Topic: 68 grille rivets

[Oz390]

Have seen pop rivets and solid crush rivets on grilles that are supposed to be original.  Which is correct? 

Do the rivets vary for the "base" rivets for the vertical bars, and those that hold the GT fog light brackets?  Or all the same? 

Have seen reference to the fog bracket rivets being unpainted and the others painted with the base assembly. Others noting all assembly was post painting and all rivets should be natural.  Which is correct?

[ruppstang]

The correct rivets were a tubular rivet that was rolled. The mesh was painted then all of the prepainted steel brackets were installed leaving the rivets unpainted. I have seen the rivets natural aluminum, brown and black in color.
I think you may be working on a GTCS and IMHO they were done differently. I believe that Ford used a 67 style grill that all ready was manufactured and installed the Marshal fog light brackets in it then Then painted the grill the dark argent color. I have no documentation of this just a theory. I need to find a unrestored car to look at to be sure.
Marty 

[drummingrocks]

I'm not sure about '68 rivets, but I recently purchased the correct '66 grille rivets from AutoKrafters.com

You might check and see if they have anything available.

[Oz390]

I have 4 68's and one is a GT/CS. 

I have some tubulars I used on the GTCS and a GT grille I did up, and was just tinkering with some spare grilles, stock and GT I have, and noticed the difference and could find no specific and definitive reference.

Did the GT/CS grille a while ago and researching the color was "fun".  Ended up with a Ford "Dark Titanium Metallic" I could get here in a rattle can, that was close enough for me.  Wasn't worth the $100+ for paint an then finding a painter to spray it to some of the codes people there posted as correct.  (and don't have the equipment and more than enough projects to get to without adding in learning to paint... maybe later...)  The info I saw there was the grille was the dark grey and the mounting tabs were black.  I did the Marchal brackets the same as the grille, which I am unsure is correct or not.  I didn't have one to compare, an after market stock '68 or service replacement was on the car when I got it. I saw similar info on using the 67 grille on a GTCS, and modified a repro to be "close" as OEM GTCS ones seem very difficult to find.

There was  long thread on the GTCS forum on many of the paint variants available. And quite a few on the grille restoration.   

Thanks for the replies.

[67gtasanjose]

Has anyone determined the tubular rivet size length yet? 1/8" DIAMETER I assume but how long?

1/4"   Shorter are available also but 1/4" SOUNDS right, I suppose I could order multiple lengths...but why?