I am looking at a really good 73 Grabber Grill to buy (first pic)...but my buddy scared me a way for a moment saying I should be looking at a pre '73 grill because of the "chroming". I remember some maverick grills have some "chroming" (at the top row if I remember right)...like the 2nd picture below (not actual grill) ...the peeling is the issue. As well as the chrome on the lamps...I want to paint it black will I have any issues? Or is prepping as easy as I think it will be?
its easy to prep it. paint will stick fine. laqyer thinner and a fine scothbrite by hand will prep it nicely. just go light!
Just be careful with the tabs :s I havent done it yet, but I am going to take small pieces of 18 gauge metal and make tabs, and glue them on to prevent them from breaking.
ONLY the LDO grills were chrome. The second picture you posted is a 1976-1977 Maverick non-LDO grill. That is just silver paint along the edges.
yep, they will paint just fine. Just expect to spend HOURS sanding... I did mine, pics bellow.. http://smegnl.medina.oh.us/index.php/maverick/59-grille
I cleaned my grille with Greased Lighting and scrubbed it down with a 2" paint brush then rinse it off with the garden hose, let it dry and painted with rattle can. No sanding involved
It's hard to find an accurate picture that shows ALL of them, with the differences pointed out. I'll try to do a small comprehensive Maverick list for you...I assure you...if I'm wrong.. ...my friends on here will correct me with a grin on their faces Okay...this is just for the Grills and Grill Lights, and NOT Bumpers... The very first Maverick grills, from 1969 1/2 through 1972 looked like this, unless they were a 71' or a 72' Maverick Grabber: (*Even the first 1970 Maverick Grabbers had this Grill and were cast in Black Plastic, where the non-Grabbers were cast in grey plastic, and painted a light silver color, and later years LDO (luxury decor option) Mavericks had chrome on them) View attachment $(KGrHqF,!mEFIrILJlhCBSPOSlzH5g~~60_57.JPG?rt=nc 1971 and 1972 Maverick Grabbers had this grill, with the Clear Lens Sport Lamps, using an Amber colored bulb, and the chromed Maverick Emblem on the driver's side, with a Red pot-metal backing: (*The Sportlamps would turn on from a switch inside the car, and through a relay behind the front driver's kick panel, and were only for extra lights, mainly for looks, not bright enough for fog lights, and the turn signals were the lights below the front bumper) *Two pics * Once they started getting the cutouts for the lights, on the 71' Grabbers, I believe the Maverick Grills of ANY year, that has cutouts for Lights, are ALL THE SAME, after removing the lights, emblems, and any plastic clip-on dividers, other than Black Plastic for Grabber Grills, and Gray/Silver for non-Grabbers. And the Cutouts are more than just a cutout, they have plastic molded into the grill on the backside, to hold the grill lights properly square, so you can't just cut a rectangle hole in the early grills, and expect them to easily accept grill lights. The 1973, 1974, and 1975 Maverick Grills looked like this: (*The Turn Signals are now the lights in the Grill this year, where previously they were "sportlamps", and they are Amber (Yellowish Orange) colored, as opposed to clear) The 1976 and 1977 Maverick Grills looked like this: (*There is a REMOVABLE plastic divider in the center, and the Turn Signal Lights have changed in appearance) If I made any mistakes...some of the other members will correct me I'm sure
75. 76, & 77 were the same, with the twist in lights. 71-74 used sport lamps like these: All the sport lamp grills are the same, except for the divider.
