I was really liking the look of the billet/tube grills I see here on some of y'alls 73-77 trucks. I'd not seen that in the pre 78 grills before. Figured I'd get one, but I ain't dropping that much on a bunch of chinsey chrome or aluminum tubes...(I've paid less for whole running/driving trucks than what those grills cost!)

I just finished my first semester of a welding course... I own a welder(3 actually...).
Fabrication, here we go!

Decided to do steel, its stronger, and since I lost access to the TIG after class ended() aluminum was out anyway. So, I went shopping for materials. Decided to do it in flat bars instead of round or square tube, then while shopping had the idea to do some of it in angle iron/corners to make forward facing points.

Got to looking at the grill inserts, and if I cut out the entire inner square, I loose most of what the mounting posts are attached to... Figured they wouldn't want to stay together and stay on the truck after that, or I'd have to build all new brackets for the inserts. Not going there, too much work. I also didn't want to do a larger area and leave just the 'headlight door' ends of the inserts... Wanted to leave the outer insert frame to keep it a smaller grill area.

I ended up just cutting out the inside area of the inner squares. So I have some of the stock look left over, with the gap around the "billet" insert inside the center squares. Turned out to be a nice combo semi-stock/custom look I think. Tack welded the ends when positioning, then welded the backs solid and ground the tacks off he front for a clean look. The ends are angle iron (that had to have he angle tightened slightly-- None of the angles in the grill pieces match square with the front of the truck) bolted to the insert end ribs.

The pieces pointed forward gave a more aggressive look IMO, and catch/reflect light, a little flashier than all flats would have been.

Anyway, just a fun little project. Got a sweet look(I think), and some more practice on my wire feed welder.





I might get ambitious and do a big one for my '78... Maybe.

Gary.

 

I like it, atleast you know no one else has that grill!

 

I like that look! I'd be interested to see how a big 78 would look, if you do decide to take it on


-Jameson

 

Definitely a fan of the look. I'd rock it.