I bought some brand new headlight bezels and radiator molding. What total garbage!

[MisterB]

I usually buy or restore original factory parts, wherever possible. I decided to break my rule and just order some new parts from Brothers. The inner grille is fine, because it's just plastic anyway, but the headlight bezels and upper/lower radiator molding are junk! Made in Taiwan cheap and thin plastic. The original parts are nice heavy metal. I just didn't feel like shining it up and painting it, but I will now! I can't imagine putting this garbage on my truck. It'd probably be toast in less than a year. Buyer beware

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[Big Chip]

I’m not sure anyone makes the metal headlight bezels anymore but someone else may know more about it than me.

 

[Joe T]

I plan to send a lot of stuff out for restoration.

 

[MisterB]

There. A little elbow grease and fresh paint, and she's good to go

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[78C10BigTen]

Lookin good

 

[eskimomann209]

Went through the same thing. Someone cut out my old metal bezels to fit square headlights into it. I hated it. First thing I did was order all new round eye parts. Every part was junk. Ran through my pick a part and found some nice replacements. One had a little hole in it ( looks over polished/sanded) but I like it. Adds some character and you gotta be close to see it. They’re so much better. Them plastic ones need to be forced around to get the holes to line up and the “chrome “ doesn’t last 6 months before it flakes.

 

[MisterB]

Went through the same thing. Someone cut out my old metal bezels to fit square headlights into it. I hated it. First thing I did was order all new round eye parts. Every part was junk. Ran through my pick a part and found some nice replacements. One had a little hole in it ( looks over polished/sanded) but I like it. Adds some character and you gotta be close to see it. They’re so much better. Them plastic ones need to be forced around to get the holes to line up and the “chrome “ doesn’t last 6 months before it flakes.

Makes me wonder if someone took a truck like this to Count's Customs in Vegas, and spent 60K for a frame up restoration, if it would be fitted with that plastic crap. Probably. It'd look fine while they're standing out front for the reveal, but then after a year of driving it, things head south

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[Scott91370]

Looks like the elbow grease was the way to go! They're sharp.

I ordered some bezels for my Cherokee from Rock Auto and it was he same plastic stuff that didn't fit. I didn't mind it was plastic (for that vehicle) but how hard is it to mold them the right way?

 

[MisterB]

Definitely. And to make matters worse, I boxed up the stuff to return it and went to the post office. They wanted $120 to ship it, and that was their cheapest option. UPS wanted almost $80. Once you figure in the shipping I already paid to get the stuff here, return shipping, and then a 20% restocking fee, I would be losing money if I returned this stuff! I'm just going to definitely make some garage wall art with it. I have pretty much everything to make an entire front clip to hang on the wall.

So, again. Buyer beware. That stuff is junk.

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[MikeB]

So did you ended up using your OE parts? Everything in the picture looks like new.

FWIW, I have found Taiwanese parts to be MUCH better quality than Chinese. At least that's the case with their stamped steel stuff, like bumper brackets and hood hinges. Some of the trustworthy vendors sell silver hood hinges made in Taiwan that are absolutely first rate. Same is true of window regulators. Some are good, some are junk.

The honest vendors know which parts not to sell to avoid returns and posts like yours. One of the 67-72 truck vendors I used to buy from told me he didn't even stock window regulators for a while, because none of them were any good, and too many were returned by unhappy customers.

 

[MisterB]

So did you ended up using your OE parts? Everything in the picture looks like new.

FWIW, I have found Taiwanese parts to be MUCH better quality than Chinese. At least that's the case with their stamped steel stuff, like bumper brackets and hood hinges. Some of the trustworthy vendors sell silver hood hinges made in Taiwan that are absolutely first rate. Same is true of window regulators. Some are good, some are junk.

The honest vendors know which parts not to sell to avoid returns and posts like yours. One of the 67-72 truck vendors I used to buy from told me he didn't even stock window regulators for a while, because none of them were any good, and too many were returned by unhappy customers.

I used the original factory parts. I shined them up and repainted the inner black surrounds. The inner grille is billet, and of course aftermarket, but it's actually better quality than the original plastic the truck came with

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[MisterB]

Got started on my garage wall art, which is all this junk is good for. I made a 2x4 mount, and then screwed the plastic inner grille to it and made some holes in the bezels to run screws through to the mount. I used some plastic cement puddy to attach the upper and lower moldings.

Next I need to paint the wood black so it's less visible, get some turn signal lenses and fab up some headlights I'll probably have them be some sort of rope LED inside the glass that lights them up. Lastly, I'll need to find an emblem for the middle of the grille. Then I'm done

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[My78truck]

I used the original factory parts. I shined them up and repainted the inner black surrounds. The inner grille is billet, and of course aftermarket, but it's actually better quality than the original plastic the truck came with

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Hey Mister B. The bezels look GREAT!!!! Can you please tell me what your procedure/steps were to prep and paint the black inner bezel next to headlights. What type of paint did you use. Did you use any primer? I have some that I need to freshen up the Argent Grey color and want to do it right so it doesn't flake off. Also, did you have any pock areas and how did you handle/fix those.

Thanks

 

[R Carnella]

I'll never buy anything from brothers again, had the worst customer service experience ever. They sent me the completely wrong bumper then blamed me for there mistake. Cost me over 100 bucks to send it back and waisted literally hours of time on hold of there ****** ass phone systems....god I'm getting pissed off right now just thinking about it...grrrr

 

[Grit dog]

I'll never buy anything from brothers again, had the worst customer service experience ever. They sent me the completely wrong bumper then blamed me for there mistake. Cost me over 100 bucks to send it back and waisted literally hours of time on hold of there ****** ass phone systems....god I'm getting pissed off right now just thinking about it...grrrr

Similar experience with The Truck Shop. Not that I wouldn’t use them again, but in the current Amazon world we live in, the resto parts places are a different story.
Agree, though, I confirmed all part #s in person (by phone) before ordering because 1 part picture looked wrong. After being assured they were right, I got a few (small) parts that were wrong. And if I’d returned them, shipping and restocking would have cost about what I paid.
Frustrating but seems to be “normal” in this industry.
Whaddaya gonna do? Amazon don’t have a left side gas filler hose for a squarebody so you do what you need to.