TECh tip request....Grill openings on a kustom

[KIRK!]

I'm on the fence about the grill on my '47 Ford. I'm not in love with the stock truck looking horizontal set-up but it could be simplified and made to look pretty good. I have a '52 Buick grille that wants to just plop in place. It's the right size and shape for the location. I was just wondering if anyone else has seen one of these run in a '46-''48 Ford and what the grille opening looked like. I'd like to put what little knowledge I retained from the sea of tips at Winfield's into action. Plus maybe there's a shortcut somebody knows. As in another opening that makes a good starting point. Thanks!

[Roothawg]

A 47 Olds looks right but they are higher than a cat's back.......

[abe lugo]

48 cadillac is what's supposed to go in there

[Roothawg]

Yeah that is a good one too. Also like hens teeth.

[DrJ]

If I had a 41-48 Ford or Merc I'd retro the front end back to a shaved '41 Mercury front end. Damn beautiful car without all the chrome on it.

I think the Buick waterfall would fit but look way heavy in the smaller Ford.
It looks too massive on the Buick!
The '52 grill surround is probabaly too wide, visually and actually.

[yorgatron]

i think almost anything other than the stock grille would look better,i've always hated those '46-'48s.you want unique dig up a '42 grille,they're kinda ugly too,but nobody else will have one http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[cleatus]

How about taking a straight-on photo of the Ford, and then prop up the Buick grill and take a shot of that from same angle and same distance away (so we have the scale right) and posting them here for the Photoshoppers to play with.

It would give you an idea anyway. Maybe it would look good, maybe it would be too massive.

Maybe it could be made to look less massive by covering up a portion of it, like a molded lower pan over a % of the bottom of the teeth or sectioning out a bit in the middle.

Doesn't hurt to play around with it.

[KIRK!]

Thanks guys. The Olds and Caddie grills were options I considered but their price and availability are a bummer. The heavyness of the Buick grill is exactly why I'm hesitant. I will definitely be using photoshop before I cut anything. If I can get pics soon I'll post 'em.

[cleatus]

Maybe Denise would swap you for her Olds grill. That Buick grill would look righteous in her soon-to-be custom.

[KIRK!]

[ QUOTE ]
Maybe Denise would swap you for her Olds grill. That Buick grill would look righteous in her soon-to-be custom.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hell yeah!

[Roothawg]

I would leave the stock grill before I stuck an old ugly Buick grill in it. Wrong car for that grill.

[Missing Link]

You may not need to cut too much apart on that ford if you just use the buick teeth. I am experimenting with buick grille teeth in my 46 and I think the tricky part will be mounting brackets and getting them set correctly. Regardless, it will either be the buick grille teeth or I am going to bend a tube grille out of 1/4" stainless tubing. I am not sure what year buick the grille toofasiz came from, but I am certain they are from two different years...early fifties, late forties.

[abe lugo]

There is a HAMBER in Texas that had a whole 48 caddy front clip for 350 last year, did ask if it was with grill or not.

[Farmer]

Kirk, Slazzen and I have been out to a fellows house in the Tracy rural area who has his dads old salvage and nos parts collection that goes back to the 20's. I know that he has several grills of Buick make and some others that would fit right in there if I'm not mistaken. I don't have the guys #
anymore but Slazz might. If he is in a good mood, you will be able to pick up on of them grills for next to nothing. For example...i bought 3 model A grill shells for $5 bucks each and a 38 Ford truck grill for $5 bucks also.

[shoebox72]

IMHO, I think a 41 Ford nose looks killer on them. There's a 41-48 Ford in the Barris books that has a 46 Chevy grille in it and it looks suprisingly good.

Billy

[slazzen]

the guy john is talking about may have the caddy and the olds grill also

[KIRK!]

I'd love to go check it out!

[JimC]

Thid car looks about right, don't you think?

[Farmer]

I'm down. John, we should maybe cruise out there again sometime and take Kirk with us. I wonder if that guy is cool
now? Them knucklehead guys I know in Tracy said they've been
out there a few times since the dickhead dude showed up and
stirred the hornets nest. I think it's okay to go back out there again maybe. If we go we should bring some good $$$$ and get all that we want cause it may be a last trip kind of
thing....I wanna get a dash or two and maybe a couple grills
some more hubcaps, steering column, and some guides or other
lamps, some carbs and maybe a couple of shift knobs. I will bring a couple hundred and see what that'll get me.
maybe towards the end of Jan. I will want to go....I won't have any extra cash till then.

[4t64rd]

[ QUOTE ]
i think almost anything other than the stock grille would look better,i've always hated those '46-'48s.you want unique dig up a '42 grille,they're kinda ugly too,but nobody else will have one http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I have a 42 SS grill surround and a crusty center bar that I'll probably never use. it would need some tweaking to fit the 46-48 hood. Interested?

[Donzie]

Here's a rough idea with the '52 Buick grille and panned bumper.

[KIRK!]

JimC: That is cool.

4t6: I'll have to pass but thanks.

Donzie: That doesn't look too bad, eh? I'll be running bumpers but that gives me a good idea of the look. Thanks.

[Roothawg]

It looks like it's smiling to me.

[RPW]

Dual bars from Kaiser grilles makes the car looks low and wide, but all depends on what kind of car you builds. Rod & Custom? The Moon tank in the grille along with tunneled headlights? To modern, looks "ZZ-topish"...

The Buick grille would not be my choice on any other car than a Buick. Cant see why some of the "modern" guys goes lookning for that, if a custom had a Buick grille in the 50´s it was probably a custom not built in California...
And if I had a Buick I might have turned over to a Cad grille (talking late 40´s early 50´s Buicks...) because the waterfall grilles are to heavy, even on the Buick.

Merry Christmas!

[daign]

Youd have to do away with a lot of the grill surround trim to pull it off after playing with it for a bit. But its definitely a nice look id say.

-Dane

[wideglide74]

Not a 46-48 furd but none the less an inspiration.

[KIRK!]

DAMN!!!!! That peaked opening is SWEET!!!! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

[DrJ]

This here's a shaved '41 Merc
http://autohobbypage.com/cgi-bin/_image.pl?/show/00/kkoa/kkoa306.jpg