Time to show and tell...And ask.

Here's my 52 Ford F1 pick up sitting on a Chevy S-10 frame with a 327 Chevy engine. As you can see, I dumped the toothy grille and recessed the bug eye headlights. Here's the big question. Anybody got any ideas for a grille??? I looked into the 2 1/2" round kitchen cabinet knobs, but only Home Depot carries the 1 3/4" @ $2.50 each. I'll need about 70 of them and that's $175 plus the mounting. It's supposed to be a rat rod not a Rolls Royce. I can't even find chrome or black mesh. I don't want skulls. My friends are doing skulls and I don't want to copy them.

I would just make a floating bar between the headlights out of a bumper from a early to late 60's era car. With maybe a thinner bar fashioned from rod or tubing above and below that, running horrozontally across the grill. Do you have a junk yard near you can scavenge. You might be able to get some grill parts off of other cars and make something that looks custom for cheap. For instance the grill in the truck below is out of a 64 Olds. I think something like that would look pretty good.

I've also always liked tube grilles, like Foxcraft and others used to sell. Some simple round stainless tubing would make one really quick.

Don

I agree, I like tube grilles in pickups.

You could buy lengths of ¾” dia. aluminum tubing, cut to fit opening (could easily bend a small arch if not a flat opening), plug ends with plastic caps. Bend up a couple 'z' shaped brackets. Screw (or weld) one end of the 'z' to each tube, a couple of mounting holes in the other end of 'z's to mount to your opening (access through space in tubes).
You could even cover over the headlights if they are recessed enough.
Just a thought, hope it makes sense.

Jeff

how about one single sheet of aluminum with louvers in it. you could use large rivets spaced an inch apart for securing and looks.

that Merc pickup is AWESOME, I wouldnt mind doing that to the 64 Ford I built for Daisy but she bought a 61 Ford pu grill for it. I think a floating bar between headlights on your 52 Ford would be cool, like take a 55 Plymouth grill and gut it to fit between your headlight buckets would be saweet, or if you sunk the headlights that much ya might be able to use like aluminum tubing from something cut in 1/2 to make them fit flush and do about 3 of them, hope that helps a lil

Jim

Good ideas guys,

Everthing I think of hinges around black mesh as a background. But I can't find black mesh. My original idea was to cut this shape out of aluminum, paint it, and mount it between the headlights.

Depends on just where you are lookin for mesh..Double ply screen could cover the entire area and give it that "Phantom" look.

Just an idea I have been playing with on mine...

Lakota said:

Good ideas guys,

Everthing I think of hinges around black mesh as a background. But I can't find black mesh. My original idea was to cut this shape out of aluminum, paint it, and mount it between the headlights.

Click to expand...

You ought to look around in your area for a larger company that has a waterjet or laser cutter, if your wanting to go that route. They can take a scaled drawing and bring it to AutoCad or any other type program and make those pieces for you.
Cost shouldn't be much. If it is, they are socking it to you. Very simple process.

Tracy

what is the distance between your headlights ?

also I think the screen you are looking for is called expanded metal , you can find it on ebay and probably your local trailer store that sells parts for lawn trailers

how about angle iron? or is it called angle steel? i don't know but basically you could use the pieces of steel about an inch across and whatever length you need. Weld it up similar to a tube grill but use untreated steel and let it rust. The rust plus the hard angles will make it look mean. Which i think is the look your going for. right?

You might find something here that sparks your interest:
http://www.mcnichols.com/

Jeff

That's what I was looking for. Thanks Chop.

joehalford01 said:

how about angle iron? or is it called angle steel? i don't know but basically you could use the pieces of steel about an inch across and whatever length you need. Weld it up similar to a tube grill but use untreated steel and let it rust. The rust plus the hard angles will make it look mean. Which i think is the look your going for. right?

Click to expand...

that is an interesting idea. could look really cool and menacing.

yeah, on second thought, it might be too square for lakotas truck, but it would look cool on something.