Grill replacement

[Frogger2662]

Are the grills interchangable between years on our buulnose fords?
I have an 84 and i have what i believe to be an 81.
Thanks

[kramttocs]

They are. Only difference is the design (which goes hand in hand with FORD on the hood).

[ArdWrknTrk]

Hand over hand???

I don't see the both of them (grille and hood letters) skipping along together like Jack and Jill.

[kramttocs]

[ArdWrknTrk]

I guess I missed the memo....  

So you're saying the early (no emblem) grille goes with the hood letters, and the later grille looks best with a naked hood?

(I'm autistic and take everything very literally)

I recall Rick showing Lucille with various combinations of factory grilles, hoods, and his 'custom' hood letters.
While I'm in the KISS camp, I'm also VERY much of a mind 'Make it yours'.
And as he showed it can be done tastefully.

[ArdWrknTrk]

We also have chrome, argent and black (dark grey) grille options.

Each one of those really changes the look of the truck.

[kramttocs]

I am just saying from the factory the early (no emblem) grille had hood letters, and the later grille had a naked hood.

But can be interchanged if desired.

You are right - with the different primary and secondary colors on the bezels/grill it can really change the look of the front end.

[ArdWrknTrk]

This goes with that and that goes with this, but that does not go with that.

Ok, I'm on your page now.  

[LARIAT 85]

ArdWrknTrk wrote

I recall Rick showing Lucille with various combinations of factory grilles, hoods, and his 'custom' hood letters.
While I'm in the KISS camp, I'm also VERY much of a mind 'Make it yours'.
And as he showed it can be done tastefully.

Thanks, Chief!

I *personally* think the earlier F O R D hood letters paired with the later grille with the Ford oval looks rather redundant.  But I really dig the hood letters, so I came up with this:




These are actual FORD letters from a Ford Freestar Limited, and they are in the exact same font as the 1980/1981 Ford hood letters.

[Rusty_S85]

Ive always like the chrome and black look.  Felt the chrome and argent was kind of redundant since the color blended in so well.  The black really makes the chrome pop and stand out.

I also kind of like the whole grill as black as an option too without the chrome face.  But not too sure how well that will look on my truck.

one I did at work the guy bought the parts and he mismatched and I felt it looked horrible.  He had the chrome headlight buckets with the black insert trim but the grill he got was the chrome grill with argent trim.  I felt the argent trim should have been black on the grill to compliment the headlight buckets but thats just me.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Rick, can you remember where you posted the comparison shots?

Maybe a link, so the OP can see the iterations you went through?

[kramttocs]

I like the chrome with the black secondary also. Adds a nice depth to it all. Same reason I like the black core supports over the grey.

[Rusty_S85]

Yep, my truck has the argent silver painted grill and I hate it.  Im going back and forth between the black trim chrome grill or the all black grill.  Either I think would look better than that silver painted grill surrounded by chrome and polished aluminum.

On the flip side I like body colored firewalls over black.  To me the black was done just to hide dirt/grime/oil but the body color just looks so much better.

[kramttocs]

My 86 is currently like the one you did at work since I picked up some nos chrome/black headlight bezels but haven't done much looking for a matching grill yet nor have I worked up the patience to tape and paint mine. I don't really notice it but now I might.

I don't know that I've ever seen a body colored core support in person. I feel like there was some discussion awhile back that they were plant specific? Or maybe that was just the grey vs black?

Rick - the LARIAT looks good!

[LARIAT 85]

ArdWrknTrk wrote

Rick, can you remember where you posted the comparison shots?

Maybe a link, so the OP can see the iterations you went through?

http://www.garysgaragemahal.com/#nabble+template%2FNamlServlet.jtp%3Fmacro%3Duser_nodes%26user%3D41

Rusty_S85 wrote

He had the chrome headlight buckets with the black insert trim but the grill he got was the chrome grill with argent trim.  I felt the argent trim should have been black on the grill to compliment the headlight buckets but thats just me.

The chrome headlight buckets with black trim were used with the standard argent grille used from 1980 - 1986, or the black painted grille found on the 1980/1981 "Freewheeling" trim model.

The chrome "Lariat" grille had black trim on the inner vertical bars, but the inserts were always argent.  The reason the inserts were argent was because it "hides" what is behind the grille better than black would.  The correct headlight buckets that paired with the chrome grilles were chrome/argent for 1980/1981, and chrome/dark charcoal for 1982 - 1986.  

The only grille that had black inserts was the all-black "Freewheeling" or "XLS" grille.  The correct headlight buckets for the "XLS" model are completely painted gloss black.

kramttocs wrote

I don't know that I've ever seen a body colored core support in person. I feel like there was some discussion awhile back that they were plant specific? Or maybe that was just the grey vs black?

Rick - the LARIAT looks good!

Thanks, Chief!

The only color core supports I have seen in Bullnose trucks are either gray or black.  I *think* the "Lariat" models got the black, while lesser models got gray/argent.  But it could have indeed been plant-specific.  I don't think the body-colored supports came until the later generations.

[ArdWrknTrk]

By brick came with body colour rad support and firewall.

Pretty sure it came from Louisville, but could be VA assembly.
I have to check my VIN

Thanks Rick!  

[Andre]

I bought a new inner front grill, that matches with the trim of the old grill, and sprayed it in two tone, color of the car with gloss black. Carefully apply the correct base coating first for plastic, other wise the paint will come right off.

[Gary Lewis]

Andre - It looks amazing!  But I'm not seeing the color of the car.  Just the black.  What am I missing?

[ArdWrknTrk]

I think by base he means filler or chin or valance, whatever..