1949 Ford Grill ideas, your opinion please

[gold03]

I am going to use the front section of my 49 Ford truck hood to form the top section of my grill. The bars in the existing grill will be used to make the bars in the rendered grill.

I wanted to keep some of the features of the original grill to carry over the Ford theme.I did two quick drawings and would like your opinion on them. I am leaning toward the vertical bars because the other seems to look like a tractor grill. No that I have a problem with tractor grills.

 

[von-zipper]

I like the first one, it looks more wicked! [cl

Zipper

 

[GJunktionMike]

you talking to me

#2 someting about a tractor grill Both drawing almost look like my hood standing on end[S

 

[rainman]

I like the first! I noticed the first has five bars, the second has four.
If you're making the bars, I would add a couple!! JMHO!

 

[Snake Farm]

The first one does have a toothy wicked look but I like the second one best. However I would shorten up the bars and mount them floating....

....I think that would help it to look less tractor'ish too.

Incorporating a couple turn signals might me cool too

Love the idea of using the hood for the grille shell [cl[cl

[P[P[P

 

[Willowbilly3]

Great idea. I like them both, even if they do look a little tractorish. Nothing wrong with certain tractor grilles either, just that I grew up with all those old tractors and that's all I think of when I see one.

 

[gold03]

Snake Farm,

Your idea of "floating" the bars is what I envisioned, but your rendering them a little shorter makes it look even better.

The line in the centre of the bars. I had thought about cutting a wedge section out to bend the bars back in order to make a slight v in the centre to match the centre of the grill.

I think if they were floated a little more, and v'd a little in the middle it would look best. I could also push them forward a little then too. I have the original chrome to go over them. The paint scheme is planned to go flat black with the original chrome highlights.

I like the idea of the signal lights. I had thought about incorporating the original signals into the top bar. The lights as rendered by you could be running lights or signals.

The horizontal bars certainly follows Henry's original concept a little closer.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

 

[52 fordman]

grill and hood

Its a 48 or 49 grill and 51 maybe hood. Had a second grill that i cut the head light mounts out of and welded to the back side of the front one to make it thicker then took an old ford truck hub cap and welded it to the back side to cover the head light buckets, and the last one is just one i saw a while back.

 

[Ricks Garage]

Yea, float the bars, add T/S lights at the top and shorten it.......

 

[Snake Farm]

Yea, float the bars, add T/S lights at the top and shorten it.......

Yeah, that would be a cool place for the turn signals too [cl[cl

 

[rainman]

It's just like a shirt with stripes! Horizontal looks wider, vertical looks narrower! I still prefer vertical myself!! Do like the T/S ideas though!!

 

[LUCKY DEVIL 13]

The 1st one reminds me of Hannibal Lector's mask in Silence of the Lambs

 

[jammersspeed]

here is one i did a few years ago...

 

[38fordtruck]

how about this

 

[goose-em]

Couple of things related to general desing for anything, not specific to grills. (from and old architecture major before switching to engineering).

You should whenever possible use uneven numbers of things, i.e. 5 grill bars will look better than 4.

If you go with horizontal bars you should also add vertical elements.

Here is a shot of my grill while it was under construction. I don't have a recent finished shot but you get the idea.

Horizontal bars if you count them number 5 upper and 5 lower broken up by a larger horizontal element. Total is 11 so odd number. Center has some vertical aspects that help create eye movement. and the GMC logo is the focal point.

All design elements have been addressed. Focal point, a way to draw your eye, vertical and horizontal elements and odd numbers.

Adding the turn signals could be your focal point but they need to be cool. To get away from the tractor look add a center vertical bar, either 1 or 3.

To get the 5 horizontal bars make them smaller and finer.

Just a thought

 

[goose-em]

A quck sketch for you with all the elements. Pencil pinstripe design is free today only, that is your focal point.

The bars in the upper part tie everything together.

 

[the reverend muddy grimes]

Dude, Im all about the second one. The tooth look just didnt do it for me

 

[sam the barber]

The first one does have a toothy wicked look but I like the second one best. However I would shorten up the bars and mount them floating....

....I think that would help it to look less tractor'ish too.

Incorporating a couple turn signals might me cool too

Love the idea of using the hood for the grille shell [cl[cl

[P[P[P

I like the first one without the signals best

 

[gold03]

Goosem,

I like the ideas you give. Easy to incorporate into the grill. I've actually started thinking about finding a stripe artist for after the flat black paint goes on.

The top holes are going to have the original chrome slashes across the centre. I just didn't think to sketch them in.

 

[goose-em]

The chrome bars in the upper part will look good.

Thanks