My Grille is done - Gorgeous! Updated pics

After nearly 4 months of work, measuring, and working with the folks at Butch's Cool Stuff it is finally done.

My thanks also go out to the Photoshop folks here for putting the initial idea in a format that I could actually look at it and work towards what I was thinking -

So here's my 53 with the new grille -

 

looks good! job well done

 

Very Cool!

 

Looks good, almost as if it was born there. It would be tempting to black out any red showing from behind the grill to help define it a bit but looks great as it is.

 

That's my next job - to black out behind it - so it looks more like it is floating - - Thanks for the nice compliments -

 

simple, clean,good job

 

Maybe use some black construction paper to see what it would look like from a distance.

Cool grill, well done.

 

I like it. Its unique.

 

Since it doesn't look like there is any line of separation, I'd be tempted to paint the whole gravel shield right out to the bumper Black. Either shiny or satin. Ford painted the shields Silver on some year models ('57±?) regardless of body color anyway so it should work painted Black too.
Are you going to lower that custom next?

 

Ditch the gravel shield and tuck a smaller or sectioned bumper.

 

I've already lowered the front. And it's almost too low - the rear is coming up. I've got a Ford 9" rear end going under it and will drop the rear as I'm rebuilding the springs and shackles at the same time - -

 

This is New Years Day - so you can see the lowering on the front -

 

Now, that's what I call custom!
Fine craftsmanship!

Fill us in on construction details?

 

It started with my post several months ago in the Parts Wanted section here. I was looking for a tube grille and had not found one - then Butch's cool Stuff posted that they were in the process of building some of these old grilles and to check their website out. They were hoping to have the horizontal grilles done by December of last year.

Then I got an e-mail from them asking me if I would be interested in helping them develop something different. And the idea of a vertical grille was formed.

I built a homemade jig here and mailed it out to them as a base to figure out the measurements for the mounting brackets. It was a rougher than a cob jig made of an old bed frame but it worked to get us started.

Then the comparison of older Buick vertical grilles, Chevy grilles, and how were we going to do it. I've got to tell you that Terry and Sandy of Butch's really took a large leap of faith that I would be able to help them. I'm in Idaho and they are in Ohio. So through e-mails and phone calls we measured, remeasured, and finally came up with the basic idea.

My neighbor has a wood shop and we used his NC machine to build a grille out of wood. That's the first pic here. Not very handsome but it pushed us even further. Then I asked the photoshop section if they could put the Buick style grille in the Ford so I could see what it was going to look like.

So for the next several months we began to build the jig, the tubes, and lengths, how it was going to mount ( we used all the stock holes so there was no drilling), and finally the prototype was done. That's pic #2

And finally they sent the grille out to me and I received it yesterday. There was still some minor fitting to do but basically it set in there like it was made for it -

 

I really like it! Well done!

 

Great looking and well thought out. I think once you get it blacked out behind it, it will look even better.

Great job!

 

Looks great, man!

 

Nice job man!

 

Went to the rod run over in Boise today - lots of OOHs and AHs - so now tomorrow I'm pulling the grille out, painting the black inside the grille opening, and then setting it in for keeps.

Man I feel like I just gave birth - - -

Now all I have to do is rechrome a few things, french the headlights and radio antenna, and make some changes to the chrome strips on the side!

Then the rear of the car gets worked over -

 

Looks great!

 

I dig it!!

 

Yes yes yes!!! It strangely unique. I like it a lot.

 

Now that is a grill. Fits the car well.

 

Looks great and X2 on blacking out the red.

 

Looks awesome!

 

That's a nice look, and a cool story of how it came to be! Looks like a great new product.

 

WOW!!! Looks excellent and shiny!!!

 

Sweet!!!

 

Have to say...i love it !!!! yeehaa !!! First thought i had when i saw the pic was "JAWS". Great detailed work,now if you have time ive got a---------------YG

 

Here's the new pics of it blacked out - I really need to pull the bumper and finish it - but this is good for today - -