Painted Grill and Bumper on a Truck With Moldings?

[cjsteak]

Have a question for you guys. My truck is a standard cab model and has the beltline molding around the sides. My truck also has a white grill and front bumper, but i know the truck has been wrecked... so it's possibly not original.

Was it even possible to get a painted grill on a truck that had factory belt line moldings? I've never seen an original, correct truck configured this way.

I'm doing a frame off restoration on this truck and I think the white grill and bumper would look better with the original skyview blue, and would coordinate nicely with the original wheels in white with skinny white walls.

BUT...

If it came with a stainless grill, i'm going to go stainless just to keep it correct.

Another quick question... I'm seeing plastic clips and the little propeller looking steel clips on the side of my truck where the molding is supposed to go. I'm assuming that the plastic part clips onto the steel part to form one clip? This truck came with one tiny little cab molding left... so not much in way of clues there...

I've never had moldings on a bumpside before, they've all been base model work trucks! I don't know how to handl luxury like this.

Thanks!

[kaptnkaos]

Hey CJ...

The beltline molding slides on the square plastic pieces, there are clips on either end to keep the molding locked in place. On the propeller looking piece (clip), there should be a little leg sticking out. That is a spring that puts pressure on the molding until the tips of the clip get turned into the right position to catch on the top and bottom of the molding. I just replaced one of the clips on my '68 yesterday. The very rear one on the drivers side. I found it much easier to remove the tail light assembly to gain access to the molding half nut rather than the little door on the bed post.
As far as the grille and side molding. I think you are aright. I do not believe that any trim package came with side molding and a painted grille. I have seen many that had a stainless grill, painted bumper and side molding... My '68 CS came that way. I recently replaced the bumper with a year appropriate chrome one I found at a yard for $35
I am also going to paint my bump the in the sky blue.. with a white roof.

take and be blessed,
KaptnKAOS

[cjsteak]

Thanks for the great info! This really helps me solve another one of the little mysteries around this poor old farm truck. This old farm truck was left for dead under an oak tree in a pasture with a frozen 360... I bet it never thought it'd be getting through a frame off...

[kaptnkaos]

Hey CJ...

Glad to be of service...
Man, I love the Austin area...
I used to spend a lot of time there in my younger days... used to hang with a sweety that worked at UT.
She turned me on to Pale face park... wut a gal !!!
Hey do you know if Oat Willies is still in business...
Used to hang out there and the Armadillo World Head Quarters alot.
Didn't have a bump truck then, but had a '58 Chev Delray 2 door and a screaming '68 GTO that would pull 13's in the quarter...
That will be cool bringing yer old truck back to life...
You'll have to keep us posted on yer progress...
Got PICS ???

Take care,
KaptnKAOS