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1971 Dodge Challenger Grill Inserts Paint Color

RickyOG90

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Hi all,
So in my quest to reproduce these rare grill inserts, Ive come across an issue. What type of argent silver paint is used to paint these inserts? i got a driver side and a passenger side from different people on here and one looks like it has textured argent silver, and the other looks like it has non-textured argent silver. Sooo which argent silver is it really?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Extra: Some behind the scenes work. Still early in the process. the White driver side is primered. the grey passenger side is unprimered and unprocessed. Need to do some further polishing before i apply the argent silver paint. Unfortunately given these are ~494mm(~19.5inches) in length, it makes it too big to fit on most 3d printers, and the few printers i found that could do it, are both very expensive and open enclosure which would be an issue in my case using ASA(need it to handle being under direct sunlight and heat). At some point maybe I can outsource it to a company like pcbway to do it, but the cost to do it there is a good deal more expensive($195 from pcbway vs $21 for my own cost including implicit and explicit costs just for printing it that is) with the only real difference being it would be a single printed object.

Driver Side Insert:
Screenshot 2026-01-23 095052.png
Screenshot 2025-12-19 185314.png
PXL_20260109_201959872.jpg

Passenger Side Insert:
Screenshot 2026-01-12 001646.png
PXL_20260123_064540425.jpg
PXL_20260123_135243721.jpg
 
That would be correct. The inserts were just silver.
Excellent! Yea a couple weeks ago i got mixed up thinking i needed textured so i picked up a can from classicindustries, only to hear that it was non-textured, and since both my grill inserts dont match with one being textured and the other not, i just had to be certain and ask on here
 
Excellent! Yea a couple weeks ago i got mixed up thinking i needed textured so i picked up a can from classicindustries, only to hear that it was non-textured, and since both my grill inserts dont match with one being textured and the other not, i just had to be certain and ask on here
My original 71 R/T grill inserts also were not textured.
 
Here is a start.
Something I have seen

Grille

Barracuda - A paint that you can get over the counter that looks very close to original argent paint for these argent grilles is "Plasti-Kote PL-285 cast finish." This is different from the dark argent you get from most places. Please do understand that the barracuda grilles should be medium argent looking NOT light argent. Dave Wise describes in his manual (Finer Points of Mopar E Body) in 1970 the grille was medium argent and in 1971 it was a neutral argent with some being painted body color (71 'Cuda only). 71 'Cuda painted grilles were available in FJ6, GY3, FC7, GW3, EV2, GB5, GF7, GK6 and FE5. These grilles were standard on 'Cuda through build date 8/8/70. After this date the color keyed grilles were optional. 1971 Barracuda's did not have color keyed grilles. 1972-74 Barracuda center of headlight rings are painted flat black. The inside right/ left of the grille paint black and the outer perimeter is painted in reddish flat paint. The grille should be panted in argent silver. 1970-71 Challenger Non R/T and T/A grills are painted argent. The egg crate center is natural egg crate color not cast or black on all 1970 Challenger models. 1970-71 Challenger R/T and T/A outside portion of the grills are black. 1972-74 Challenger grilles headlight ring center section are chrome plated. The inside of the grille should be painted black for the rally model and argent for the base model. The outside edge should be painted argent silver. The lower grills were available in argent silver only but have been found in natural grey/silver.





Paint used for 71 R/T grill and taillight panel



View attachment 123470 View attachment 123471
 
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