Ugh! 70 lower grill molding is a pain!

[buening 63]

I'm trying to get my lower grill molding back onto the stone deflector on my car and its giving me fits. In order to be able to install the nuts onto the trim studs, the studs have to be slid into the narrow slot to lock it into position. The problem is in the bolt hole in the ends through the fender extension that the stone deflector bolts to. I have the fender extensions as far apart from each other as they will go (stone deflector bolt at ends of slotted holes) and it is just barely not far enough apart for the studs to sit locked into position. Has anyone installed their trim lately and have you found the same issue? AFAIK the trim is original, and the trim was missing the end studs....which likely the PO had the same issues as me :angry:

[buening 63]

Anyone have a picture of their stone deflector end where it overlaps the fender extensions (or can measure the gaps on each end), just as a sanity check for me? This would be the exposed portion between the bumper and lower grill trim panel. Thanks!

[Brian Conway 264]

1 & 1/8" on both ends. I think I know what your asking ? From the end of the stone deflector to the seam in the anodized bright work ? Brian

[buening 63]

Nah, if you are looking at the end of the anodized bright stone deflector trim, follow it toward the bumper until you see the deflector and fender extension overlapping. I need the distance from the end of the deflector to the end of the taper portion of the fender extension. I'm measuring 5/8". It just doesn't seem right, but very well could be.

[buening 63]

Here is a pic, see attached. You can see the line on the fender extension trim where the edge of the lower grill molding used to be. Before there was zero gap between the stone deflector and fender extension, but as I said before the lower grill molding was missing the end fasteners so the alignment of the fender extension to the stone deflector didn't matter. There is a hole through the fender extension in this overlap in which the end studs have to go through, so you have to have the alignment correct in order to use the end fasteners. Hopefully this makes sense LOL

[Brian Conway 264]

Well you know what they say about a picture. Right side strong 1/8" & Left side 1/8". Brian

[miketyler 15]

I already have mine together and as i recall, it was close too. Let me measure it this afternoon. If buckets are adjusted apart as far as possible and stone deflector still says they are too close, are your fenders adjusted where they need to be? Hood gaps ok?

[buening 63]

This is nuttier than squirrel turds. Is everyone's lower grill molding that much longer than the stone deflector, like shown in my picture (roughly 1" on each end)?

 

The distance between the end studs on the grill molding isn't adjustable, so the only thing that can adjust really is the location of the fender extensions.

 

Here is a picture of the fender extension (not my car), note the round hole furthest to the right in the picture. That is the hole which the molding stud goes through.

 

 

 

Here is a picture of the underside of the molding, notice the round hole with a slot next to it. You push the stud through the round hole, and slide it over to the slot to lock the stud in place. The stud has a square portion to it, acting similar to how a carriage bolt works.

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure if the molding is original. I'll try to take some measurements this afternoon and maybe someone can verify them.

[buening 63]

I took a pic of the headlight bucket and stone deflector with the gap around 1/8" like others mention above, and this is the hole alignment for the stud (see attached pic). I measured center of hole to center of hole at the other end and get 55". Measuring from the center of the trim slotted hole to slotted hole I get 56". Measuring my trim from the front outer corner to outer corner I get 61". The previously attached picture a few posts above has the fender extensions pushed out far enough that the hole spacing is 56", thus the larger gap in the "overlap" of the panels. The end screws that attach to the headlight molding don't line up with the hole in the headlight molding when the fender extensions are pushed out to 56", so its almost like the end retainers on the trim are in the wrong place.

 

If anyone gets a chance, can you take a tape measure to the underside of your stone deflector and measure the distance between the stud on each end of the lower grill trim? I'm curious if you get 55" or 56". I'm to the point now of minimizing the gap like all others and just not use the two end studs! Grrr

[miketyler 15]

I checked my gaps and both are pretty close to the same at just under 1/4"