Cleaning up a Argent 1970 Challenger grill

[Katfish]

Do you have details on the best way to remove the rivers?
And where do you find small replacements?

[Brads70]

Do you have details on the best way to remove the rivers?
And where do you find small replacements?

Not sure I follow your meaning?

[anlauto]

Do you have details on the best way to remove the rivers?
And where do you find small replacements?

Not sure I follow your meaning?

I think he means the rivets that hold everything together 

[Katfish]

Yes, rivets, dang autocorrect.....

[Brads70]

Yes, rivets, dang autocorrect.....

I wondered if that was it. I just used common rivets I had here in my garage. 

[Shoooter]

great tips

[cudaragtop]

The headlight buckets are marked.

Here are the 2 with small holes.
One says HILO one says HI... They both have LT on them too.


Here are the 2 with large holes.
One says HILO and the other says HI
Both have RT on them


OO---oo
This is how they were when I took the grill out.
Big holes on the passenger side and small holes on the driver's side.


Re-installed. Small holes on the driver's side.


Done!

[GY3R/T]

Use tubular rivets with correct dia. and length. Truss head. AND the right tool to flare. Don't use regular rivets !!

[GY3R/T]

  To remove rivets, a dremmel with a carbide tip works well with good control.

[cudaragtop]

Yes, rivets, dang autocorrect.....

I wondered if that was it. I just used common rivets I had here in my garage.

Decided to follow Brad's lead and drill out the rivets to separate the center.
Couple cans of paint stripper and pressure washer to get the blue paint out of the egg crate.
After round one...


Want to do the grill center like this one. Black but with the front edge silver.
What is the best process to reproduce this look?
Paint the front silver and then paint the egg crate black from the backside?

Argent not black for the rest of the grill and headlight bezels though...
Could end up black too... could end up silver for the egg crate... it's only paint.
I'll put the Challenger script in the right location too. 

Whatever I do it will be better than this Blue. 

[Brads70]

I'm not saying this is " correct" as someone may have moved it before I bought the car but I took these pictures so I'd have a reference to put the Challenger logo back where it was originally. Thought it might help someone else out?

Use tubular rivets with correct dia. and length. Truss head. AND the right tool to flare. Don't use regular rivets !!

In my case I only removed   8 rivets , just enough to remove the eggcrate from the aluminum structure .I left on the metal parts along the top. You can't see those rivets in mine that are " not correct"  when assembled. Your right for a concourse correct car this would be an issue but with my car it's so far past original 8 rivets that can't really been seen are not going to matter much. 


Caution on the paint stripper that it doesn't dull the bright anodizing around the edge or the eggcrate , try it first on an area that won't be seen?

[anlauto]

@cudaragtop The size of the hole has nothing to do with the type of bulb, HI or HILO . It just means that two are not original to the car. Put them back the way you found them and you'll be okay. 

[Rich G.]

Wish I tried the sandpaper and acetone tip on my grill. I spent a week with chrome polish and a giant box of Q tips.

[RUNCHARGER]

Soak the eggcrate section in laundry detergent for awhile to loosen things up, they something like a small bottle brush on each hole. it doesn't take long once you get at it.

[worthywads]

Do you know what the correct size tubular rivets would be, I'm about to replace the egg crate section and see that at least the top right and left sides will be visible.  It also looks like it will be difficult to get a hammer style rivet tool into the recessed area for those top rivets.  I don't see a straight shot down, I'm probably going to use standard rivets and come in from the other side.