Ok, here's the situation. I have an 87' GN with a chrome grille. My question is how do I get rid of it? Is trading it an option? I have seen a few posts on here where the wrong grille was replaced due to some front end damage to the car, but no one seems to believe that it could have came from the factory this way. I am fine with assuming the bone headed original owner replaced it with a chrome grille, but his bone headedness is now my headache, and $250 bucks. What other options do I have?
Chrome Grilles
- Thread starter djd1987
- Start date
Welcome!
By registering with us, you'll be able to discuss, share and private message with other members of our community.
Scott Atk
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 25, 2001
- Messages
- 2,654
Just hit it real good with a scotchbrite pad, prime and paint with "trim black" available at most parts stores.
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2003
- Messages
- 9,634
if its an 87 chrome grille just paint it with semi black trim paint from auto parts store
if its not an 87 and has the chrome band across top thats inset with letters BUICK in it , no painting is going to make it look right
if its not an 87 and has the chrome band across top thats inset with letters BUICK in it , no painting is going to make it look right
87granny
Active Member
- Joined
- May 17, 2005
- Messages
- 1,547
It won't look right if you paint it you sure it's an 87 and not an 86 GN my 86 has an 87 grill
Scott Atk
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 25, 2001
- Messages
- 2,654
OK,now I get it. I thought you had a chrome 87 grill. I've had some luck lately finding chrome 87 grills at local junkyards. If you can find one and paint it black that would be your cheapest avenue. Good Luck.
87granny
Active Member
- Joined
- May 17, 2005
- Messages
- 1,547
Dude i didn't say you don't have an 87 i find it weird that someone would swap the 87 black grill for an 86 cause IMHO the 87 was a nicer grill and the car looks better all black and no chrome
I don't find it wierd I find it ignorant. I can't believe that someone would have done that. I didn't know until recently that the 87's only came with the black grille, which looks 10 times better than the one on mine right now. I guess I will look around and if I can't find one I will have to shell out for a reproduction. Thanks again for all your help guys.
- Joined
- Aug 1, 2003
- Messages
- 9,634
you think its ignorant .. its is just a car , not the mona lisa .. you had the final option before purchase to pass and you didnt and now it bothers you what the previous owner did
you're irked by achilles(granny) asking if its an 87 ?, you have very few posts so assume your a newb to these cars and car is a recent acquire (dont know but you didnt seem to know an 87 from an earlier grille !!) i never assume even if post count is 2000 that owner has any clue about his car ,seen it too many times over the years. not that owners are stupid people just that they never thought to learn about the car they drive till it breaks and they cant seem to fix because they thought it was stock and not until they post do they learn
wait till you look deeper like some have after purchase and find your brf trans isnt a brf or your 8.5 is a 7.5 or your crank is an NA and your posi is an auburn (non rebuildable) or that its really an 86 ( not everyone knows how to read a vin tag) , or that its not even a GN (not every one nows how to read the trunk label to be certain ..if its even still there )
you got a lot of heartache coming if something like a grill gets you or that someone questions your car , you'd be surprised how many people including owners beleive that the only gn built was in 87 so it must be an 87 ,
ive seen cars sold on ebay that the owner didn't even know what year it was
if you can post up a pic of your grille
there were several versions with the crome top grille and 84 grilles could be painted to look like the 84-86 GN grill , 85-86 regal and T grilles have a couple thick ribs and dont look right on an 84-86gn
i had an 87 in my 86 when i bought it and it wasnt that easy to find an84-86 GN grille or an 84 to paint , i did change it back to original
my 87 has a painted 87 grill in it , for a short time i had an 86 grille in there , only thing i could find cheap
gotta remember the internet wasnt around forever and most gn owners were older and not internet guys and alot still arent so finding parts wasnt easy , there was gm and local scrap yards and like you said thats a big bite to pay for a grille when the local junk yard had regular regal grilles cheap,,try finding a 87 gn in a scrapyard ..in over thirty years since buick built turbos ive been going to junk yards since back then and never even seen a turbo regal hit a scrap yard around here
you're irked by achilles(granny) asking if its an 87 ?, you have very few posts so assume your a newb to these cars and car is a recent acquire (dont know but you didnt seem to know an 87 from an earlier grille !!) i never assume even if post count is 2000 that owner has any clue about his car ,seen it too many times over the years. not that owners are stupid people just that they never thought to learn about the car they drive till it breaks and they cant seem to fix because they thought it was stock and not until they post do they learn
wait till you look deeper like some have after purchase and find your brf trans isnt a brf or your 8.5 is a 7.5 or your crank is an NA and your posi is an auburn (non rebuildable) or that its really an 86 ( not everyone knows how to read a vin tag) , or that its not even a GN (not every one nows how to read the trunk label to be certain ..if its even still there )
you got a lot of heartache coming if something like a grill gets you or that someone questions your car , you'd be surprised how many people including owners beleive that the only gn built was in 87 so it must be an 87 ,
ive seen cars sold on ebay that the owner didn't even know what year it was
if you can post up a pic of your grille
there were several versions with the crome top grille and 84 grilles could be painted to look like the 84-86 GN grill , 85-86 regal and T grilles have a couple thick ribs and dont look right on an 84-86gn
i had an 87 in my 86 when i bought it and it wasnt that easy to find an84-86 GN grille or an 84 to paint , i did change it back to original
my 87 has a painted 87 grill in it , for a short time i had an 86 grille in there , only thing i could find cheap
gotta remember the internet wasnt around forever and most gn owners were older and not internet guys and alot still arent so finding parts wasnt easy , there was gm and local scrap yards and like you said thats a big bite to pay for a grille when the local junk yard had regular regal grilles cheap,,try finding a 87 gn in a scrapyard ..in over thirty years since buick built turbos ive been going to junk yards since back then and never even seen a turbo regal hit a scrap yard around here
Save your money and buy an 87 all black grille.
Then sell your grille.
Much better than painting it IMO.
Yes you can paint it if you wanted to, but it's gonna look fake.
You can spot a painted grille from a molded in black grille 10 feet away.
Then again I now see you have an 84-86 grille. So yeah it's not going to look right even if painted.
A grille shouldn't cost you $250. I picked mine up for under $200 IIRC. Plan to spend at least $150 for a grille unless you happen to luck out.
Then sell your grille.
Much better than painting it IMO.
Yes you can paint it if you wanted to, but it's gonna look fake.
You can spot a painted grille from a molded in black grille 10 feet away.
Then again I now see you have an 84-86 grille. So yeah it's not going to look right even if painted.
A grille shouldn't cost you $250. I picked mine up for under $200 IIRC. Plan to spend at least $150 for a grille unless you happen to luck out.
strikeeagle
New Member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2001
- Messages
- 3,326
Your problem is semantics. A "chrome grille" would be found on certain 1987 Ts. What you evidently have is a 1986 GN or T Type grille on a 1987 GN. Hence the confusion.
SEM Trim black paint looks just fine.............. if your looking for year correct, go find an 87 style grill be it chrome or black and paint it. If you just want the car not to look rediculous, paint your 86 style grill black until you can find an 87 style.
Does the grill on your car now look like this............ only all chrome?
Does the grill on your car now look like this............ only all chrome?
Attachments
You've got 11 posts on this site. Maybe people are asking because you seem new to the cars. It's not ignorance on the part of the members replying, is it?
The ignorance I was referring to was that of the owner of the car who placed the incorrect grille on the vehicle. I am thankful of everyone on here who has helped me out so far, all of their comments and suggestions come from years of experience. I bought my car in 1996 right out of high school and didn't know much about them then. Only recently am I really getting into this hobby and still have a lot to learn. Please be patience with me. I have been questioned a few times on the validity of my GN on the site so I ran the numbers and did the research on my car to confirm its authenticity. No one likes to be second guessed or made to feel inferior and those were my initial feelings from posting on this site. Thanks again to everyone and I will have to grow some thick skin and suck it up and stop my b!tchin'
My misunderstanding, that makes more sense now. I highly recommend picking up Kirban's Turbo Regal guide. Tons more information than you'll probably ever need. Plus, it has interesting trivia on all sorts of iteresting factory configurations found over the years.
87granny
Active Member
- Joined
- May 17, 2005
- Messages
- 1,547
You think that's ignorant and he was a bone head you should see how mad i was when i found out mine had a 7.5 rear in it instead of the 8.5 but it's my own fault for not looking at the car better and i knew mine had the wrong grill and still does
