Grille And Headlight Bezels

[LARIAT 85]

Interestingly, I'm not sure what color this stuff is supposed to be. I painted my headlight bezels black sometime ago and I think they were black/chrome from the factory. Old pictures confirm my headlight bezels were a dark color. My grille is untouched and is argent/chrome. With the headlight bezels black/chrome though, I would have thought that maybe the grille would be black/chrome too.

Wondering if anyone can shed some light on this?

The chrome headlight buckets with black trim were used with the lesser model trucks with the standard argent grille used from 1980 - 1986, or the black painted grille found on the 1980/1981 "Freewheeling" trim model.

The optional chrome "XLT/Lariat" grille had black trim on the inner vertical bars, but the inserts were always argent. The reason the inserts were argent was because it "hides" what is behind the grille better than black would. The correct headlight buckets that paired with the optional chrome grilles were chrome/argent for 1980/1981, and chrome/dark charcoal for 1982 - 1986.

The [standard] 1980 - 1986 headlight doors that were chrome trimmed with black paint and the later [optional] 1982 - 1986 chrome trimmed with dark charcoal paint don't look all that much different from each other. I have had both in NOS boxes. The black paint was only slightly blacker than the dark charcoal, and it was more of a rough *paint* that could scratch off. The dark charcoal trim paint was more of a smooth satin *coating* that seems like it would last longer. I kept these and sold the chrome/black ones.

I really wished I could physically see these parts in both the Black and the Charcoal. That aside, LMC does not even offer the Argent/Chrome Grille, which is what I have. Trying to decide if I want to go back to that or a Black/Chrome or even the Charcoal/Chrome.....arghhh.

 

Here is a picture of the chrome/charcoal headlight doors (E2TZ-13064-A, E2TZ-13064-B) that I installed on Lucille a few years ago. These were NOS Ford parts:

 

[Gary Lewis]

Interestingly, I'm not sure what color this stuff is supposed to be. I painted my headlight bezels black sometime ago and I think they were black/chrome from the factory. Old pictures confirm my headlight bezels were a dark color. My grille is untouched and is argent/chrome. With the headlight bezels black/chrome though, I would have thought that maybe the grille would be black/chrome too.

Wondering if anyone can shed some light on this?

The chrome headlight buckets with black trim were used with the lesser model trucks with the standard argent grille used from 1980 - 1986, or the black painted grille found on the 1980/1981 "Freewheeling" trim model.

The optional chrome "XLT/Lariat" grille had black trim on the inner vertical bars, but the inserts were always argent. The reason the inserts were argent was because it "hides" what is behind the grille better than black would. The correct headlight buckets that paired with the optional chrome grilles were chrome/argent for 1980/1981, and chrome/dark charcoal for 1982 - 1986.

The [standard] 1980 - 1986 headlight doors that were chrome trimmed with black paint and the later [optional] 1982 - 1986 chrome trimmed with dark charcoal paint don't look all that much different from each other. I have had both in NOS boxes. The black paint was only slightly blacker than the dark charcoal, and it was more of a rough *paint* that could scratch off. The dark charcoal trim paint was more of a smooth satin *coating* that seems like it would last longer. I kept these and sold the chrome/black ones.

I really wished I could physically see these parts in both the Black and the Charcoal. That aside, LMC does not even offer the Argent/Chrome Grille, which is what I have. Trying to decide if I want to go back to that or a Black/Chrome or even the Charcoal/Chrome.....arghhh.

 

Here is a picture of the chrome/charcoal headlight doors (E2TZ-13064-A, E2TZ-13064-B) that I installed on Lucille a few years ago. These were NOS Ford parts:

Thanks for the clarification, Rick.

[Ford F834]

Thanks for the clarification, Rick.

The catalog says the black trimmed headlight doors were 80/86, but I suspect it may have been 80/81 and black was replaced by charcoal in 1982 as the corresponding black grille was called “charcoal”. The charcoal grille was what was used on the 82/83 XLS blackout trimmed trucks:

[Gary Lewis]

The catalog says the black trimmed headlight doors were 80/86, but I suspect it may have been 80/81 and black was replaced by charcoal in 1982 as the corresponding black grille was called “charcoal”. The charcoal grille was what was used on the 82/83 XLS blackout trimmed trucks:

I guess I ought to climb the Microfiche Tower and see what my other versions of the MPC say.

[rcarlisle]

I took the best parts I had and they needed a little repair work to use them.

I also painted mine with a dark argent metallic and like the way they came out.

Dave ----

The dark argent looks best to me as well.

When I was looking for a part that had shipped and seemed to be lost, I called Dennis Carpenter in NC. Very nice lady was very helpful. And seemed like an organization that would be willing to help. You might call them and see if someone there could help identify parts you need to know more about.

I'm in NC about 2 hrs from there and she told me anytime I really needed a part, I could pick it up in person as well.

 

[Rusty_S85]

The catalog says the black trimmed headlight doors were 80/86, but I suspect it may have been 80/81 and black was replaced by charcoal in 1982 as the corresponding black grille was called “charcoal”. The charcoal grille was what was used on the 82/83 XLS blackout trimmed trucks:

http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/file/n96878/C7418884-B7B1-41E7-A77A-994BE8397308.jpeg

And was there ever a black out grill used in 82 without the blackout trim? Cause when I looked the black grill in the parts catalog is showing up as a '83 and application not 82 but I know of the XLS package some what.

[Machspeed]

Thanks for the clarification, Rick.

Thanks for the input, Rick. And again, Lucille is a beauty!

[Ford F834]

The catalog says the black trimmed headlight doors were 80/86, but I suspect it may have been 80/81 and black was replaced by charcoal in 1982 as the corresponding black grille was called “charcoal”. The charcoal grille was what was used on the 82/83 XLS blackout trimmed trucks:

http://forum.garysgaragemahal.com/file/n96878/C7418884-B7B1-41E7-A77A-994BE8397308.jpeg

And was there ever a black out grill used in 82 without the blackout trim? Cause when I looked the black grill in the parts catalog is showing up as a '83 and application not 82 but I know of the XLS package some what.

I know the charcoal black grille was an option on more trucks than just the XLS... through 1986. Seems like I’ve seen some XLS part numbers that started with E3 but I don’t know if they were updated or just issued that way.

[Rusty_S85]

I know the charcoal black grille was an option on more trucks than just the XLS... through 1986. Seems like I’ve seen some XLS part numbers that started with E3 but I don’t know if they were updated or just issued that way.

Yep the E3 is the earliest number I could find as well in the parts and illustration guide. I am thinking about possibly trying the black grill on my truck as with a chrome grill guard I think my original idea pre grill guard of going with the chrome grill with black trim might be too much chrome on the front of my truck. But I also want to try and keep mine period correct if possible for a 1982 model year. I guess I could go back with the argent but I just think the all argent grill just didnt look right with all the bright metal trim around it.

[Machspeed]

I know the charcoal black grille was an option on more trucks than just the XLS... through 1986. Seems like I’ve seen some XLS part numbers that started with E3 but I don’t know if they were updated or just issued that way.

Yep the E3 is the earliest number I could find as well in the parts and illustration guide. I am thinking about possibly trying the black grill on my truck as with a chrome grill guard I think my original idea pre grill guard of going with the chrome grill with black trim might be too much chrome on the front of my truck. But I also want to try and keep mine period correct if possible for a 1982 model year. I guess I could go back with the argent but I just think the all argent grill just didnt look right with all the bright metal trim around it.

I went with Chrome/Black for my headlight surrounds and the grille. I've received those parts and they look nice. I'll post pictures of it after it is installed.