1972 Fury III 360 101498 miles

1970FuryConv · Mar 28, 2019

NOS Hidden Headlight Grill Frames Received from Marty @ Arizona Parts. $420, $310 parts, $55 each shipped Fedex to my workplace.
Left Side

Cast in #

Chrysler Part# 3573779

Right side, p# 3573778. Marty says its box disintegrated. Parts on his shelf since 1980s.

Soaked grill frame fasteners in EvapoRust Cleaner for 24 hrs. Cleaned up nice.
Really looking forward to installing grill frames on my bumper this weekend.

Factorial · Mar 28, 2019

What year, make and model is that washer?

DeltaV · Mar 28, 2019

Factorial said:
What year, make and model is that washer?

I think I saw one in the Smithsonian a few years ago.

1970FuryConv · Mar 29, 2019

Factorial said:
What year, make and model is that washer?

DeltaV said:
I think I saw one in the Smithsonian a few years ago.

2009 Maytag Centennial.
In the "Aw ****" department, I found that my open grill brackets do not work with hidden headlight grill. Should not have listened to that person on Facebook.

1970FuryConv · Apr 5, 2019

Grill Work over past few days
Flip up grills. Factory made these in 2 pieces. The black backing plate which has both of the pivot arms is a base for mounting the grill. The grill has plastic studs that extend backward. Those studs fit through holes in the backing plate. The factory used a glue of some type to keep those studs fixed in the backing plate. Some of that glue had deteriorated, so I used Permatex Plastic Welder, epoxy, 2 part, to make repairs where the glue had deteriorated and stabilize the grill on the backing plate.
Glue on studs

Permatex

Typical repairs

I did both sides
Also, touch up work with black oil base paint where black paint had flaked off backing plates

Stationary Grills
RS has all mounting tabs
Upper

Lower

LS, upper tabs broken, but perhaps usable with washer on screw.

Lower tabs completely missing. Added brackets and test fit against old grill frame

1970FuryConv · Apr 5, 2019

Grill Frame mounting brackets received from Mike in Montana, FB friend
10 brackets in all & they are all the same. Large screw and clip mount on bumper. Small screw and clip mount on grill frame.

Close up of bracket assembled

Black oil based paint applied, 2 coats, cheap hardware store brushes

1970FuryConv · Apr 6, 2019

Grill Frame Install
· Each grill frame has 5 90° brackets, where the screw that mounts the bracket to the bumper is offset and the screw that mounts the grill frame to the bracket is centered. The screw that mounts the bracket to the bumper is larger of the 2 screws. There is 1 clip that mounts directly to the bumper for upper outside mount.
· Grill frame mounting brackets: each bracket has a tab that fits into a semicircular indent on the chrome bumper. The tab aligns the bracket, so that the bracket does not have to be shifted as the grill frame is put in place. Using these alignment tabs, 7/16 long socket, 1/4 ratchet, tighten all brackets to bumper. Note the brackets mount outside the opening in the bumper. The mounting screw extends through holes in the opening surround and into the fitting on the bracket.
Left side pictures

Grill Frame Install, left side
· Install upper 2 screws first, 3/8 long socket, 10 inch extension, ¼ ratchet. Leave these 2 screws loose so that grill frame can be moved up and down. Eventually I had to hold the grill frame in the uppermost position and tighten these screws. I installed both side screws, lower outside screw, same tool. Lower inside screw, substitute 3/8 short socket, swivel, 10 inch extension, ¼ ratchet. I regularly kneeled in front of the grill frame to make sure that it was going in as level and centered as possible. The sides are not straight from age so this is not a perfect process, but I made sure that spacing around the grill frame to the bumper was approximately the same.

1970FuryConv · Apr 6, 2019

Grill Frame Install, right side

Front view, grill frames installed

1970FuryConv · Apr 9, 2019

Sunday & Monday Progress
Right Side Grill: Install & Adjust
Lubricant

Lube smooth surface, outside pivot bolt

Lube plastic insert, outer arm, flip up grill

Lube plastic insert, center vertical support, grill frame

Overview, same insert

C-Clip, pivot, inner arm, flip up grill

C-Clip installed. Good idea to lube pivot surface of this grill motor rod mount, because lube in plastic insert scrapes off during install

Pivot bolt installed

Outer down stop

Inner down stop

1970FuryConv · Apr 9, 2019

Right Side Grill, continued
Flip Up Grill, initial position

Rear Views

Stationary Grill, mounting tabs, clips installed

Stationary Grill, initial position. Thanks Dan @IMFURYS Without you selling me this grill piece with all 4 tabs intact, could not have lined up everything in proper position. Your pics and advice have been a great help!

Houston, we have an alignment problem

Outer down stop, too high

Inner down stop, flip up grill was not contacting
Removed rubber pad from outer down stop, used vise-grips to make very small down adjustments in outer stop. Reinstall rubber pad after each down adjustment. Test for inner arm of flip up grill resting on inner down stop and alignment with stationary grill. After several tries, finally got flip up grill in correct position
Adjusted position of outer down stop

Use slight amount of up/down adjustment in stationary grill to fine tune alignment
Aligned views

1970FuryConv · Apr 9, 2019

Left Side Grill Install
Extremely difficult because of incorrectly installed grill frame rivets and resulting warpage in NOS grill frame over time.
Flip Up Grill, initial position too low. S/B 3/4" from top of grill to chrome bumper
Warpage of upper grill frame

Flip Up Grill, Rear views, initial position

Tried adjust outer down stop upward with vise-grips. Heard small cracking sound and stopped immediately
Cut old rubber down stop pad and built up outer down stop to correct position. 3M Weatherstrip adhesive on rubber pads

Stationary grill, I had added 90° brackets 3/4" as lower mounting tabs
Tried everything to eliminate warpage in upper grill frame, manually pulling on each side of grill frame, redrilling upper inside mounting tab of grill frame. Nothing worked.
Finally pulled NOS grill frame off bumper, removed flip up grill, and examined NOS LS grill frame closely beside old broke tab LS grill frame.
NOS had 1/4" gap between to front of black vertical center support and upper inside grill frame. 2 pieces were flush on old grill frame. Black center support & upper inside mount visible in pic. (@Factorial will be happy. 2009 Maytag Centennial makes another appearance.)

Drilled out 3 pop rivets holding vertical plastic of grill frame against metal vertical center support of grill frame. Pulled the plastic back against drill bit to slot the holes in the plastic. Installed 2 10x24 machine screws with nylon lock nuts and tightened while an assistant held the upper plastic tab against vertical metal support. Eliminated gap and reinstalled grill frame on bumper.

Added 1/4" bolt and nut between upper inside grill frame mounting tab and center of bumper to stop upward warpage in this area.

Stationary grill, final position. Installed with 6 x 32 machine screws, flat washer, and locknuts. Stationary would not align otherwise. Did not have a 2nd set of 4 metal clips.

Aligned view. Irony: a factory worker in Belvidere IL would have seen the problem with the grill frame and thrown it into the trash as a defect. Instead it sat on a shelf as a repair part for 30-40 years, waiting for someone to install it and correct the defects. In addition to correcting center support gap, had to drill new holes in both lower mounting tabs of grill frame and slot upper inside mounting tab. Job was time consuming, with much trial and error.
Final Result, LS Grill

1970FuryConv · Apr 9, 2019

Overview

You can start to imagine what this will look like on the car

LocuMob · Apr 9, 2019

Nice work. Now you should keep the exposed headlight grille on the car, and use this as artwork. What's that? Oh, not gonna happen? Okay, got it. :thumbsup:

1970FuryConv · Apr 9, 2019

LocuMob said:
Nice work. Now you should keep the exposed headlight grille on the car, and use this as artwork. What's that? Oh, not gonna happen? Okay, got it.

Definitely not gonna happen. After all this work, that damn bumper and grill are going on there, come hell or high water or plague of locusts or anything else. Even if my place floods, I'm buying scuba gear and installing it under water.

1970FuryConv · Apr 10, 2019

Bumper Grill, Install, problems
Okay, so I tried to install the bumper and grill late yesterday. I found headlight mounting brackets were installed too low, so that the lower back edge of the grill frame was hitting the aluminum trim rings around the headlight bulbs. I also found that a large rib at the center on the outside of the headlight mounting bracket was contacting the outer arm of both flip up grills. I had tried to reuse my open headlight brackets because a good friend who also has a 1972 Plymouth fury, on which he installed hidden headlight grill, used the open headlight grill headlight mounting brackets. Even sent me a picture of them. I can only guess, since he still restoring the car, that he hasn’t tried actually operate them.

The mounting points on the car have some up/down adjustment, by moving the bolt clips up and down in their slots. I decided to add more adjustment by drilling new mounting holes and to remove center rib.
Adjustments to Open Headlight Mounting brackets. Tonight's work.
Open HL Mounting Bracket. RS

Center ribs interfere with outer flip up grill arms

HL Mounting Bracket is vise

Center Rib removed with exhaust cutoff wheel. Did both sides

Took measurements while people held bumper up. Brackets needed to move up 7/16. Drilled holes accordingly

1970FuryConv · Apr 10, 2019

Install Headlight Mounting Brackets
Lowered Bumper on Jack

Leveling HL Mtg Brackets after install using drilled holes

Outer rib removed

Left side. Used straight edge across top of inside mtg bracket to radiator support, leveled, and measured down from top edge of rad sppt to straight edge to get bracket at same height as RS. After, same process

Reattached some bumper bracket bolts loose. The way I left things:

1970FuryConv · Apr 13, 2019

Bumper/Grill Install (cont)
After test fit, HL mtg brackets centered, but flip up grills hitting top outside corner of (open HL) HL mounting brackets. Never listen to your good friend and fellow 72 Fury owner who says the hidden HL brackets are interchangeable with open HL. Removed bumper/grill a 2nd time. Ugh.
Open HL Mtg Brackets, exhaust cut off wheel to remove top outside corner

HL mtg brackets, installed. At least cut is buried. I also cleaned the HL bulbs and cut off the side extensions of the aluminum mtg rings. Ground them flat against ring surface, cleaned rings on new wire wheel with light pressure.

Did same leveling as before. Set both sides up at 3.5 inches from front protrusion on top edge radiator sppt to black X

Reference: Center grill brackets

RS part #

Installed

At Stub Frame

Lower Bumper Bracket Bolts to Frame

Slots for installing these bolts/nuts

1970FuryConv · Apr 13, 2019

Bumper Brackets (cont)
At bumper, outside bracket must be all the way forward in its slot. LS

RS

Inside bracket mounts toward center in adj slot, LS

RS

Doing these adj at bumper shortens the brackets front to rear, allowing proper install
Bumper Install
Bumper Brackets at frame, RS

LS

Bumper finally in correct position. Slightly over 1/4" from top corner of bumper up to front corner of fender extension

1970FuryConv · Apr 13, 2019

Good News: flip up grills move from down position to up position without hitting anything.
LS

RS

Full view

RS Center Bracket (during bumper install, leave bolts at frame loose and top front of bracket positioned to outside of bumper mounts. Do not tighten any center bracket bolts until after bumper in correct position and 6 lower bumper bracket bolts/nuts fully tightened)