I just bought a 49, and the grill is pretty nice. It looks like stainless, and should polish up nice. Others that I have seen look like chrome, and rusty. So, what's the deal, are some stainless? Some chrome? Differences in years, 50, 51? Educate me. Thanks, Rich
First and best advice you'll get -- ShoeboxFord.com -- join up (free) and ask away to a bunch of old guys around the stove in a garage that have almost as many opinions as rhey do advice. But they'll answer all your questions about the car "that saved Ford".
I believe that all shoebox grille parts were chrome plated steel (my '50 parts are, for sure), and were "Korean chrome". That is, they were produced during the Korean was with limitations on vital materials (copper, probably), and the quality of plating was below the norm for production cars of the era. If you are fortunate enough to have original plated parts in good shape, lucky you; don't use any harsh abrasives on them. There's an old thread on here somewhere that shows the detail differences between the three years -- it's illustrated and helpful, and worth digging a little to find. The parts are a bit deceptive, in that they look similar ('49-50, particularly) but are not the same. It is possible to mix and match parts from the three years, but some adaptation may be necessary. An example of what I'm talking about: the center spinner, barrel, and horizontal bars look the same on '49 and '50, but the '49 parts are deeper. I guess they figured out that reflections hid the back half of those parts anyways, so they just cut 'em off. If you replaced your left horizontal bar with one from a '50, they would be different depths and would look odd. Good luck!
There were some '49 left & right mustaches that were stainless. Not very desireable due to the fact they are very thin and will dent very easily. I have a pair on my Shoebox presently and have been hunting for a pair of steel ones.
the 49 ford meteor(canadian built ford) grille was stainless.It was actually a cut down 49 merc grille,which also were stainless for 49 only.
My 49 has a chrome plated steel grill. Or has a plated grill I should say. Mine was dingy and scuffed and the local plater wanted over a 1000 bucks to replate so I took it to a polisher and had him take off all the plating down to bare steel. He then polished the steel and I hustled all the pieces over to the powdercoater and had him spray it in clear Cerrakote. (it's a gun finish he recommended.) it looks good and cost me about 400 bucks.
I've got a '49. Grillework all plated except the horizontal trim behind bumper. That's stainless. Interesting, my '50 Meteor parts car has the Merc-style grille in two halves with the diecast center;anyway,one half is chromed steel. The other is stainless. Maybe two different vendors. Probably the difference between '49 & '50.
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