Hey everyone im alittle new here so bare with me but i would like to build a custom tube grill for my '62 Chrysler and was wondering if anyone here has made a tube grill before if so i would love to see what you did i have an idea but wouldn't mind getting other opinions. I planed on using stainless tube stock . I figured i could polish that out. open to suggestions looking forward to hearing input. This is gona be for my first car and its a daily.
I have built more the one. If you don't own a tig welding setup the absolute easiest way if to build your supports with little tabs on them then use a sheet matal screw to attach each tube. if you are going to weld it be sure that you polish each tube prior to welding, it is next to impossible to get in between the tubes to polish them once that are welded in place.
I did this years ago, stainless steel rod...1/4" dia., gas welded it. I was young, had a mentor, so it went quite well. Mentor was the one that taught me to oxy-acet weld. We made some wooden jigs, heat-bent some stainless strap for a perimeter, formed the rods to line up before welding, and another wood form to keep the horizontal rods parallel all the way down. This was to fit in a '32 Ford shell. In your case, not needing a perimeter, (tubes will most likely 'float') you can use some cheap EMT (electrical conduit, 1/2") and form them, until you have a 'model' that fits well. When satisfied, cut your stainless tubes, fabricate 1/8" X 1" flat stainless strap brackets to fit behind and hold/mount the bars. Attach the top and bottoms of straps to the inner cavity perimeter. By the way: Pull over when the Intro Police hit you with the heat lamps...Show your hands, and introduce yourself...
Mopar? Helped make this back in the early 80's. Copper pipe, steel supports, brazed together and then chromed.
I put a '61 Saratoga insert in my stock '62 surround for a tube grille effect. I like the idea of building one, but this one has the same look and bolted right into place. It'd be something to consider if you can find one. I think Windsor also had this grille, but some of the '61's had vertical bars as well as the horizontal bars and I think these were prettier.
It's cool that you want to use a tube grill. They used to be a popular custom touch before, from lowriders, customs, to hot rods. I remember seeing ready made ones in the J.C.Whitney catalog or buying a model kit and one of the custom accessories would be a tube grill.
I've also have built several before, built one and it seemed everyone wanted one for awhile after that. Main thing is jigging so all the bars stay consistent, get one off and it all goes to hell! I usually take a couple 1x4 wood cut to the width of the opening, clamp together and mark, drill holes the tube size down the center spaced how you want. After they are drilled saw them in half right thru the holes and you have 4 pieces with half circles. Space them apart and screw them to scrape plywood or something and you have a quick, simple jig to hold the tubes while you weld.
FWIW, all 60-62 Chrysler grilles are interchangeable. '61-'62 are upside down compared to '60 but the shape is otherwise the same and the bolt holes in all the same places. So you could put a '60 grille in it for a custom effect, just take the center piece out and flip it around. That would make for some fun watching people try to figure it out.
Metalman gave some good advice in post 7 not that some of the other posts weren't good too. The tube grill in my 71 GMC ( Chevy nose) came in a box disassembled and we put it together on the work bench pretty much as P&B said he did with sheet metal screws. It was originally chrome square tubing that is now satin black after I sanded off the rust and painted it. No woopins for showing the ot truck holding it up. This just shows that it doesn't take a lot to make something different that almost looks like it belongs there which is the whole idea of customizing.
With my Dodge, IIRC, we took a piece of 1/8 thick, 1 1/2 or 2" wide stock, carefully spaced centerpunched the "centers", drilled the same size hole, as the tubing we used, and then cut it in half. Spaced the tubes correctly, and made supports all in one shot.
I remembered this thread from a past tech week. I was thinking of doing a tube grill myself at the time. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=801795
I just wanted a less crowded look. I made U channels out of aluminum sheet. I copied the stanchions from originals the best I could. The U channel is attached to the stanchions with a gob of Shoe Goo. Construction adhesive would also work. I didn't get the spacing as accurate as I'd like but I just look at it as the prototype for a better one. I didn't want to cut up anything original, such as the headlight doors so design was a bit of a challenge.
That sounds like a how to article in an early 60's custom magazine. There were some of them in the magazines long before I had a car that a tube grill would work in.
http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l289/56dodge/P1010336.jpg Here is a shot of my grill I used a clothing rack from a department store that was going out of business cut V notches in the middle for the bend the square tubing looks like an aftermarket grill in my opinion
One other thought for the op. Years ago I wanted a tube grill for my 58 ford, bought a pre made aftermarket tube grill made for a late 70's Chevy truck (78/9 Ford trucks would of worked well too), it wasn't a lot of money. Trimmed the ends of the tube to fit my 58 and done. Your Chrysler grill might be narrow enough to do the same, of course it's not the 80's no more so I don't know if they still sell cheap truck grills anymore!
glory grille jw enterprises lake elsonor ca. 562 602 1523 use to av. in rod&custom been makeing grilles for 30 years any size tubes blinkers behind if you like.
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