71 Egg crate install on the little metal brace. Metal brace Painted or not?

[Grant W.]

The 71 is finally at the painters.

I am not up to par on the 71's as with 68 and 69's, There is a little metal brace that is riveted to the fiberglass lower edge where the egg crate grill stud goes in.
Is this little brace installed on the fender and then painted with primer and final paint. Thus the little brace is all painted including the rivet.
Or was the brace install after the fender is painted thus no paint on the brace and including the rivets.
Incidentally I assume or maybe I shouldn't is the phosphated clip natural or again painted along with the bracket.

The picture is a sample of what I am asking.

Thanks for your help in advance to you guru's
Grant

[Alan S.]

Re: 71 Egg crate install on the little metal brace. Metal brace Painted or not?

Hi Grant,
On my mid-January 71 the small bracket and it's 2 rivets are painted.
The bracket in your picture is slightly different than I'd expect to see. The bracket I'd expect to see has a simple hole formed in it's center that the threaded stud on the bottom of the grill passes through to receive a small flanged nut.
Your bracket appears to have an additional clip on it (as you mention) as though it's set up to receive a self tapping screw. Reaching that nut can be a challenge if the splash shield is in place so perhaps someone added the clip so the stud could just be pushed into it. The upper 2 fasteners on the grill use clips.
Is that what I'm seeing?
Regards,
Alan

[Bob D.]

Re: 71 Egg crate install on the little metal brace. Metal brace Painted or not?

Grant I have a '71 with a November '70 build date. My mounting bracket is the same as Alan's. I am not sure but I would suspect yours may have been "altered". Bob

[Paul O.]

Re: 71 Egg crate install on the little metal brace. Metal brace Painted or not?

Grant

The bracket was plated but I do not remember if it is Black Oxide or Phosphate. The stud on the bottom of the grill goes thur the center hole and the original nut I remember it being of a black finish with a built in washer. Someone has altered the brackets and on the one side made several alteration.

[Thad L.]

Re: 71 Egg crate install on the little metal brace. Metal brace Painted or not?

Grant the bracket in your pic is not correct for a 71 side grill. It looks to be a front out grill bracket. The correct bracket is the one on Alan's pic and it was installed before paint so yes it was painted on th car.
Thad

[Alan S.]

Re: 71 Egg crate install on the little metal brace. Metal brace Painted or not?

Hi Grant,
I agree the bracket in your picture is the one typically used for mounting the outer sides of the front grills as Thad indicates.
The clip used for the side grill is larger and more complex in it's shape.
2 more pictures.
Regards,
Alan

Back side of bracket for side egg-crate grill. This picture also illustrates that the bracket was in place before the body was painted since the small 'dash panel extension' is bonded in place after the rear rivet for the bracket was 'set', covering it up.


Bracket for outer side of front grill mounting screw.

[Grant W.]

Re: 71 Egg crate install on the little metal brace. Metal brace Painted or not?

Oh Crap!!!

After checking a few vendors I found Dr Rebuild has them so I will pick up a set. No original rivets but may I can some how fabricate some.
If anyone has those extra rivets I can use four of them. LOL

Thanks for all your help so far.
Grant

[Alan S.]

[Grant W.]

Re: 71 Egg crate install on the little metal brace. Metal brace Painted or not?

Hi Alan
I will go to a place where I got my rivets before and I hope they have the small one like yours. I hope I don't have to buy a hundred of them when I only need 10 of them
Thanks and will let you know how it works out. If not I will contact you.
Thanks, Grant

[Alan S.]

Re: 71 Egg crate install on the little metal brace. Metal brace Painted or not?

Hi Grant,
Notice the 2 clips for the front grills use the more typical rivet with the large head; it's the 2 brackets for the side grills that use the small headed rivet. (at least on my car).
Regards,
Alan

[Grant W.]

Re: 71 Egg crate install on the little metal brace. Metal brace Painted or not?

Thanks again for letting me know. I just noticed that too. I will see what rivets I come up with.
Thanks, Grant