Who makes the best 'glas Deuce Grill Shells?

After my paint/body man stopped saying "nice" things about the '32 grill shell we took off my A and I stopped laughing, we've decided to purchase a new fiberglass shell and modify it for our needs.

So, please, if you have experience, who makes the best fiberglass '32 Ford shells for a reasonable price? And, by reasonable, we mean quality for a price. I don't need to buy a "name" and I don't plan to save a few bucks by buying crap. Thanks.

 

Why glass? Why not re-pop steel?

 

exactly, STEEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Check out http://www.streetrodfab.com. He's in Florida. A buddy of mine bought a couple T buckets from him and said he did good work. The price is right too at $135.

 

Not steel, because when I asked the man painting my car which one,he said fiberglass would be easier for him to modify. I am okay with either, it's a steel bodied car,but the rear fenders are 'glas.

So, please, I know the arguments for steel vs fiberglass,be happy to discuss it elsewhere, but my question on this thread is where to buy a fiberglass shell. Not trying to start a fight. Thank you.

 

IF I were doing this ...

I would go ahead and buy a STEEL one. They repro them now that LOOK a lot more like the real original ones.



See the holes in the bottom of the shell ??
The original ones look similar. Fiberglass ones do not.

The ones like I posted are on that famous auction site for 200/210 dollars.
A friend of mine bought one and it is pretty decent. He has it on his Model A ...

 

Thanks, Chemin, for being able to read.

 

No problem. I've got one coming in March, I'll let you know how it is.

 

If your bond and determined to use a glass shell I would think Westcott probably makes the best one,,I know the make a quality glass body. HRP

 

I'd add a bodyman to the list of things I needed.... if it were my car.

JH

 

Wescott makes a damn nice one ,

 

Thanks for your input. It's not.

 

i'm nobody,but ive been building cars longer than i havent,,would make me think,when someone said they would RATHER work with fiberglass,than steel! ????

 

I've seen a Corvette guy do amazing stuff with glass,,even bringing back a burnt car and you would never be able to point out the damage,,,some of these guys can work glass better than they can steel. HRP

 

Ah. Well,as I bought it, this car had a trans cooler mounted in front of an A/c cooler mounted in front of the radiator. To clear all that, a previous builder had, rather badly, fabricated a radiator shell out of what looks like two Deuce shells-grafting the back half of one onto a full shell-horribly tacking them together and then using fiberglass at the bottom to form the lower lip, and, probably, a lot of filler to make the outside look smooth. Actually, from the outside it doesn't look too bad, just very wide.

In re-doing the car, I'd decide to remove the A/C, and hence don't need the the a/c cooler. I'll mount the trans cooler to the radiator (yes, thank you , I know there are heat sink coolers available). So now, I am pretty sure the original grill shell will cover both, but,we're not sure the grill shell will clear the R&P steering unit (yes, thank you, I know that's not quite traditional) and sit back far enough to match with the hood.

Since we may be cutting and pasting, fiberglass was suggested as easiest to form fit. If I was certain it would fit without major cutting, I'd buy the steel.

FWIW, the suggested Wescott's shell is about the same price-'glas or steel. Always willing to learn--

 

Man sometimes it is hard to get help here. The man wanted a fiberglass shell we should assume he has a reason. When it comes to a repop whats the difference steel or glass.

 

Many have been done with R&P that still cleared the grille shell. Are you going to have to modify an insert for this too? Seems like a properly mounted R&P would allow a stock shell & insert to be mounted without problem.

Do you have any pics? I'm curious as to what all this looks like now.

JH

 

I have many years in body work and chassis fabrication. I don't buy for a minute that a glass shell would be easier to work with than a steel original.

It seems like your body man is afraid of hammer, dolly, cutting and welding. I seriously doubt that all that would be needed, or you still have a poorly constructed situation that probably warrants further correction. But hey, it's your car, not mine.

I have a nice glass shell from speedway that I'll sell you for $130, plus shipping. All of my professional experience tells me you need to back away from what your body man says and assess what's really going on with the car. Stacked coolers, fabbed shells, rack n pinion steering, it all sounds like a stack of band-aids and the bottom one is getting icky.

Move the trans cooler under the car, ditch the R&P for a vega box and put a stock shell on the radiator. I know, I know, someone poorly mounted the body, too, so a stock shell would be higher than the cowl (you did look at that, right?) so now you have to channel the grill shell or just chop it altogether. Where does it end? (that's a rhetorical question. You have a lot of experience staring you in the face and you are going out of your way to ignore it)

 

Well said! I'm waiting for a "if it ain't a gennie Henry" comment next.

 

I'll bite. The HAMB is centric around traditional means and parts. There is some tolerance in deviation from those two central elements, but not a lot. The thing that keeps the HAMB successful in this regard is the voices of those that discourage any that stray or come in thinking it about ratrods or streetrods or pro touring.

Plain and simple, the difference is that he made an inquiry about using an unpopular material. If he didn't expect that, he hasn't been around the HAMB long or he hasn't been paying attention. If he did expect the backlash and asked anyway, well... there's no grounds to complain.

I don't give a rat's ass if it's Henry steel or repop, glass has no advantage here. Not in workability, not in weight, durability, cost, nothing. If anything, steel has the advantage of greater desireability as evidenced by the replies here.

This community is here to share and assist, not be complicit in degeneration.

 

IF ... you look at the post times ... I was typing my response while you were posting.

If you want fiberglass ... by all means you should get fiberglass.

But I would then try to put the holes in the bottom so it does not look so REPRO

 

Scottybaccus, I wonder why you would have a [nice]fiberglass shell for sale? I would think you would want to throw the despicable thing away.

 

To answer the question the best fiberglass 32 grill shell I have seen is a N&N out of Arkansas. My buddy just bought a roller and its has the best I have ever seen as to solid and all lines match up. Its currently I my shop for wireing and motor trans so from my view point its a nice one.

 

Here ya go:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1932...tZVintageQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories

Your welcome.

 

X2 on the N&N
Dawyne's parts are great.

 

I do not know why you people did not think of this. Buy a steel and a glass shell. Cut them both so you can mold them together. Like on the left side use the steel part and on the right side use the glass part. Make the top all glass and the bottom all steel. This will allow you to show off your body mans work and comment that the design was done by a committee. Do not paint the finished product so you can have a conversation piece.

I like getting up early in the morning and being able to provide a simple solution to a real complex problem.

I wish you would have used the saying " THANK YOU IN ADVANCE". Now I will have to come back to this post to receive my thank you. Just kidding!

 

Last August we were in Mena Ak at Mt. willhamena (sp?) Show and decided to go to the N&N factory which was about 100 miles away. Great people and excellent shop. My buddy got caught up in the conversation and made a deal for a 32 roller. While there I inspected several stages of assy cars and I couldnt believe the quality and steel braces used in the construction. Every line is dead on and you could hang on the doors and no sag. I have viisited other FG car makers and by far this is my choice if I was in the market.

 

LOL, just selling for a friend that had sense enough to switch to a steel unit.

 

Fiberglass seems less popular today than it was in the '60's....
How ironic that the HAMB "followers" are not up on their history....

Roth needs shunned for not modifying steel grill shells for his own creations....haha....

 

i am happy you have some options on the best 32 grill. perhaps you could start a new thread to help u find a better body man.