Hello HAMB, one of you fine gents might be able to help me out today. As it happens, I am in the process of installing a 49' mercury grille surround into my 49 ford. I will be posting pictures of the progress when there is something to report. This is my favorite 49-51 ford modification and I have searched but can only find posts with the finished product. I know threads like "shoebox club" and "Shoebox grille ideas" have some pictures of the finished cars but not in the detail I am looking for. Post your pictures please. close up pictures or in progress will help more than anything. Hopeful that this thread will help out other hambers down the road doing the same thing.
I found a beat up grille surround on the HAMB bought it and started cutting. This is the grille of the 49 prior to removal, it's not in bad shape but it wasn't what I wanted on my car. It's a waste with the prices of these surrounds how much you have to cut off, at first I wasn't sure how much to take, I ended up cutting 3'1/2 inches off the bottom and then narrowed it maybe an inch or so. I had to cut mine into pieces to hammer the metal back into shape. If I was a real fabricator I'd make these and sell them all day long to happy shoeboxers. Now tacked in I will be able to use a stud welder and slide hammer to get more imperfections out of the surround bar. The hood is not attached in these pictures only on for alignement. I will be rounding the corners as well. The bottoms of the surround are going to be next, I'll have to make a templet for the transition to the splash shield.
SlamCouver, thanks for showing us what you're doing, and please keep it up. I'm doing this same treatment on my shoebox--though I'm probably not going to spring for a grill surround--and seeing how it comes together is just invaluable. Can't wait to see how you integrate it into the front splash apron. FYI, check out Rikster's website (google Rik Hoving and Fotki) because I think it just might have more close-up pix of the front of Lee Pratt's '49 Ford. Might help.
No pro, but this is what I've come up with so far. still need to brace the hood and corners. refrenching the headlights are in a couple days but thats a different story.
If you can come up with a grille cavity from a 1949-50 Canadian Meteor, it will bolt right it and give you the same look...
heres a pic of my 50 with my mocked up meteor grille in the stock ford opening slightly different from what the op asked for but along the same lines
the last shoebox (the grey prime one with the fins) in the first set of pictures is my car...Mine is not a merc grill shell, its a meteor shell. However i think merc shells look so much better..I am looking for a 2nd merc grill shell so i can take my meteor shell out and and do a double merc grill shell.
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