Hi Guys
I'm thinking about changing my front grill set up to hideaways. I'm sure someone has done this but I'm curious if there is any complete kits available and how hard is it to change over and of course what kind of cost involved
any info appreciated

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classicindustries.com sell a complete conversion kit, for about $1,000.
It includes everything, grill, trim, headlight doors, mounting brackets, vacuum actuators, special headlight switch, etc.
RS fenders also have mounting brackets for boltingthe headlight assemblies to. Theywould be in the way of a standard grill. Those come in the kit too, and you need to either weld, screw, or rivet them on.
You can also piece the partstogether yourself instead of buying the kit. You can also make the doors operateusing an electric motor and totally forget about all the vacuum stuff, unless you're trying to make it "look" original. One of the electric conversions I have seen use the old Chrysler LeBaron headlight motor assemblies.
Do an online search, you'll find info on it.

 

I just finished putting the RS grille conversion on my car an hour ago. It's a VERY intense project. I used the complete kit that camaro central sells. I would use the term "complete" VERY loosely though. Expect many tris to Home Depot to get fasteners that DON'T come with the kit. Also, the fender mounts DON'T come with the kit (I jerry rigged a mount). And the only instructions yoou get is the assembly manual which is great for some things, but it's VERY confusing/incomplete when it comes to converting a non-RS car to an RS grille. The job took me about 4 hours yesterday and 8 hours today (and tomorrow I still need to install the headlight switch in the dash). There is also some cutting of the inner fender well area under the headlight that isn't mentioned anywhere. The RS cars apparently have a hole cut-out already for the actuator mechanism. Also, there's a lot of masaging and muscle involved in getting things to align correctly as far as the doors lining up with the grill when they are shut.

On a good note though, after it's all said and done, I LOVE the look and functionality. I've always wanted an RS grille on a 69 Camaro. My 69 I had in high school many years ago also was a standard grille.

Derrick

 

I'm stoked that this topic has come up cause I'm in the market for an RS kit for a 68 and just starting searching the internet yesterday.Derrick, do you think it might have made a difference if you purchased the kit from another company or is this the case where these kits are basically the same, made at the same factory but sold under different brandnames?

Mahalo,

Jose

 

I didn't see any other kits out there really. They all seemed to be the same thing. I think now I would have gone with the electric motors vice the vacuum system as I'm not trying to be stock. I do wish that someone would make some decent step-by-step instructions for the kit vice trying to make you make sense of the drawings in the assembly manual. That's the only real complaint I have. Once it's done though, I love the results.

Derrick