Alright, please give me all the info you've got about steel and aluminum grills, which year trucks had which type, or if they were special orders, or what. I'm looking into a few nice grills at local junkyards around here, and just wondered about this. Thanks.
Every year has a unique grille.
Custom Cabs got the aluminum shiny ones. Standard cabs got the painted steel.
The only chrome ones were in 1961, AFAIK.
They are all physically interchangeable.
The bright grilles were possibly optional on the standard trucks.
Alright, thanks a lot. I really got the information I needed - Custom Cab = aluminum, Standard Cab = painted steel
My next question is: If I can acquire a nice and straight steel grill, how could I get that dull shiny aluminum or chrome look? Getting it chromed is not an option; it is extremely expensive. I generally don't really like the look of a painted grill that matches the body color. I like 'em silverish and shiny!
I just got a 66 grill at the portland swap meet for $20 and spent the week polishing it with the liquid brasso and it looks as good as new. As long as they are not to badly beat up they can be polished.
I have been tinkering with the idea of replacing my front grille and bumper. Mine is as nice as it was the day Edsel Ford watched from his office as it rolled off the assembly line. (I just made that part up, but it's as good as new.)
I'd consider selling it if I could find a new aluminum one.
I have been tinkering with the idea of replacing my front grille and bumper. Mine is as nice as it was the day Edsel Ford watched from his office as it rolled off the assembly line. (I just made that part up, but it's as good as new.)
I'd consider selling it if I could find a new aluminum one.
Dan
Hey Dan, I think you got the perfect grill and bumper Your truck looks good. You could always chrome what you have or take your time looking for what you want and chroming later. Finding a NOS grill is tuff but not impossible, It's all about "Patience" Enjoy what you have for now and keep your eyes open.
I've got a chrome grill and bumper on my truck for the look I have, it works.
While the painted set you have works for your truck. Don't get rid of anything until your completely comfortable with the change.
just my $.02
__________________
Staying low for now
64 lowered longbed
Robert
Have you consider powercoating? They can do a "chromelike" look, that's what I did on my dash plate. Pics in gallery (actually not a very good one). I can take a better pic tomorrow if you want to see it.
I have been tinkering with the idea of replacing my front grille and bumper. Mine is as nice as it was the day Edsel Ford watched from his office as it rolled off the assembly line. (I just made that part up, but it's as good as new.)Dan
Edsel Ford died in 1943, Henry Ford died in 1947.
Ford Corporate HQ is in downtown Detroit, miles north of the assembly plant ("The Rouge") in Dearborn.
Mebbe "The Deuce" (Henry Ford II) watched vehicles roll off the assembly line, but he'd need to stand on the roof of Ford Corporate with the most powerful binoculars known to man to do so.
__________________ Bill / Retired Ford Parts Manager ~ 1962/1997.
Part Number Research: Trucks: 1928/2002 / Cars: 1928/2003.
1965 F100 Styleside Pickup / 390 w/Borg Warner T-85N 3 Speed Overdrive / Original owner.
Finding a NOS grill is tuff but not impossible, It's all about "Patience" Enjoy what you have for now and keep your eyes open.
Tuff ain't the word for it, cuz Ford stopped supplying 1965 grilles, painted or anodized, in September 1965.
Ford replaced the 1965 grilles with the 1966 grilles for use as service part replacements when the 1966 trucks were introduced.
It took me 10 years (from 1981 thru 1991) to find a new anodized 1965 grille = C5TZ-8200-B, and where was it?
At a funeral homes service garage in Arkansas!
A friend was attending a close out auction there, and that's how I got it...he knew I was lookin' for one.
It's still in its original box, stored in the attic.
My '65 has a '66 anodized grill (C6TZ-8200-B) in it. It's correct, as per FoMoCo, and I don't wanna risk that '65 grille, they're dang near impossible to find.
__________________ Bill / Retired Ford Parts Manager ~ 1962/1997.
Part Number Research: Trucks: 1928/2002 / Cars: 1928/2003.
1965 F100 Styleside Pickup / 390 w/Borg Warner T-85N 3 Speed Overdrive / Original owner.
To get the shiny, like-new look you need to strip the old tarnished anodizing off. There are products to do that, or you can use EZ-Off oven cleaner. However, for a piece the size of a grille I'd suggest the 'product'. You'll have to build yourself some sort of vat to dunk the thing in to soak. You let it cook in the vat for a short time (no more than 15 min IIRC) and then pull it out and hose it off.
Now you can spend the next week or two of evenings polishing it.
You can have it re-anodized ($$$), clear coat it (have not seen one yet that worked on) or just leave it naked and keep after it.
You can buy polishing kits online or from Eastwood. I've had good success doing some parts with a wheel on my bench grinder. The grille is really hard...haven't done mine yet, but you'll need something between a drill and a Dremel tool to do it. The effort is worth it though.
I know it has already been stated that not everyone likes a painted grille, but for those who like it and have an aluminum grille that needs repair or is badly dented. They can be repaired and painted or even polished. Mine was in pretty bad shape. I repaired the dents using a pick hammer and dolly and then sanded the area's with sand paper starting with a coarse grit working down to a very fine grit. Then I sanded the whole thing with 220 grit sand paper and primed it with etching primer. If you are ready to paint it within 24 hours you will not have to sand the primer. You can go right to basecoat and clear coat. You can see the results in my gallery. This may not be anyone's prescribed method, but it has worked nicely and I like the results. This is for those who may read this thread and be interested in doing this. It is also fairly enexpensive for those who are on a budget.
I know it has already been stated that not everyone likes a painted grille, but for those who like it and have an aluminum grille that needs repair or is badly dented. They can be repaired and painted or even polished. Mine was in pretty bad shape. I repaired the dents using a pick hammer and dolly and then sanded the area's with sand paper starting with a coarse grit working down to a very fine grit. Then I sanded the whole thing with 220 grit sand paper and primed it with etching primer. If you are ready to paint it within 24 hours you will not have to sand the primer. You can go right to basecoat and clearcoat. You can see the results in my gallery. This may not be anyone's prescribed method, but it has worked nicely and I like the results. This is for those who may read this thread and be interested in doing this. It is also fairly enexpensive for those who are on a budget. Bill T.
Be very careful with the wax you use on clear coat paint.
If it has silicone in it, you can kiss your clear coat goodbye after a coupla applications.
Silicone based waxes will strip the clear coat right off.
__________________ Bill / Retired Ford Parts Manager ~ 1962/1997.
Part Number Research: Trucks: 1928/2002 / Cars: 1928/2003.
1965 F100 Styleside Pickup / 390 w/Borg Warner T-85N 3 Speed Overdrive / Original owner.
for the look I have, it works.
