Topic: 68 grille color...

[gtamustang]

It's time to discuss the color of the 68 Mustang grille!!

I am sure most of you will accept the "fact" that all 68 standard grilles (without fog lights and excluding the CA and HC specials) were painted semi-gloss black. Furthermore, I am sure quite a most will agree to the "fact" that the 68 GT (grilles with fog lights and excluding CA and HC specials) were painted semi-gloss black outside of the main corral and inside the small corral and then a steel blue/gray metallic inside the main corral.

I will offer up a least one wrinkle to each of those "facts." First, let us look at the unrestored, low mileage 68 GT that just went across the B-J auction last Friday night. Clearly the pictures provided by ChrisV show this amazing car with a completely semi-gloss black GT grille. I think the provenance of this car is enough for us to accept that the grille or any of the exterior has not been messed with since this Mustang rolled off the assembly line. I have included one of ChrisV's pictures in the first attachment.

Second, take a look at the second picture attachment. Most of us have probably seen this picture in the Search of Mustangs books; a very nice b/w picture of the Dearborn assembly line right after the strike startup. The picture was probably taken early-November and was of a coupe at the alignment center. If you blow up the picture, you will notice that the non-GT grille clearly is two colors! The area outside the large corral and the area inside the small corral appear to be the same AND the color inside the large corral appears to be a different color. While I am not an expert at determining colors from b/w photos, I will offer the following assessment: the dark color is semi-gloss black and the color inside the large corral reflects differently from the camera flash, similar to a metallic paint, as in steel blue/gray metallic.

While both of these are single incidents out of the 300,000+ 68 Mustangs and 18,000+ GTs that rolled off the 3 assembly lines, I think this opens the door for, at a minimum, more discussion about 68 grille colors. So, let's discuss...

BTW, 68 grilles were painted as a complete assembly and were painted by the supplier.

Regards,
Pete Morgan

[CharlesTurner]

Just out of curiosity, does the single year '68 MPC note any difference in part numbers?

[gtamustang]

The 68 single year MPC lists three Mustang grilles: C8ZZ-8200-A (w/o fog lamps), C8ZZ-8200-B (w/fog lamps), and C8ZZ-8200-C (economy, delete package). I don't have a clue as to the "economy" grille!

Regards,
Pete Morgan

[J_Speegle]

BTW, 68 grilles were painted as a complete assembly and were painted by the supplier.

So that year the mounting arms and any support brackets were attached before paint?

Believe some of the people that looked at the black fastback at the auction found a number of things freshed up on an otherwise very nice car.


Here is a picture of a winter 68 San Jose standard grill - was a very nice original car when I saw it - have others. Reason that I asked for clarification



 

[68 S Code]

Pete, I noticed the same thing you did regarding the grille of the recently auctioned off car. So now what? I used to have a gt grille off my old San Jose fastback but threw it out because it was damaged. It was sun faded but not repainted. Wish I could remember.

[68 S Code]

Jeff in the pic you posted if you look at it blown up the face of the grille seems to be a lighter color. I see the fold over of the top and say 1/8"+ down the face there is a line all the way across and below that line of black is a lighter color. Anyone else see it?

[J_Speegle]

If your referring to the change of tone down one row from the top - if you look to the drivers side it changes. IMHO likely a result of a reflection from the wide trim at the bottom or from the bumper since the "race track" produces a shodow and it turns dark again just above it.

Plenty of tone changes across the face and upper edge. The upper edge appears to have been wiped or rubbed closer to the center removing some oxidation of the black I think

Maybe we're looking at different areas but since I have the original (about 24 inches across) I can enlarge it a bit more than using the one posted

[gtamustang]

My mistake on the 68 grille being a complete assembly prior to paint...brain was not thinking straight.

I had not seen anything additional on feedback from those that saw the low-mile 68 at the B-J auction, so I did not know that it had a few "changes".

Back to the central theme of the discussion... Another interesting point on the non-gt grille is that from the Dearborn strike series of pictures, the white (or very light colored fastback) also appears to have a two-toned grille. Especially between the small corral and the large corral. I do not believe it is a lighting thing because the grille mesh is on the same plane and would reflect light relatively evenly.

I certainly can accept that as a post-strike cost saving measure, Ford opted to go with a complete semi-gloss black grille for non-fog lamp cars , but why keep the two-tone grille for fog lamp cars? Also, why would Ford use a two-tone grille on GTs and not on the Sprint cars?

Regards,
Pete Morgan

[Oz390]

Have an NOS C8ZZ-8200-A, shipping date on box is 73 to a dealer in Kentucky, no date stamp I could see on the part. 

It is a two tone, with no cutouts... 

[68 S Code]

This might be a silly question but Does it have brackets for fog lamps?

[Oz390]

Nope. No brackets

[toohey]

Here's somthing of interest http://cgi.ebay.com/68-Ford-Mustang-grlle-all-chrome-trim-NOS-/160539395364?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2560e4c524

[gtamustang]

Although I tend to discount "NOS" items, those are interesting pictures in the auction and they match the paint pattern that I have seen on an original GT grille. Specifically, that the blue/gray metallic is on the the front side only. Notice how the back side edges didn't get a good covering of the semi-gloss black. I have seen that on original 67 and 68 grilles as well.

Regards,
Pete Morgan

[68 S Code]

But why does the non GT replacement grille get the special paint? Were there bot 2 replacement part numbers?

[Oz390]

Pics look the same as mine...  same number.  Only blue on the front.  And sparse black areas on the back as noted too...

I did think it odd when I got it a "GT" two tone had no cutouts of fog brackets.  Also odd the 68 MPC numbers noted above call out -A for non-GT.