I've been trying to come up with some ideas for the part between the fenders, and under the grill, and keeping it simple. Not having the pan or gravel guard does anyone have ideas on how to do this attaches to the fenders and grill...something like this?
Although it would require getting a second grill to cut up, how about just adding 2 more grill bars, with the bottom bar even with the bottom of the fenders.
I own a '48 Coupe and many days and nights have been spent trying to imagine all the changes possible to make it look better. If Henry Ford ever had a mechanical dog, I would bet good money it looked a lot like one of these cars. My first thoughts were to find the front fenders and hood off a '41. Then I realized that the best plan was to leave it just like I got it, as stock looking as ever. I know it's not the best of all worlds but nothing makes them look any better, and I mean poor souls who graft all kind of grills into the front, Plymouth, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile and who knows what? Instead of looking better they just look a little worse because they look just exactly like what they are , parts of other cars in the front of this homely Ford. But, listen, homely as they are, they don't look all that bad. Because, nothing looks worse than something that's trying to fake it. I know my opinion may not make custom guys like me any better but I've been around these cars since they came out and I've seen a lot of crappy changes done to them, and a few that were so-so, but when the door swings back to where it belongs, nothing really works any better than what God and those Gents who worked for Henry Ford came up with. Yeah, it's an opinion. You're welcome to your own.
I like stock parts but they aren't always the easiest to find and I don't really like the gravel guards. I came up with a simple two piece design but not knowing how it fits together in kind of guessing. Sent from my moto z4 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
How about taking another top piece of the grille, #8458, turning it upside down and moving it to the bottom? It's already got the right shape.
Put the bumpers and gravel pans back on and your car will look much better. No one did a 50's car with "no bumpers" it just looks bad.
the plan is to keep the bumper, that's why I included the bumper bracket cut-outs, but I don't have the sheet metal to go behind it.
Honestly then, it would probably be easier to fab the missing gravel pan than to fab a roll pan. Or just keep looking for an original gravel pan, they are out there and not an expensive piece. I think they look best with a bumper and gravel pan myself.
That had more to do with enforcement of bumper laws rather than any 'stylistic' reasons. That's one reason nerf bars showed up on some cars. But there were still a few 'outlaws' who ran sans bumpers....
I’ll take a photo of a front gravel pan for you after work or tomorrow. You can see how it attaches in the diagrams above. I don’t believe they are available aftermarket, there was a 3 piece that was for a while but I don’t like the looks of it. they are pretty hard to find, my rear pan I hammered out one that basically looked like bacon into usable shape. And one I bought an entire front clip just to get the pan. Where your car has the custom/ not factory stuff going on I’d attach it in a similar manor and just make one. Even if you had to buy a bead roller you’d be money ahead and have a toll to use again later.
The best solution to the bumper Jango is the one Fat Jack Robinson came up with for his Badass Orange Coupe; images of which are not supposed to be shown on the HAMB --- because it was not exactly 'traditional'. Anywho, what he did was trim the gravel guards (and they really are gravel guards because there were still gravel roads in the later Forties). What Fat Jack did was to trim the bumper irons so the bumpers were sucked right up to where they almost kissed the sheet metal. Another trick of his was to narrow them a tad, and eliminate the bumper bolts before replating. And if it's a down in the weeds scraper, like the coupe he built, it makes these old blimps look as good as they ever will. And, I still think they look best as minted. If you want to build a custom find a Merc and challenge yourself against the best, because Children, nothing on God's Green Earth looks any better than a Mercury Coupe of the forties vintage, or a forty nine, fifty or even fifty one, that has the loving hands of talent laid on it.
This is what I put together. Simple two piece design the bumper holes need some adjustments Sent from my moto z4 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I think its hard to improve on the front end styling of the 46-48 Fords. They look really good stock and have a clean look to them. Thats my old man's opinion. I would find the stock Ford parts for it. I have seen a lot of parts for them for sale here and on Fordbarn.
I made simple pans on my 39 Ford tub, you can do the same and attach them to the bumper brackets and front fenders and you'll be all set. They don't have to be a big project.
Added note, if you do t have bumper make sure when you buy them you also get the correct year irons and Haifa if your running them. Arch on the face of a 46 bumper is different than a 47-8 so the guards do not interchange. The holes in the bumpers for the bolts are also in different spots so you can bolt a 46 bumper onto 47 irons with out modification of one or the other just good info to have. I’ll take a photo of the pans When I get a chance
I really don't know why people buy these cars if they don't like or understand them. I have a number of them. They are no 40 Ford, but they look damn good. And they are what they are, not much to easily improve.
So took some photos And it’s a good time to remind ourselves how much Henry didn’t throw anything away! my 46 is an early car and my spare front clip must be late as it has a few 47/8 features that I noticed today. Maybe it’s an early 47 who knows. either way here’s some photos to help you decide how to proceed forward or make your own. you can see here that it’s bolted to the pan that goes from the bottom of the radiator to he grill and bolts flat to it. I think it’s possibly missing a lower pan that covers the bottom tank? however in this other clip it has a 90 deg bend, holes for irons and bolts together completely different it’s hanging on a wall nose up so pardon the shitty photos
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