'70 Swinger Grill Restoration

[ACME A12]

Has anyone ever successfully masked off and repainted a '70 - '71 Dart grill? And by this I mean just like the factory did with every vertical fin being silver and the backside of these same fins being black, etc. I'm not talking about just painting the perimeter silver and the center black like so many people do. Ma MoPar obviously had painting templates to do this but like everyone else I don't have access to these. I've talked to the grill/dash restoration guys that show up at Carlisle, Mopar Nats, etc. and they all say the same thing; you've got to have a template to do it right and not enough people are asking them for this service for them to commit the capital to having them made. Hopefully someone out there has already blazed this trail and can enlighten me on how to get this done because trying to mask off the recesses in those headlight frames one little piece at a time just isn't working for me...

Ray

 

[Johnny Dart]

I painted mine,masking it off myself.
Got to go to work now.
Will come back with pics and details.
John.:thumbup:

 

[ACME A12]

I painted mine,masking it off myself.
Got to go to work now.
Will come back with pics and details.
John.:thumbup:

Well John, that gives me an even better idea; send me a price quote and a shipping address and I'll just send you my grill and headlight frames for paint!!!

Ray:toothy7:

 

[daredevil]

no pain no gain

 

[Johnny Dart]

Hey Ray,
Although I am not against painting your grille for you,I feel if you roll your sleeves up you can do it.:thumbup:

All you have to do is clean the grille first.
Then paint all the silver area.Then tape all the silver area off and paint the black part.
You can make your own thin masking tape buy putting strips of tape on a piece of sheet metal etc,and cutting to size with a straight edge.I suggest using low tack blue masking tape.

I used argent silver for the silver,and a semi black for the black.
After that I used a clear coat to protect it.

The 70 grille is suppose to be silver in the middle,but I liked the look of the black center better.

Ya,it took some time to do,but if you put your mind to it,and take your time you can do it.:thumbup:

 

[IndianaDodge]

Hey Ray,
Although I am not against painting your grille for you,I feel if you roll your sleeves up you can do it.:thumbup:

All you have to do is clean the grille first.
Then paint all the silver area.Then tape all the silver area off and paint the black part.
You can make your own thin masking tape buy putting strips of tape on a piece of sheet metal etc,and cutting to size with a straight edge.I suggest using low tack blue masking tape.

I used argent silver for the silver,and a semi black for the black.
After that I used a clear coat to protect it.

The 70 grille is suppose to be silver in the middle,but I liked the look of the black center better.

Ya,it took some time to do,but if you put your mind to it,and take your time you can do it.:thumbup:

Thats looks very good, I will use your advise on my 71 dart also!

 

[ACME A12]

John:

Thanks for the kind words & encouragement. I think your grill (and the car for that matter) look very nice! However, your comment about the silver in the center (and on the exposed edges of EVERY vertical slat or fin - even on the headlight frames) was exactly what I was talking about in my original post. I want to repaint as it was originally. I could do it the way that you have done, it's just that I want to try to put it back like it was when delivered. Not that this car is any resto-queen, far from it with a stroker crank and sanden A/C compressor, but I am keeping it "original looking" on the outside. I'll get it sorted out eventually...

Ray

 

[Johnny Dart]

No problem,
Take the advice I gave and use silver instead of black.

Good luck to ya !!!!!

 

[abodybill]

Johnny,
I follwed your first post on painting the grille and it went perfect the only thing I did to change what you did was--

Instead of cutting thin strips of the masking tape I used the pin stripe tape of the same width and it was alot easier and faster especially aguy like me with arithritis in my fingers.:thumrigh:

Thanks,

 

[Johnny Dart]

Johnny,
I follwed your first post on painting the grille and it went perfect the only thing I did to change what you did was--

Instead of cutting thin strips of the masking tape I used the pin stripe tape of the same width and it was alot easier and faster especially aguy like me with arithritis in my fingers.:thumrigh:

Thanks,

Pinstripping tape,you turkey.LOL
That would have saved me hours.....](*,)
Great idea.......:thumrigh: