So I just got the latest lmc catalog for these trucks and I saw they now are carrying new aftermarket shells. However they are $500. And they are described as being triple nickle chrome plated steel. They gotta be kidding right? Espeacially when you can get an N.O.S. one for that price. Just wondering what your thoughts are?

 

They certainly look nice in the catalog, just have to be concerned about quality though.

I would choose a chrome plated version over an anodized one personally.

Josh

 

pardon my french .... but F&%$ LMC you get better quality from a junk yard

 

I hear Dennis Carpenter has started stamping them again, so I'd be curious if that's what those are. LMC is just a middle-man anyway. DC shells usually run $500, which is what made me think of that.

 

I think it's cool. :)

My Chinese made shell is pretty good "looking" but is soft and pliable.
The Chinese steel fender is soft and pliable too but also isn't the right shape.

(a gal with no brakes ran into me just about the time Ford dealers ran out
of that stuff)

It'd be cool to have a choice between a promised "someday soon;)" grill shell
from Denise Carpenter or a steel one. Do they offer 'em in primer yet? :)

A few of us thought it'd be cool to have a steel one a guy could paint, see? :)
But it needs to be stronger than the aluminum junk.

I bought one for my '75 that's in super good shape no broken tabs or anything
$500 delivered, it came attached to a junky ol' yaller truck tho...

http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/F100front.jpg

Alvin in AZ

 

i paid $20 U.S for my shell and grill ( i know the owner of the yard). id rather rock a dented shell than pay $500 for a new one( all i would have had to do was take some fine grit steel wool to it to make it look new ) but i painted mine

 

I would assume the $500 price point is just to compete with other companies. Either get a shiny chrome plated shell, or doll out that money for a satin anodized version. LMC does claim the shells are STEEL, a big plus in my book, except for possible long term rust problems.

I have ordered sheet metal from pretty much all the major companies and they all came from the same sheetmetal company. And all were made in the USA, including LMC. All in all they are all middlemen, one way or another. I am not defending LMC in anyway, but just saying.

Josh

 

Yeah, I got an incredible deal on a shell and inserts off of Ebay. The seller didn't realize what it was worth, nobody bid on it and the seller charged an incredibly low shipping amount. All in all I got a near pristine complete shell, shipped to my door for $50!

So check Ebay often, and actually put some effort into mis-spelling things you'll be amazed at what you find sometimes. (example Holly instead of Holley carb)

Josh

 

A guy ran into my '79 last summer and I put a clean shell from the yard on mine. I was going to pitch the old one, but I decided to hang on to it even though it's banged up. They're getting too hard to find and it's good to have a backup. Especially in Texas, with so many people driving around without insurance, or driver's licenses...but that's another story...

 

I just missed a deal on a really nice grille on ebay for $10. My only concern has the $12 shipping via UPS. I had a feeling the guy was going to realize it was going to cost a lot more than that and not ship it. This was Ohio to Wyoming.

 

For those that are paying attention, I spoke to Dennis Carpenter on Friday, and they still don't have any shells in stock. I was given the "we're having trouble finding proper aluminum" excuse, which I've received before. It's my opinion that that argument is getting stale, as producers of other aluminum parts don't seem to have a problem finding aluminum. I swear I'm half tempted to send them a few hundred pounds of aluminum cans and my old Centerline aluminum rims and tell them to melt them down and make me a dang shell! I've been asking for one for a year and a half now, and I find it difficult to believe that in that time they can't find any aluminum that will fit the bill.

But, what the heck do i know?.....It's probably magic aluminum made by the aluminum fairies, and DC just isn't fast enough to catch them....but I digress.

 

N.O.S. = New, Old Stock genuine Ford part.

Where exactly can you buy a D8TZ8200A .. Grille Shell?

No Ford dealer or obsolete parts vendor has any.

 

LOL :)

Yeah but. ;)
There's more to someone else's job than meets the eye. ;)

The guys stamping those parts knew things about how to make it -work-
that they didn't tell anybody else. Yeah that's what I'm sayin' all right :)
...some things are kept secret. No kidding. BTDT

As a union man working in the System Signal Shop and the guy that rebuilt
"CP Valves" got layed off he showed me how to do it. He was showed by
the guy before him. And "U5 Switch Circuit Controllers" too. I guarantee you
it'd take you a month to figure it out by yourself and in the meantime you'd
be fired. Doesn't take that much know-how to protect the job see? :)

I'm not saying that applies here, but it's possible they just don't know what
they are doing and have been fed wrong information. The information coming
from the supervision that don't know the real story.

To counter bad mouthing like we've (yeah me too) been posting about DC
here they need to get on here and answer some questions. Like exactly
what sort of aluminum (specs) is required that you can't find a supplier for?

I have ran into similar supply problems with my knife making hobby, never
have found a supplier for F2, F3 or O7 tool steel in sheets. Ford could buy
it(!) but me (and DC too?) don't have the clout. I did happen to stumble
across some W7(or 6195 or 50100-B) but it was from a guy that bought
it at the auction when Western in Colorado went under. L6 in sheet is tough
too find too but I managed to buy the last few Vermont American saw blades
(before Bosch took over) in a thickness I can use, it's 8670-M instead of L6,
but that's close enough, heck might be better than L6 even. ;)

Alvin in AZ

 

If it means anything, LMC no longer carries the 73-77 grille shells in aluminum. That's why I had to re-look at the catalog at this new shell to see if it really did say STEEL and it does.

I see no reason why theu couldn't also offer the earlier shell in steel as well, even just primered for the guys that want to paint theres, much like they do with some of their bumpers being offered primered and not chromed.

The grille shell that was on my truck when I got it in 1993 was in fair condition, but had a crinkle where at one time I assume the bumper got pushed into it. I replaced it in 2001 with either a JC Whitney or LMC shell, don't remember which. Definately thinner, had a more satin finish, but it looked decent and did the job.

I looked for 5 years for an original shell in nice condition. I have dozens of salvage yards surrounding me that I peruse quite often and a decent shell in extremely hard to find. It seems you'll always have to accept some amount of flaws when it comes to that.

Glad I lucked out with my Ebay find. Mine came from Minnesota. I still chat with the guy thru email every now and then actually. He isn't bitter about it.

Josh

 

you can say that again.

well, when I went to the junkyard about 2 months ago I found a decent looking grill and a rather mint shell. dad told me to leave the shell there cuz he figured that the guy would charge us high dollar for it since it's aluminum. it turns out that when we were figuring out how much to pay him he told us, "if you buy the grill the shell comes with it." so now one day we'll go back and if it's still there I have a gray argent grill and chrome shell for $25.