Does anybody still make a grille guard for these that isn't a complete bumper or a prerunner style? I'm looking for a Luverne-type bumper mount, flat guard that everybody used to have, but nobody seems to make anymore - haven't found a junkyard one yet that isn't bent up, either. Thanks!

 

I'd also would like one of these, nothing fancy.

 

I'm nut sure what a Luverne-type is.....do yo mean like a "Dukes of Hazzard" grill guard/push bar?

 

Not sure if this is what the OP is talking about, but this is what I am looking for and what I *think* he is looking for.

 

heres one i made thats very close to the factory style one.

 

1979 F-250 SCLB 4x4 Explorer



feeble knew Exactly what I meant, Thanks!! Was scrambling trying to find a picture. This is what it's going on, it followed me home a couple months ago after a 10-year stint in a barn. It's getting a simple Circle-D flatbed and a set of '95-97 factory Alcoas, thought a fairly simple grille guard would look good on it (and the grille surround is almost perfect!)

 

To me that is a old style "cattle" or "brush" guard. Craigslist is probably you best shot, I have never seen then reproduced.

 

Ah... a kangaroo or "Roo" bar. Google "kangaroo truck damage" and some gnarly images will pop up.

I've seen a few at the JY... 'have to adapt them though cuz their usually not on a Dent.

 

I have been trying to find Luverne grille guards as well--I still have one on a 1979 F150 4X4. For those that are not familiar with them, they were manufactured by Luverne Truck Equipment (google) and were available in either a white painted version or a chrome version. They were really common on trucks here in Canada.....but really hard to find now. The grille guard in feeble's picture is not a Luverne grille guard but looks very similar. The Luverne ones were made so that the mounting points fit the contour of the bumper correctly and they matched the front of the truck perfectly in terms of dimensions. No drilling required, they mounted to the frame using the bumper bolt holes, like most grille guards. They also had two heavy duty rubber vertical bump strips that extended up from the mounting points. They were very good at protecting the front of the truck which was their intended purpose. I remember watching my father use his to push the neighbours 2000lb bull away from our cattle! He also bounced a couple of deer off it as well with no damage to the truck, but the grille guard was bent back a couple of inches on one side (5 minute fix at the frame shop). The Luverne grille guards in my area were sold as a dealer installed accessory by the local Ford dealer--we had 2 of them installed on 2 different trucks.

One problem with trying to find one on the usual websites is that most people don't know what a Luverne grille guard actually looks like, plus they get many different names.....roo bar, cow catcher, brush guard, push bar, etc.

 

Here you go, probably can get a local welding shop to make one?

Missed this one...http://www.ebay.com/itm/GRILL-GRILLE-BRUSH-GUARD-for-1973-79-FORD-F100-F150-F250-F350-or-1978-79-BRONCO-/271410929195?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

 

Wish I had pics of it but just after I met my wife her dad bought a '77 F250 4x4 and he worked construction and he did a lot of steel and wood work in his basement and so we (I was learning some welding and was helping) took some heavy card board and made a template for the two sides to be cut from 1/4 or 5/16 steel plate. He cut his side plates with a cutting torch and he was really good with it, didn't take much with grinder to pretty them up.

He allowed for a top tube which was maybe 2-1/2" heavy wall steel tube and a lower tube that was 3" heavy wall steel tube. The tubes were same length as front frame horns outside to outside. The middle tube was just above license plate so that it was visible, top of tube near level with top of bumper .... it made a good step. There was a bottom tube under where the license plate would show, it was just a little lower than the bumper on bottom and was in front of lower part and was maybe 2-1/2". Top tube was some higher, up mid grille, maybe a little higher?

The two sides had a profile similar to what was common then, the bottom of them went back under the bumper and bolted to outside of frame horns. The narrowest part under the bumper where they went back were a good 3" wide and he welded another layer on the inside of same steel and just cut that lower tube a little shorter to fit. We used large pipe clamps to snug them up against the cross tubes to hold them in place while he tacked them .... then we took it off for finish welding, cleaning, priming and paint. That sucker was heavy when all welded together.

Easy to make for those trucks.

 

Like this?



Kinda hard to see on the truck but here it is.



This was the first pic I took right after buying the truck. Cleaned it up a bit but havent been running the bull bars.

 

That is not a Luverne Grille Guard. The bush bar like you have shown is cute, but offer little in the way of protection for the front of the truck (master of the obvious, aren't I?). A Luverne Grille Guard completely covers the grille and outer shell from side to side for full protection. They have the expanded mesh in the center of the grille guard as shown in the other member's posts. There were many imitations of a Luverne grille guard.

 

Never quite understood what people are protecting the beautiful grille from, when this ugly massive thing is covering it up? When would it ever be taken off to reveal the grille that's being protected? You could have a grille that's beat to hell, and no one could see it for this thing on the front of the truck. Reminds me of those ridiculous bras that were so popular in the '80's. Drive around with your vehicle looking hideous every day, just to protect it's hidden beauty.

David

sorry if that was too Andy Rooney-like

 

I like the grille guard look. I picked this up the other day for my crewcab. It's missing the upper middle tube, but that's easy to make one.





Had one of them before on my '78 Supercab, had it powdercoated to match the color of the truck: