whats the best repo 32 grille shell for a orig. 32 grille as for fit??? just picked one up and need to get a shell anyone know??? steel of course
I have been reading many articles / posts about this very thing. Seems like it goes back and fourth between Brookville and Vintique. It seems like more folks lean to the vintique a little more.
I think Dan Fink also makes one. Whichever you choose, they all seem to be good quality units. Good luck with it ! Jonnie www.legends.thewwbc.net
Lately I've had the best luck with the Vintique unfilled shell and the Dales insert. Sometimes the top of the shell has the radiator hole off a little to the right but on the last 2 package cars I built I filled the shell anyway. I like it because they have the authentic holes in the bottom of the shell. You'd be hard pressed to tell it from a gennie if it's done right when on the car.
I agree with Krylon, the stock unfilled style Vintique shell is problematic as he described. The radiator filler hole is not centered and becomes very obvious if you want to run a cap. Buy the filled shell from Vintique and check the fitment of your grill, some fit well others don't.
I personally like gearhead enterprises for shell ,Inserts are horrible .But an original fits well and hole is not off center,But it was 2 years ago when I was buying and selling shells ,On a small scale..
Odd,I bought a Vintique several years ago that didn't have the original style hole in the bottom of the shell. HRP
Currently the unfilled Vintique shells have the original style 3 hole bottom while the filled Vintique shells are plain at the bottom.
i have to agree...i liked gearhead enterprises as well...of course the filled style. it fits good, solid quality steel and half the price of most other ones.
Used brookville shell and Dales insert. The insert was very tight going in. I'm not sure if the shell is too small or the insert is too big
The only shell that will fit an original Henry Ford insert is just that, an original shell, and even that is up for grabs. Remember we are dealing with 80 year old technology, they weren't all made the same. The Brookville shell is straighter across the top of the opening with a slight "dip" at the center. With an original insert installed, you will have about an 1/8"-3/32" gap at the center. The Vintique open top (original style with rad. cap) shell, to me, has too much taper/draft going towards the radiator, it gets smaller the farther in the insert goes. But it has more of a stock style "dip" in the center top of the shell opening. I haven't made any inserts for the Vintique filled top shell, so I don't know how they fit.
Sort of HA HA - http://www.vintiqueinc.com/ you'll see I have used a few of theirs with great luck, but then they are just down the street from me.
Thanks...i guess I ran onto that myself but I wondered if it was an abandoned site and they had another one that worked.
I think as Vintique are a wholesaler they are not too concerned with a website at this point. Their retailers do the talking for them. I've just been signed as a dealer with them and looking forward to trying one of the grilles myself on my A to promote to potential punters. I'm also thinking of scanning their catalog minus the dealer pricing of course and putting it on my website to help rodders choose their needs easily.
Vintique is the only way to ride.... Just got my new shell in today I ordered from C.W Moss ... Looks great and the insert fits the shell very nicely.
No matter what shell you buy ,Pretty much you have to fit the insert,I had the best fit with gearhead and an original ford insert.I sold that Shell to Pat Pryor minus insert.But I did show him how well it fit without gaps, I had a Brookville Needed minor relief cuts and filler ,Still a crap shoot.............Except for the combo I encountered.
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