Lone Star Mopars

What: 1969 Dodge Charger Reproduction Grill
Vendor: Classic Industries
Price: $969.99 plus freight (Classic Industries Routinely Runs 20% Off, or 15% Off with Free Freight (Not Sure This Would Qualify)
Transit Time: 3 Days via FedEx

Unboxing and Initial Impressions


Video Index:
RH Section: 6:45
LH Section with Comparison to Stock Headlight Door: 15:07
Center Section: 26:00
Final Thoughts: 31:35

Helpful Links
Product Direct Link:
-Direct Link to the product page at Classic Industries

DodgeCharger.com Thread Link:
-You can find more reviews, pictures, and information on this tread.

A Little Background on the 1969 Dodge Charger Grill Quest

Outside of the great folks at DodgeCharger.com, this product has somehow managed to stay under the radar.

I have personally pushed for this to be repopped since getting a Charger some 15 years ago, and even shot OER an email about it in 2013. Did this have any impact? Who knows. But the point is, you've got to try. The vast majority (at least the vocal vast majority) swore this part would never come to fruition. The demand wasn't there, people wouldn't pay, quality would be subpar, and the tooling cost alone would keep even the most well to-do Charger fanatic from taking the plunge. That never stopped me from at least trying. I like to think other people are doing the same, remaining optimistic and moving forward with all sorts of product requests.

Well, as it turns out the naysayers were wrong and the still shocking presence of this repopped grill in the shop is a concrete reminder of that.

I actually sent pictures of the product page, then order, and finally today the box to friends, often half-joking that hell had frozen over.

I have done business with Classic Industries since they got into the Mopar segment a few years ago, and prefer them over other options because of their frequent sales, quicker shipping, and the fact they are not Year One. I know some of you love Year One, but I have had bad experiences and do what I can to avoid having more.

I've actually received quite a few Classic catalogs this year and this part was never featured, or teased.

Years ago we had the 71 'Cuda grill and everyone said the people behind it got burned big time. Yet, the last few years I've seen a couple of A-Body grills and late 60 B-Body grills surface.

Some of you will remember a company that claimed to repop Charger grills based in the Houston area...They were basically scammers and it took way to long to relay that message to the magazines who they paid to advertise in...Countless people lost cash to these crooks and I'm sure a lot of people were taken, but don't want to admit it.

That left a sour taste in everyone's mouth...

I heard rumors of fiberglass grills that were sold in the late 80s and 90s, but have no more knowledge than having heard of them being an option...

Then we had a guy in Sweden, who I believe was working in conjunction with the plant that did injection molding for Volvo and he cranked out a few grills...or at least the center sections if I remember. I never found anyone that had one and could showcase it, or give first hand feedback on them...Most were sold thru ebay after the proprietors health took a hit. I still consider him a bit of a pioneer, and perhaps deserving of credit for encouraging another vendor to fully pursue this.

Classic Industries MB143505 Surfaces on DodgeCharger.com

WhiteAndRed69 posted up on October 25th, 2014 about the grill being available. Around this time my home PC had the Powelik virus and I was out of the loop. One day at work (Thursday, November 6th to be exact) I was solo in the office and had some downtime at break...I surfed over to DC.com and stumbled on that thread...I was ecstatic! Apparently the price was lower and jumped to the $969, but I missed that.

Those who complained and backed out of their order after the "error" actually had the original price honored by Classic...very classy move on their part.

I had finally gotten the computer cleaned up the night before and started another scan upon getting in from work. That night (turned out to be early AM Friday), I turned in my order. Luckily, there was still the 20% off in effect.

In my past experience, any time there is a part I want, and it coincides with a sale, it goes out of stock...I then have to stalk the stock of that part, and hope it magically lines up with a promotion of some sort. I DID NOT want that to happen with the grill.

I was also a bit paranoid that this could be a trial run, the tooling could get shot, they might make another batch in 3 months etc, that I went ahead and had no qualms pulling the trigger, even though the price is steep and funds are a bit tight. This is something I have dreamed of happening, I can make due.

Then there was then the painstaking wait and a bit of a scare as to missing out on the grill...Apparently an employee had pulled my grill, and then left (assuming shift, or break etc). When the next person came in to fill the order, they noted there were no grills and I went from elation to totally bottoming out in the span of a 2 line e-mail.

I contacted Customer Service and much to my delight it turned out the grill was found, in a bin, below the stock point and they checked it for damage and got it sent out to me on Tuesday, the 11th. They also expedited the shipping.

So, today at work, a big box from Classic showed up...I loaded it up in the truck after work, headed home, endured the frigid shop, and unboxed it.

Overall, I am very happy! I can't do an install without the brackets (sold separately for $69.99), but I do have them on order. Actually, they don't exit yet, but are apparently in production, so I should be getting in on Round 1 of those as well.

I might need new "I" Trim for the grill as well. I have had a Grill Installation Kit for YEARS and I guess I'll see how it pans out for attaching to the metal frame. So ironic you could get the header panel and an installation kit all this time, but couldn't get a grill until 3 weeks ago.

Nonetheless, I have a lot going for the Charger and the introduction of the grill came at a great time as I planned to have it out for some other upgrades and modification...In fact, I was actually going to try and patch a few cracks while it was out...

Final Verdict from the Initial Impression and Unboxing

The grill comes packed quite well. I would still prefer a stand alone box for each component, but it is packed well enough to avoid damage.

The initial quality seems great. I can't speak to final fitment, but I would think it should be very nice.

Lastly, the only real downside that will require attention is the overspray. On one hand it is great they applied the silver accents, but on the other the overspray into "black" areas kind of sucks. If they were shipped all black, you would have to finish them out, but you could also do a better job taping and masking...I suppose it is a catch 2-2. Some will probably install them as is and could care less. Others will feel that a $1,000 grill should have been held to higher standards.

While it is unfortunate about the overspray, I can't be too upset. We FINALLY have access to a BRAND NEW GRILLS!!

Final Thoughts on My End

My biggest issue now is whether to keep the stock appearance of this grill, or black it out...Most won't have to deal with that dilemna, lol.

The grill does cost a lot, but it is a bit more complext than other grills (which are often just center sections and headlight trim rings). Overall, I am satisfied with the purchase, would make it again if I had a 2nd Charger, would fully recommend this to friends and fellow Charger owners, and can't wait to install it! If the free time and opportunity arises I will gladly mock this thing up to get a feel for how it will look!

Thanks again to Classic Industries for bringing this to the market and those who worked and pushed for just that to happen, despite all the naysayers.

If you need any help installing your grill, debating restoring your current grill or going with a repop, or simply want more reviews of this product, I encourage you to visit and sign up on DodgeCharger.com.

Pictures:

Complete Grill by Component:


Rough, Long View (No Headlight Doors):


RH Section with Headlight Door Mocked Up:


LH Section with Headlight Door Mocked Up:


Center Section: