interchanging grills
Senior User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 105
Likes: 0
I went from a 78 to a 74 grill and I didn't change my radiator support. What I did do was drill out the holes for the 78 headlight buckets because they sit a little higher than the 74[ the turn signals are on top on the 74] then there is a small piece on each side of the grill, where the fender connects to the grill, that I had to pick up at a wreking yard. I think the rest just bolted right up. Sure is handy to have a "u-pull it" near by. I think the wire harness from the 74 had to be used for the turn signals.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 6,948
Likes: 44
Those small metal brackets are the key to updating to the 78/9 grill shell.
The top two bolts on the headight assembly bolt to these and not the radiator support.
Start by installing these loosely to the inner fender. Then hang the headlight and assembly by the two upper bolts, and let this hang. Tighten all of the fasteners up finger tight and keep the headlight assembly square. This will pull the headlight assembly tight to the radiator support and you can mark the lower bolt holes with a pen or drill two very small pilot holes though the radiator support. Remove the headlight assembly and drill the holes to the appropriate size. Re-install and connect the headlight before you install the bolts. This can be difficult to reach once everything is together.
Repeat for the opposite side.
Now you can remove the upper tin brackets and install the grill shell. Align and tighten up the shell, and install these small brackets again. They lock the upper corner to the bracket just like the earlier style brackets, except that the 78/9 headlight assembly has to bolt to this and not the upper portion of the radiator support.
Tighten it all up and wire in your new turn signals. You can bet that the original wires wont reach, so address this any way you want., but thats it.
Hanging the headlight assemblies by the upper bracket to mark the lower holes in radiator support:
Lower bolt holes. Notice just below where the early style headlight assembly used to attach:
The top two bolts on the headight assembly bolt to these and not the radiator support.
Start by installing these loosely to the inner fender. Then hang the headlight and assembly by the two upper bolts, and let this hang. Tighten all of the fasteners up finger tight and keep the headlight assembly square. This will pull the headlight assembly tight to the radiator support and you can mark the lower bolt holes with a pen or drill two very small pilot holes though the radiator support. Remove the headlight assembly and drill the holes to the appropriate size. Re-install and connect the headlight before you install the bolts. This can be difficult to reach once everything is together.
Repeat for the opposite side.
Now you can remove the upper tin brackets and install the grill shell. Align and tighten up the shell, and install these small brackets again. They lock the upper corner to the bracket just like the earlier style brackets, except that the 78/9 headlight assembly has to bolt to this and not the upper portion of the radiator support.
Tighten it all up and wire in your new turn signals. You can bet that the original wires wont reach, so address this any way you want., but thats it.
Hanging the headlight assemblies by the upper bracket to mark the lower holes in radiator support:
Lower bolt holes. Notice just below where the early style headlight assembly used to attach:
