Technical Tube grill build

Good day to all. Thanks for all the help with the tail lights for my 55 Ford. Ended up using the fiberglass 55-56 Mercury station wagon from night prowlers. A really nice product for sure.
OK were in the process of building a tube grill for the 55. Ive got the stainless 5/8 inch tubes ordered.
My question here is hoping someone see this that actually has a grill in a 55. I was thinking that the bend angle in the middle was the same as the angle of the front of the hood. The more i look I think the grill will be less of an angle (more flat) than the hood.
If someone has one can we get a measurement of that center angle.??

Thanks all. John

 

Tail lights look good, John. It's been 35 years since I have owned a 55 ford, so I can't help with the grill. I like tri five fords as well as I like tri 5 chevys. You have a nice color combination there.

 

Don't take this the wrong way but, screw the original angle. I say start with 1st couple at the hood angle and decrease from there when you get to the bottom. I hope it makes sense. If the hood's say (pullin a number outta thin air) 22deg, then do the 1st one that way. Then do the last one so it compliments the pan and bumper, then those in the middle (3, 4?) decrease the angle going down, or increase it going up. Just sayin...

 

Yep, thats my take..

 

Good idea with the tapered grill,would be much better than flat stock all the way down.

 

That's the way it should be, just a tad different than the rest. Excellent idea!

 

I can't help with measurements, but I did find a few pictures of '55-'56 Fords with tube grilles in them--courtesy of Rik Hoving's Custom Car Archive. Hope this helps you out..........E

 

The one thing I don't like about 55/56 tube grills is the that the bumper and gravel pan shape no longer matches the rest of the front end. If I had the skill to fabricate a tube grill for a 55, I would mimic the angle of the original grill and retain the turn signal buckets. Use a larger diameter tube on the top and bottom (3/4" maybe) and fill in-between with 1/2" or 5/8" and retain the concave shape of the original.
Maybe I will commission one when I hit the lottery.

 

Thanks to all. Looks like probably start with the angle of the original grill.

Thanks John

 

Sorry for the slow come back. Both pictures are excellent. Having the ends bent, was my idea. I ordered two of the tubes one foot longer to see if its possible to bend them. I'm using 5/8 tube with .035 wall thickness. The steel company i got them from said should bend easy. Ive also got a 5/8 tube bender. Stainless tubes come next week so we will give it a try. Also Like the second picture, if the bending doesn't work well then the cut off ends will also work. thanks very much.

 

Sorry for slow come back but been working on the brackets to hold the tubes. I do like your way of thinking. I kind of work that way also. Beat to fit, paint to match. I really like the taper up idea. So when the tubes come next week, i'll start with the bottom and go up. I'll keep everyone posted and will have pictures.
thanks to all. this is really a great site, for sure. Picture is of the brackets. The middle two, go close to the middle. The top two slots are 1/8 further apart. The two outside brackets will go out 6-10 inches from the ends. Got to see where the turn signals fall, that will be behind the grill. Turn signals are semi truck trailer lights.. 3 1/2 inches in diameter. There LED and have park/brake light sections. there 1 3/4 thick, and there flat.

 

I made mine from a clothing rack that was being throw out from a local business that was closing.

 

+1 on this. It's hard to fault the stock '55 grille, but if I were to go down the tube grille road on my Mainline, this'd be my preference. I don't like the way most tube grilles don't follow the bumper contours.