70 'Cuda grill tabs

[usraptor]

Since my car is at the body shop for final paint work, I decided to restore the grill and headlight bezels.  While I knew they had a few cracks in them, I never really paid a lot of attention to them as they have just been sitting on a shelf in my shop for the past 8 years.  Anyway, fast forward, I stripped the paint and found numerous additional cracks, broken fins, tabs, etc so I ordered some Plastex from Eastwood.  In examining the tabs that the SS trim attaches to along the outer edges of the grill and headlight bezels I noticed that the majority of the tabs have a gap or possibly a crack on the inside edge of the tab, but a few others do not.  (see pics)  So before I begin repair work my question is, are the cracks/gaps normal which allow the trim to clip/lock into place or are they result of the impacts/stress that obviously caused the rest of the cracks in the grill/bezel bodies?  In other words do I fill the gaps in the tabs with Plastex or leave alone?

[fc7cuda]

I'm fairly certain the grooves are supposed to be there.   

I'll see about posting some pics from an NOS one this evening.

[anlauto]

I would guess the grooves help the stainless stay in place

[fc7cuda]

NOS with grooves

[usraptor]

Thanks  fc7cuda.  It's much appreciated.