I recently bought a '66 F100 project. It seems to be a custom cab...with single-color (blue) exterior. The grill is aluminum...and front bumper is painted. I've seen others w/ chrome grill and bumper. Was the aluminum an intermediary trim option (between painted and full-chrome)?

 

65 -66 grills were steel painted or aluminum . If you find a chrome grill on either year model,its a steel grill that been chrome at your local chrome shop.

 

Welcome!

To my knowledge, the 65 and 66 std cab came with the steel and painted grille and/or bumper, whereas, the custom cab, custom camper, and delux camper special, etc. included anodized alum. grille, chrome bumper and other options/features to the package. Considered having the aluminum grille chromed on 65 F100, but the plater did not feel it was a good idea. Felt because aluminum is such a soft material, blemishes from road debre, etc., would be more pronounced if chromed than with the anodized. Plater felt it best to chrome a steel grille. Suggest consult with local plater if should consider. Also, suggest selecting a quality plater if you want the finish last for any length of time. If run a search in this forum, 61-66, should find additional info, topic has come up on few occasions. Decided to go with 'do it myselfer' which basically consist of stripping the anodize coating from aluminum grille using an anodize stripper, or product simular, sandpaper, polish/buffing, then seal it.

dave

 

Chrome bumpers were an extra cost option even on the Custom Cab. Mine came with aluminum grille and painted steel bumpers. Not the only one I've seen that way, either.

 

Mine has a chrome bumper and Aluminum grill/headlamp covers

 

it depends on how good you want your truck to look. the chromed steel grill is far more lusterous than the polished aluminum imho but after spending the $500 to chrome a factory steel grill and numerous other very expensive upgrades on my 1966 shortbed i never drive it, it basically is a trailer queen now. i have alot of other trucks to drive and i don't have to worry about some ahole screwing with it either maliciously or through stupidity. the first time i drove my 1972 ranger xlt sb after restoring it, i was setting in the truck signing a birthday card for my son and some low life bit** who was in a hurry pulled up along side of it in the parking lot and jumped out and threw her door open and banged the new $700 wide woodgrain trim and put a huge dent in it. i went crazy and am very fortunate i didn't get taken to jail on that one. she did turn it into her insurance company and they did buy me a new piece of trim but i don't need that kind of stress in my life. i am not too sure if a person is not better off just fixing them up a little bit and not getting too **** about making them perfect and then you can enjoy driving them and a man doesn't get too upset when some loser damages it.

jim

 

My 65 has an odd combo which I know to be how it came originally...stell grille and chrome front bumper....Camper Special Deluxe....and has nearly all the options...Anyone know of a NOS parts loocater site on the web....


CS65

 

The chrome grille C6TZ-8200-B came with the custom cab package, the chrome bumper C4TZ-17757-D was optional. A chrome bumper with a painted grille C6TZ-8200-A is rare...and may have been special ordered that way...but I kinda think that the truck was damaged when new, and the dealer replaced the chrome with a painted grille.

Several resons why...the deluxe grille was on backorder, or the dealer had a painted grille in stock, and just put it on.

 

Bill, I gotta ask, Was the bright metal grill that you are refering to actually chrome or alum.? My understanding is they were all alum. anodized.

thanks

John

 

Sorry...I should have been clearer...the "chrome" grille was anodized aluminum. I believe the first year of anodized aluminum grilles was 1961 on F series pickups. The grille inserts went plastic in 1970.

Now what we're stuck with is chromed plastic...Saves weight...but the prices sure haven't dropped...

btw....Hold the chrome polish!

 

Last week to chrome the steel grill from a 66 cost 1$ 240.00
Need a banker to get it out..

 

Bill, Thanks for clearing it up.

John

 

you must be getting that done south of the border. around here you are lucky to get a grill done for $500. it is cheaper to buy reproduction emblems, door handles, etc than it is to get the original stuff rechromed. chroming is expensive in the kansas city area and i don't care who you go to. there is no way to get a grill done for $240. maybe $540 for less than a good job.

jim

 

Last week took 2 piece anodized grille, and both bumpers from 64 vehicle to plater for quote. With respect to the grille, plater indicated unable to replicate original 'shinny' anodized appearance on majority of early model vehicles to they strip the anodize off, sand and polish, then seal it; sound familiar. Quoted $130 each for the 2 piece grilles; were talking anodizing. Quoted $500 each for the bumper, actually did not believe they could be salvaged, rusted and need straightening. Decisssions-decissions, cutting torch in 1 hand and restoration guide in the other. Agree, probably cheaper to purchase repo's than rechroming. However, there are few items no longer reproduced, the bumpers mentioned, and the 65 F series I beam fender emblem, to name a couple. Would probably rechrome the 65 fender emblem rather than go the the 66 emblem offered as replacement.

dave

 

You can gently sand the plastic inserts then repaint them...what I've done is use a small artists brush and cover the area to be painted silver with vaseline..then spray on the red...after the red dries...wipe off the vaseline, wipe the area down with paint thinner to remove the grease and spray on the silver...when done...spray polyurethane over the back to shed off water.

This method also works on original metal license frames.