Topic: 67 Grille questions

[sparky65]

Did original grilles have a part number stamped into it anywhere?  Cant find one on mine so I am wondering if it is original.
What is the correct paint color for the grill?  I assume its something I need to have mixed does anyone have a paint code?
Were the vertical supports riveted into the grill before or after it was painted?  If after, were they painted the same color as the grille or black.

[dave6768]

I am by no means and authority, but wanted to take a stab to see how close I get.

I have not seen any part numbers on mine.

The correct color is a blueish gray.  I don't think there is a standard paint code.  I've heard that some paint them black and then use the power steering teal over the black.  I'm sure some have mixed some custom colors...perhaps they can share.  (I'm most interested in the correct color myself.)

The after market service parts were all painted black.

The braces were riveted in after they were painted.  Therefore the rivets are a natural color.  (not sure if the braces were black or the blue color.)

Dave

[68 S Code]

The 67 grilles were a bluish gray. I mixed up a 1/2 quart so I could do the center section of my 68 GT grille (same color as 67). I have never seen a part number on the grille or brackets. Regarding the bracket color on a 67 I'm not sure. They were installed after the grille was painted. Marty Rupp will hopefully chime in on this one as he helped me with the correct color. I have some of the grille paint left so I will look for a paint mix code on the label. The pic below shows the difference between semigloss black and this bluish grey. Sorry about the poor lighting but hopefully you can see the difference between black and this color.

[CharlesTurner]

I've only ever seen a date ink-stamp on some '65 grilles, not sure if the practice was continued in '67.

[ruppstang]

I have not seen any part #s on any 67s. As Charles said there could have been a ink stamp. I am going to go look at a 19 K mile original 67 convertible soon that will be something to look for. The steel brackets were painted black and installed later. I have a grill color made from a original grill if you would like a sample PM me. Marty

[sparky65]

While doing some searching I found this post with some pictures:
http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/vintage-mustang-forum/530989-67-stang-grille-paint-color.html#post3312684




Has anyone removed and replaced the rivets?
Seems like that may not be possible so maybe I should just painted the black first then mask everything painted the blue/gray followed by touching up the rivets.

[ruppstang]

I take mine apart. AMK has the rivets. Marty

[CharlesTurner]

Removing and replacing the rivets is the only proper way to restore a grille in my opinion.  If you don't want to invest in a rivet squeezer and buying rivets, I have a friend that might be able to help.  Send me a PM if interested.

[jwc66k]

You can buy a rivet tool for solid and semi-solid rivets from a number of sources. I found several in a Yahoo search. The tools are expensive, $200 and up, and you need to buy two dies for each rivet head style ($30 each). I've had mine for five years and used it on mostly 65-66 Mustang items, ash trays, grills, but it was also purchased to restore WWI and WWII rifles, and some vintage electronic equipment I have.
I did find a better way by using an arbor press from Harbor Freight ($45) and the dies I got from the rivet supplier along with some adapters, posts and steel blocks I made. The salesmen at "jay-cee sales & rivet inc." www.rivetsinstock.com 800-521-6777 walked me thru the purchase of what I wanted; type (semi-solid), material (steel) head style (oval) and head dimensions (dia, height) and most important - grip range, materials thickness and the crimp roll. 
One problem I did encounter was on the 67 style ash tray; I can get them apart but I haven't figured out a way to crimp the face plate back on - yet.
I'll take pictures tomorrow.
Jim
Added pictures of my rivet press with a 65-66 ash tray sort of in process. Pic 004 shows the detail of the "head" I made to fit the press (in the foreground) with a 7/16-14X3/4 bolt used as a holder for on of the dies, and a longer bolt with a die on a plate to crimp the rivets. Just be creative and you can figure out something.

[sparky65]

Your idea of using an arbor press got me thinking it might be easy to build one but you would have to still buy the dies.
Do you actually need the press?  I was thinking maybe it could be done with the head die in a vise and use the roll over die with a hammer to put it in place.

I found this tool being sold on E-bay.   With a price of $66 it may almost be worth trying unless you can get the dies for much less.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Tonka-Semi-Tubular-Rivet-Tool-Dies-Rivets-1-8-/270771234673?pt=Diecast_Vehicles&hash=item3f0b392771

Which got me thinking it should be easy to make one out of a c-clamp.  But again the cost of the dies may not make it worth it.

[Oz390]

Forget the C-clamp, been-there-done-that, don't work.  Hammering "can" work, but it is difficult.  I used the Tatco hand squeezer and a hand die (basically a length of stainless rod with a hole drilled in the end) on my '68 ash trays, and heater boxes.  The 2" deep version works OK, a bit tight but get's 'em back in.

http://www.browntool.com/Default.aspx?tabid=255&CategoryID=55&List=1&SortField=ProductName%2cProductNumber&Level=a&ProductID=184

I bought a fixed head version, for the little extra i would have gone this route if I knew about it then.  Used the tool on ash tray and heater box restoration and probably a few other things I am forgetting.  Got mine and dies/rivets from Hanson's.

http://www.hansonrivet.com/

[sparky65]

Forget the C-clamp, been-there-done-that, don't work.

Can I ask why it didn't work?  I assume it didn't provide enough leverage to actually crush the rivet.  I was thinking I could get around that by using a finer thread with a big wrench.

[jwc66k]

If you look at the hand rivet tools you see a very strong frame without any sideways motion, eg, the top die lines up with the bottom die every time. You get some flex in a c-clamp type screw-in device, coupled with the leverage generated in a hand tool you can see what's needed. C-clamp housings bend. I got a hand rivet tool also and use it to compliment my arbor rig. For a 67 ashtray (I assume the 68 is the same), the structure of the inside die holder (you still need dies) was more than I wanted to make so I didn't. I figured to cut three 1/4 inch thick steel sections to fabricate a head, weld them together and then figure out the leverage later. For my part, it was more of a feasibility study as I have 65 and 66 only cars. I also used my rigs to rivet the console ash tray items. I haven't had a reason to see if I can do a convertible ashtray. But I did get the metal clips back in the fore stock grips of my M1917 bolt action with the tools.
Jim