68 Grille Accident Damage Fix Update 5-8-09 with pics!!

[dkn1997]

Here is how I tackled my grille.  I know there a lot of grille topics here, but this one is a bit different since I had to repair major damage.

I'm not done yet, but I'm getting there.  Restored grilles go for about 2 grand, and I will be into this one for a little less than 1K.  However, the final product will be better than what I started with since i'm putting new chrome trim.
The drivers headlight bucket was toast, so I had to buy a good used one for 250.  that's included in my 1k figure. 

This will not be a points type of restoration.  I actually hate the way stock grilles look with the mesh part painted silver and black. to me, it makes the whole thing look like a black grille that faded.  I like the mesh all blacked out. 

Here is what I started with:

[dkn1997]

more of the before:

[dkn1997]

For all of the broken pieces that I could fix, i used 3m 8115 panel bonding adhesive.  It's expensive, about 40 bucks, and the applicator gun is another 50-60.  I used an old hilti applicator gun that was laying around at work and I trimmed it to fit,  freebie!  here are the paints I am using. 

BTW, SEM flexible "titanium metallic" is a pretty good match for the gray that was on the 69 bucket I bought.  the gray on the bucket I bought was definitely factory because I sanded it and found no other silver paint under.  I had spraybombed my grill about 7-8 years ago after the car was painted and I just used eastwoods argent silver wheel paint.  compared to the 69 bucket I bought, it was way too light.  I liked it, but it was too light.

[dkn1997]

Started by disassembling the grill and straightening out the metal frame.  It's close and I will adjust it more when I fit the plastic pieces to it.  It's a pretty flimsy piece.  I also have to send it out to get media blasted.  I have a little blaster but I will take way too much material to do it.  It will cost the same to have it done, so that's next week.  here it is sem-straightened out:

[dkn1997]

The center section is done and painted. just needs clear now.  It's all coming from spray cans.  I had to get creative because even the pieces that didn't get totally smashed needed a lot of work.  I even had to make my own grill fins.

[dkn1997]

Lots of parts from 68 and 69 will interchange...but that doesn't make them right. one example is the drivers' headlight door.  my 250 dollar mint used bucket had a really nice door too.  What I didn't realize was the the 'charger" moved from the centersection to the door itself in 69.  result is charger and either arrow or r/t both on the door.  68 has the charger on the driver's side of the centersection and only the r/t or arrow on the headlight door.  I didn't want to play around with mixing and matching emblems and I did have all of the pieces of my smashed original door, so I went to work with the 3M stuff and fixed it.  here is a pic of the jigsaw puzzle, none of which will be visible once installed. There's also these funcky round retainers that hold the hinge part of the door onto the grill bucket.  I didn't feel like tracking those down, so I drilled holes in the hinge shafts and will use small cotter pins.  it's not a stress area at all.

[mikepmcs]

Looking good, and thank god you're a Yankees fan.

[firefighter3931]

Nice work Kevin ! 

The new paint and fresh grill is really going to be a nice improvement. 


Ron

[69bronzeT5]

Clearcoat...I should of thought of that! I should probally put that on my grille.

[autodynamics]

very nice... i just bought a complete 69 grill on ebay for $400 real nice shape real minor repairs needed... mostly new paint will post some pics soon... right now its a spare 69 grill.... worth its weight...

[dkn1997]

very nice... i just bought a complete 69 grill on ebay for $400 real nice shape real minor repairs needed... mostly new paint will post some pics soon... right now its a spare 69 grill.... worth its weight...

That's a smokin' deal.      There are so many parts to this grill that I doubt all of them will ever be reproduced. 

Rick Kiesler from Laysons had one for that much also.  It had the drivers corner of the bumper filler broken off, but otherwise was intact.  I would have jumped all over it, but shipping and crating was almost 200 bucks from out west to here.  We emailed back and forth a lot on it and he was very good about the whole thing.  In the end, though, I got my old grill home and realized that I could fix a lot of it.  I couldn't justify 600 for it when I found the actual piece I needed for 250. 

for anyone buying 68-9 grills and parts.  look out for the bumper filler piece that's molded into the grill.  It's almost always broken off in one of the corners.  member 1hot68 has used the 3m adhesive to actually create a new piece, but that's not that easy. 

[dkn1997]

driver's side bucket masked and painted, no clearcoat yet.  2nd pic is a bit blurry, but it's my rig for holding the headlight doors on the hinge pins. just a cotter pin.  tough to drill the hole in that tiny pin, but once done, it should work great

[Captain D]

I'm sorry to see the damage to your 68' Charger. Overall, well done on the grille!

I too have been researching different adhesives to repair my 69' Charger grille. I've read a lot of positive things about the 3M Plastic Panel Automix Adhesive (#8115). I've also read a lot of goods things about the Duramix. Out of the two, which would most people recommend as the best, durable, strongest, etc? I don't have the gun needed to apply these adhesives...its a shame they're so expensive. And lastly, the description to the 3M says it works best with heat. What method did you use to apply heat to this adhesive in your restoration process if I may ask?

Thanks!
Aaron

[dkn1997]

aaron, thanks for the pos feedback!  I'm using the 3m8115.  I don't use any heat.  you can make a rig to push evenly on the bottoms of the tubes, no need for the gun for this type of small work.  just push equal amounts of the adhesive and hardner on a bondo applicator and mix it up...  I don't know about that other stuff, but this 3M is unreal how strong it is.  bonds to plastic, metal too.  U had to use strips of aluminum to make now tabs to attach the grill pieces to each other and it's so strong it's not even funny.  I used two deep sockets to push it out of the tubes at first. then I got ahold of an old hilti concrete epoxy gun from work and modified it to work with the 3m

[Captain D]

Awesome! I'm glad to hear that it bonds really strong  . I'll be repairing mine soon and it's great to hear results like this. Also, I'm relieved to hear that I may not be needing the special gun after all. If I may please ask one last question...what type of hardener did you mix with this adhesive? Or, is the hardener included with the package?

Thanks again and congrats on a beautiful grille!
Aaron

[dkn1997]

it comes as a doubletube.  hardener one side, adhesive in the other, nothing else to buy

[Captain D]

Sounds great! Thanks again! 

[superbirdtom]

it comes as a doubletube.  hardener one side, adhesive in the other, nothing else to buy

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> I love body panel glue. sometimes where necessairy to save on applicator mix nozzles I just squeeze some out of the gun without applicator nozzle onto cardboard and mix it with a bondo spreader.

[dkn1997]

ok...update time...

still have to get the metal frame blasted but I did fix the headlight hold downs.  you know the flimsy metal rings with tabs that hold the bulbs in?  mine were in sad shape, lots of the tabs broken off.  I was missing one so I made one with an old bracket and drilled some holes in it.  I can't weld so I used my trusty 3m panel bonding adhesive to put them back on...

bracket drilled and marked:

[dkn1997]

cut out.  close enough to original for me..I just need it to function

[dkn1997]

adhesive mixed and tabs clamped on.....after this I will polish them up as good as I can and clear them.  If they don't come out good, I will blast them and clear them. original look really not important to me

[1969chargerrtse]

For all of the broken pieces that I could fix, i used 3m 8115 panel bonding adhesive.  It's expensive, about 40 bucks, and the applicator gun is another 50-60.  I used an old hilti applicator gun that was laying around at work and I trimmed it to fit,  freebie!  here are the paints I am using. 

BTW, SEM flexible "titanium metallic" is a pretty good match for the gray that was on the 69 bucket I bought.  the gray on the bucket I bought was definitely factory because I sanded it and found no other silver paint under.  I had spraybombed my grill about 7-8 years ago after the car was painted and I just used eastwoods argent silver wheel paint.  compared to the 69 bucket I bought, it was way too light.  I liked it, but it was too light.

I can't tell you how many times it has been commented on about " eastwoods argent silver wheel paint.  Compared to the 69 bucket I bought, it was way too light.  I liked it, but it was too light. "

Great job, Grille looks great!

[69*F5*SE]

Glad to see things are coming together for you. Nice job on those screw hole tabs by the way.     Ted

[dkn1997]

Glad to see things are coming together for you. Nice job on those screw hole tabs by the way.     Ted

thanks!  it's a ghetto cruiser fix, and if I looked, I probably could have found replacements for cheap...but then what would I have to post about?

[Rolling_Thunder]

Yeah man - honestly i should have told you - I have about 10 of those rings laying around the shop...   would have sent you them for free