383S said:
Look at the OP's orginal post #1 . He has done the headlight trim ring in black as well. It does not look bad and he can do as he wish's, but I agree with rklein383 that silver on the ring stands out better and for the purist is correct color.
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I read the OPs post. To me(by his pics) it looks like the headlight ring is painted black on the outside, and on the inside(facing headlight) looks argent/silver.
I have never seen the plastic headlight trim ring painted black.
When I said I vote "black" that was for the core support, NOT the headlight trim ring.
 
I like the argent grille better, that looks more correct. My dad has an A56 cuda that has the argent silver grilles and that looks more to the late 60s
 
4spdragtop said:
I read the OPs post. To me(by his pics) it looks like the headlight ring is painted black on the outside, and on the inside(facing headlight) looks argent/silver.
I have never seen the plastic headlight trim ring painted black.
When I said I vote "black" that was for the core support, NOT the headlight trim ring.
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Kinda looks like the trim ring is completely black to me.

And yes understood what you say about the core support and black out of it would be a big vote "YES".
 
MTmopars said:
I am not sure what the 69 grill is like, but the large argent colored surrounds around the headlights were chrome under argent on my 68 grills.

vbpgimage.php
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I like the 68 grills better than 69.
 
The factory painted the rad. support flat black, pluse it looks so much better
 
Hey everyone Thanks for the compliments and input. I'm going to black out behind the grille.
I see many people talking about the correct grilles for a S car. My car is originally a /6 car, so I am not to worried about being correct. A long time ago (30 years) I wrecked my first Barracuda, lost the brakes and crunch. I ended up finding a 383-s car in a local yard with a good grille and nose. I bought it for the rebuild of my crunched Barracuda. The grilles were molded in black plastic and not painted, headlight rings too. The debate on whats correct could go on for years. I am not trying to make it something its not.
Thanks,
Andy
 
I vote for the black. It seems to bring out the grill detail more. After seeing your pics of it both ways, the silver/gray seems faded.
 
akrateffil said:
Hey everyone Thanks for the compliments and input. I'm going to black out behind the grille.
I see many people talking about the correct grilles for a S car. My car is originally a /6 car, so I am not to worried about being correct. A long time ago (30 years) I wrecked my first Barracuda, lost the brakes and crunch. I ended up finding a 383-s car in a local yard with a good grille and nose. I bought it for the rebuild of my crunched Barracuda. The grilles were molded in black plastic and not painted, headlight rings too. The debate on whats correct could go on for years. I am not trying to make it something its not.
Thanks,
Andy
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Sorry, I wasn't trying to steal any thunder or compare grills. I was just trying to show that under the argent or black pain on the thick headlight surround is chrome plating. I was surprised to find that on my 68, happily. In your first pics the passenger side one is silver, driver is black.
 
akrateffil said:
Hey everyone Thanks for the compliments and input. I'm going to black out behind the grille.
I see many people talking about the correct grilles for a S car. My car is originally a /6 car, so I am not to worried about being correct. A long time ago (30 years) I wrecked my first Barracuda, lost the brakes and crunch. I ended up finding a 383-s car in a local yard with a good grille and nose. I bought it for the rebuild of my crunched Barracuda. The grilles were molded in black plastic and not painted, headlight rings too. The debate on whats correct could go on for years. I am not trying to make it something its not.
Thanks,
Andy
Click to expand...


Have fun and good luck with your project !!

Post some pic's of your progress in the future!
 
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