hey gary

great build and i'm doing much the same as you, trying to save $$$ and still build a nice driver. i, too, can't get caught up in overthinking my 54. K.I.S.S....i have to kepp telling myself that and i can breathe a lot easier.

back to it...q

 

Hello all;

Just bought the 1955 F-350 pictured. Just finished building the shop for it and now the fun begins. Not sure of the condition of the engine. Apparently it has not ran in over 12 years and is suppose to have 67,000 original miles on it.

Thunder3000

 

It looks like a really nice one Thunder, you should start a new thread with it and post some pics on photobucket and supply a link. This is Gary's (project55) build thread, so many won't see your post.

 

I have 2 grills, one is pretty nice but the other is trashed. So, after sipping a frosty one (maybe 2) I began sketching something to put between the headlight buckets of the trashed grill.



So, in a moment of stupid, I bolted the old grill to a 2x12 and cut the original grill bars out.



Then, with a little math and a good calculator I laid out the new grill bar locations.



Then it was time to cut all the new pieces that will (hopefully) make my new grill.



The initial stackup had all the basic dimentions that I was looking for and I began likeing it a lot.



I boxed the sides to force air into the radiator and trimmed the grill forward to allow for an A/C condenser.



Now it was time to start cutting the buckets at a 5 degree angle to match the grill slats.



After a bunch of trimming and fitting the final grill profile takes shape.



The new profile still extends the same amount as the original but the new grill doesn't end in a peak, it has a small flat center area.



I inset the original V8 emblem into the grill because I think it's the only good looking part of the original grill and I think it's cool.



When you get down low you can look back through the grill, but when standing, the 5 degree slat angle blocks your view of the radiator, etc.



A closer shot of the V8 emblem which is inset 1/4 inch into the grill bars.



But, I am not ready to weld it all up yet, I still have to mount two dual intensity LED's per side between the grill bars which will be my parking/turn lights (yellow posty notes on top) and inset my driving lights below that.

 

Wow. I'm making my list.

1. Stock up on frosty.

2. Invite Gary over.

3. Let him get stupid.

You sir are an artist. Looking good!

 

LOL,,,hey buddy, I offered you a frosty the last time you stopped by,,,we coulda got real stupid and invented something wild together.

 

One word - WOW!

Inspirational (ok, two words).

Keep up the progress and thanks for sharing.

 

True, and if it wasn't for the fact I'd been away for a week and my wife wanted me home I might have done just that. So I'll regard this as an invitation!

 

Thanks dmack, I even surprised myself at how this turned out so far.

And James, your invited to stop by any time your in town, no frosty's required. hehe

 

It is extremely hard to improve over a stock F100 grille but I think you have succeeded, congratulations!

 

Grill has a very aggressive musclecar attitude. Anxious to see it installed. You are a craftsman, and inpire me to go tidy up my garage.

 

Now go for the gold and chrome it!

 

The V8 emblem and the headlight rings will be the only chrome up front.
Originally I thought I'd paint it gloss black, but I am rethinking that because it might be too much black with the headlight mount panels, radiator, etc all black.

Maybe antique white,,,who knows at this stage.

 

The trend now is to paint with a semi-gloss or "suede" finish. It would look good in black suede on a gloss painted truck. Paint the panels behind it flat black.

 

Thanks AX, I'll break out my colors and see how that looks, it sounds better than anything I have thought of up to now