Grille was moulded in black plastic, zero black paint on the one I had.
Thanks for letting me know!
The first molded black plastic grilles showed up in the Gran Coupe. The valance insert was also molded in black plastic, I've only seen them on AAR's and they were not painted. The face on original AAR grilles were painted with organisol, yes, it does have mini flake in it. Also, I have never seen any NOS AAR grilles molded in black plastic, the ones I've ever seen were all grey grilles painted black. MOPAR ran out of black plastic grilles during production and started painting grey grilles black sometime before the last run of AAR's were completed.
So somewhere there is a black argent paint formula. Straight black with some reflective flake in it.
And I would assume the front valance you have seen also had the same black argent paint on it.
Do you have any idea what the earliest production of the gran coupe with the black grill that you have seen was?
Way back when (early 90's) i restored an original Pink AAR including the grille...
As Mike Stated "the face on the original AAR grilles were painted" with orgasmosol....
However there is no flake in the mix. there is a silver toner, one OF 3 components in the OE Organosol formula (Black, Silver, and Suede). When you stir the toner there is a heavy fine powder that settles out of it, but it is not a flake of any measurable size (without a high power microscope.).
The way the paint lays out (when mixed and sprayed according to OE Lacquer instructions/industry practice), appears with a silver cast to it, that can be called Metallica black in "description".
Some pics... digging out some of the last remaining OE Toners i have... and one of a NOS Black Headlight bezel. It's hard to see but there is a fine overspray on it with a texture... and 3 samples of OE Organosol all mixed with NOS toners.. 2 PPG, one Dupont.
