Hey guys. I searched for some tips on trying to get my 32 insert to fit my 32 shell. Brookville shell and I believe Vintique insert. I found lots of complaints about this problem, but no fixes? I am kinda stumped where to begin. Insert is clearly a bit tall, width and curves seem good. What the hell should I do here? First thought is a little heat and hammer along the bottom inside edge of shell? I tried to slightly bend top and bottom of the insert edge, but no go. Any clues as to where i should start? Appreciate any advice, Greg
After reading about others having this exact same problem, when the time came for me to buy mine I just bought a Brookville with the insert installed at their factory. Saved a lot of frustration. Not a solution for you but maybe it will save someone else before they get to this point. SPark
@LM14....Yep, that's about what I keep reading about the problem. I bought the shell a couple years ago as a return (now I know why) and the insert last month, as I was building on a budget over time.
Aftermarket can be and is a pain as you've discovered. Save yourself now and exchange that insert. You may screw up that grill shell to the point of having to repurchasing one. That would be mean time lost, laboring for no reason, money lost. All of that does not equal what ever money you think your saving at the moment.
Nothing is returnable, I guess I could just resale and take my medicine. I guess I should add, not building a show car, but don't want to look like a hack either! Thanks.
I had the grill and shell with same problems. I sold them and ordered an assembled grill from Brookville. One less thing to struggle with. John
I have had better luck with the Vintique shell over Brookville. I still have some of the old Dales Oklahoma City inserts left.
I went through the same drill on mine. I did a bunch of hammer and dolly work around the whole thing to see if I could "loosen" up the fit and was moderately successful. If it were me I would try putting a port a power unit inside the frame. Brace it top and bottom and side to side then put some pressure to it to see if it will stretch end to end a little and give a 1/16" or so, BUT, do it very slowly. You will need to be real careful as moving the ends further apart might pull the sides in. It will take some feel to work it properly. Or cut it in half width wise. Put the insert in place and clamp everything together. See how much gap you will need to make up. It may be small enough that you can just weld it back together, or section in a small piece.
When I built my '32 I wanted to use a Dan Fink insert. I purchased a Brookville shell and the insert wasn't close. Sent it back and they sent another shell. Same thing, to make it fit I would need lot's of work, so I sent that one back. I tried the Dan Fink insert in a friends original grill shell and it fit like Henry made it. I bit the bullet and purchased an original grill shell and the Fink insert fit perfectly. Reproduction stuff is sketchy as it is and trying to mate two different parts from two different vendors is tough.
It's been a few years, but I purchased a Vintique shell and a Vintique insert, both from CW Moss, and was quite pleased with how they went together.
Those are the accurate reproduction inserts that fit an original shell perfect . Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Assuming you mean a OKC Dales Mfg. insert and they are for sale, I can't believe someone hasn't snatched them up, considering the prior discussions here. To the OP, you won't find a better fitting or higher quality insert short of finding an NOS Henry version......like that could actually happen!
I thought I saw an announcement in a recent Rodders Journal that United Pacific is making the insert. Found the issue: It's the Rodders Journal # 80 page 158
How the hell can the reproduction shell be so expensive yet be inferior to the mass produced Henry Ford bargain conscious original?
A few weeks ago I did a little straightening on a surprisingly nice original shell of my brother's. It needed the top filled and a couple little dings removed, but it was very nice overall. And then we tried to put an original grille insert (from another car) into it and it didn't fit. I ended up making small slices on the backside of the insert's peak, both top and bottom, so the grille peak could be pinched tighter to match the shell. Just goes to show that even the original Ford stuff doesn't always fit together.
So maybe the parts were selective fit at the factory? Or maybe as one set of dies wore, they altered the other dies or jigs to make the other part to suit?
I must learn to cut and paste this as it seems to come up every month. The original cars were built in 30 odd factories, before the days of computers. So there are variations of all sorts, including the grille shell and inserts. I have currently 3 different original ones, and two are quite a different shape and even 3/4 inch difference in height. The insert off one won’t fit the other. To make it worse, we actually cut the top off one and joined it to the top of another (a 4th surround) and now no insert, original or repo will fit, - I will have to make a complete new insert. Whether buying original or repo you need to buy them together or be prepared to make modifications, - or a new insert.
Dan Fink grills are not all the same / interchangeable. They make them to fit a number of different grill shells. If you start with the insert you'd need to identify which shell it was made for. And then there's custom made to fit ones! Chris
Dan Fink grills are not all the same / interchangeable. They make them to fit a number of different grill shells. If you start with the insert you'd need to identify which shell it was made for. And then there's custom made to fit ones! Chris
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