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I have to laugh to open this topic because it seems that I have had so much bad luck with several steps in this restoration.
I ordered a new grill through Summit. Came in a AMD box. Opened yesterday. Today when I tried to mount it, I found that one side, where it meets the passenger fender, was bent in a good inch. WTHeck? Right? My $700 grill! If I try to bend it straight and it kinks or dents, I'm screwed, right?
So now I'll call Summit and see what they say, since it was unopened in garage for ...maybe 2 or 3 months?
Here are some photos with the left side of grill aligned with fender.
Wow, just went on Summit site and I bought it in October, '24. Man! So I know the warranty is void. I guess I'm leery of trying to straighten it because right there is the bend for the dent groove. Any suggestions about how to straighten it? I'd love to hear.
Last edited by F-250 restorer; Mar 13, 2026 at 02:41 PM.
Damn, well that really sucks. I learned the hard way to open stuff immediately upon receipt. I had a couple of items that I bought on sale during our restoration but I just took the box off the porch and put them in the basement where they sat for a couple of years. Once I opened the box the part was either damaged or wrong. Stupid move on my part.
I would take that to a body shop and see what they can do. You'll have to spend time searching for the right one because no one wants to mess with classic stuff anymore. Pulling dents and straightening panels is a thing of the past.
Pics are so close up that it's hard to tell if is damage or if it was made wrong, and being chromed, is it aluminum or is it steel? If out of warranty, if it looks bad overall enough so that you're not gonna be happy, may as well see if can be made useable if damaged, but if was made wrong, gonna be a tough nut to come close to being useable. Knowing just some of all that has gone into the truck, it's a hard pill to swallow. Even if no one else ever notices it, you will. It sucks, I know.
Second look, looks like it was maybe in a flatbox and someone dropped the box on the end? If so, I'd be awful tempted to pull it back. It ain't gonna be perfect or show quality, but might pass for useable until another avenue opens up?
Last edited by tbear853; Mar 13, 2026 at 04:51 PM.
yea first off.. sorry man.. that sucks for sure. My hope is that it's actually bent, and not the wrong part. I say that because if it was the correct shape originally, it can be corrected. I honestly think I'd be calling around local or "close enough" shops to find where the old "hands" are. You want someone who's actually done repair (vs just slapping a new panel on). The places that have been around for 20+ years are where these guys hide. It's worth calling around and finding shops that have frame pulling, panel shaping tools. I've seen guys do this.. and it's an art.
If you've waited 2 years, another 3 or so months to find the right guy is worth it. I know there are some speed shops in LA that could help... find them!
Thanks guys. Right after I started the thread I went out and tweaked the you know what out of the grill with my hands and it looks good now.
I spoke to customer service at Summit about the grill. Even though I had had it for 17 months, they were ready to refund me 'part of the total cost.' I've always been treated fairly by Summit. They're like a favorite uncle.
I think your parts give you as much grief as my rear main gives me.
My truck had a brush guard on it when I bought it.
I took it off just a few days after buying the truck and the right grille insert was busted.
I have no idea if the insert was busted before or after the PO installed the brush guard.
I'm pretty sure the brush guard is why the grille remained in nice shape for all these years.
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It ain't gonna be perfect or show quality, but might pass for useable until another avenue opens up?
