Well I picked up an extra grille a while back from Terry (Crewcabxlt) when I was gettin an extra hood for my hood stack. So I decided to do somethin with this spare grille, I've had this idea for a while and finally did it. I was gonna cut out the middle section and then put a billet grille in the middle, so it would look like one of the mid 80's chevy billet grilles. Well I never did find a piece of billet that would fit just right and didn't want to pay for a new one for a chevy or somethin and have it not fit.

So I cut the middle out of this grille anyways and got some expanded metal with the smaller holes (dont remember what size) and cut it out to fit in the middle. I then made some spacers and put in some long bolts and two washers and fastened the expanded metal to where the old grille inserts screwed into the grille. I painted it all black and put it in. It fit pretty well, and then I got a Cummins badge and drilled some tiny holes in it and wired it on to the grille piece. :cool:
Here's Pics:
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/blackace44/trurbo002.jpg
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/blackace44/grille001.jpg
http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/blackace44/grille004.jpg
Its just somethin different and i can put my old grille back on when i want. I wasn't totally sure if I liked it at first, but I think its growin on me. It looks just like a big black hole in the middle in certain light and you cant see the expanded metal and all you can see is the AC condensor, so I'm thinkin about paintin it a different color or just gettin a shiny PS intercooler to go behind it so it will stand out more.[coffee] I think I might still try goin with a billet grill in the middle though if I can find one and get it to fit.
Thanks again Terry! (Crewcabxlt)
What do ya think?

This is just my opinion but i really like it. Im a 69 mustang guy from way back so my opinion is offset it to one side. Also i think if you did that youd need to run a straight stack (which i like).

Good stuff though!!

I like it!!! Searching ebay currently...

Ha don't worry I have 3 different stack tips i put on, and i just had the turnout on, i'll probably put the short mitre tip back on soon.

Okay Ebay has nothing. I am pretty bummed about the Mr.Grille inserts I bought, cuz I don't think they flow enough air. I might have to find a grill and do what you just did. I love it!

im assuming you just cut it. i like it... id like to see what it would look like with just the vertical cross bar...

Chrysler hasn't changed grill shapes much over the years. Looks a lot like the grill in the '63 I drove to h/s with the bars cut out:

http://www.imperialclub.com/Events/Chattanooga02/Dcp02410.jpg

http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/blackace44/grille001.jpg

Is there a wire running through the 2nd "m" in Cummins?

i LOVE it!! i think if you take some silver and just mist it, it'll look great. Maybe gunmetal, but thats my favorite color to paint things on any truck :-D

I kinda wanna do this now. I think I will strip the paint off of my new cooler and clear coat it. Any ideas on how to get paint off of the ic without ruining it?

Very cool!! You guys will never run out of things for me to spend money on.

I know right? I have already passed up broken grills, but now I will think twice. I will probably get a hold of one, cut the center out, take the chrome off, and smooth out where the vertical/horizontal pieces used to be with a bunch of bondo, and paint red to match my truck. That, or just paint part of it. Might have to play with photoshop some. lol

I think it looks great...well done!!

I kinda wanna do this now. I think I will strip the paint off of my new cooler and clear coat it. Any ideas on how to get paint off of the ic without ruining it?

CLEAR-COAT IT??? That'll just hold the heat in!

Awww, you beat me to it!

Well at least now I know it does in fact look AWESOME! Good job!

Looks REAL good! It would help with a few clearance issues with the Powerstroke IC as well.

Very cool, I like it!

im assuming you just cut it. i like it... id like to see what it would look like with just the vertical cross bar...

yeah I had just the Vertical cross bar on it but cut it out before i put the mesh in so i don't know exactly how it would look, but probably pretty good.

Is there a wire running through the 2nd "m" in Cummins?

Yeah I drilled two tiny holes in the "m" and put a wire through it and then drilled one more small hole in the "Power" part and put two wires through it, you don't even notice it unless you look really close.

I like it! I did the same thing to my 2000 chevy. I used stainless wire mesh that I got on ebay. I also put lights behind my grill. After a year or so I took it off because I came up with a different idea using different lights, haven't started yet.

CLEAR-COAT IT??? That'll just hold the heat in!

huh? I know black is supposed to dissipate heat better, but by how much. Stroke coolers come clear coated right? Otherwise the aluminum would corrode.

i think its more of a protectant than a paint. I've also seen aluminum paint on other coolers. anyone who KNOWS?

ok now someone do something similar with the non i/c style grill :)

ok now someone do something similar with the non i/c style grill :)

Why don't you try it out? its not too hard to do:cool: and it was cheap

I think I will strip the paint off of my new cooler and clear coat it. Any ideas on how to get paint off of the ic without ruining it?

media blasting! sand might be a bit to harsh, but glass beads or baking soda would work. i know sand will eat though a piece of glass pretty **** quick.

Why don't you try it out? its not too hard to do:cool: and it was cheap

i thought about it all day today at work lol, im gona start cutting for my 2nd gen intercooler tom hopefully and figured ill try it out with my spare grill. idk if i should cut the cross out tho cause it is allot dirrirent than yours and i would have a hard time hiding the fact that it was hacked up but ill see what i can do...

Looks aside that size of mesh will do a superior job of keeping rocks and airborne fauna from getting thru to your I/C and rad. Oh and without restricting air flow unduly. Well done! .. [coffee]

Sweet. Gotta get my tailgate blasted anyway. Now to find a grill....

If you don't the grill not saying Dodge on it they are $58 at "Rockauto".

Wow Blackfordd. That sounds like a plan. Can you get them without chrome?

Thanks David!

Here is the link from "Rockauto". There is one in there that is non chrome black. It looks like you can get them in black. The other day one of the available grills said there was 8 left. Now it says only 3. What up with that?

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php

David

Thanks David. I am talking to someone selling a factory grill in my area, but I will remember not to pay more than $58 for it. Thanks again!

Here is the link from "Rockauto". There is one in there that is non chrome black. It looks like you can get them in black. The other day one of the available grills said there was 8 left. Now it says only 3. What up with that?

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php

David

Why is the black one almost twice the price of the chrome one??

Why is the black one almost twice the price of the chrome one??

I think that is for a complete grille including inserts.
The one below that one also says black for $58

Grille looks awesome....92, like I said, you need to open your own shop...post some pictures of your sweet engine work....I like the mitre stack better though....what else you gonna do before you gotta harvest them spuds?

Grille looks awesome....92, like I said, you need to open your own shop...post some pictures of your sweet engine work....I like the mitre stack better though....what else you gonna do before you gotta harvest them spuds?

Thanks Penguinman! And don't worry! I plan on it... just give me time...[guitar]

Well hopefully this summer I plan on gettin a Powersroke intercooler, a new fuel supply setup (thinkin a 2nd gen lift pump with regulater if i get it from this guy for a good deal), New steering box and borgeson shaft since my box is shot and leakin everywhere...[yuk] and I need to get a flange for the ATS turbo I picked up so i can try it out and get it paid off, and maybe some new rims and then save up for a 47rh!:cool: And I wanna maybe give the truck pulls a whirl this summer so I'm not sure I'll get to all the stuff i want to do, but we'll see...

So many plans, so little time....

So many plans, so little time....

yep and so little money! ha ha

Does anyone remember the square tube "show grills" for 70's and 80's Dodges. I would trip over them at swapmeets when I didn't have a truck[laugh], now I can't find them anywhere [verymad]

The ones with the 4 square headlights?
http://www.allpar.com/photos/dodge/trucks/express-truck.jpg

The ones with the 4 square headlights?
http://www.allpar.com/photos/dodge/trucks/express-truck.jpg

Umm no. They were an insert. you just removed the center section of your grill and put it in. I have found them but they are expensive now. Ill try and find a picture or link and post it.

Huh. never seen them.

Is it similar to this one...but square....???
http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx114/gtonos87/n724400188_340413_8814.jpg

I kinda wanna do this now. I think I will strip the paint off of my new cooler and clear coat it. Any ideas on how to get paint off of the ic without ruining it?

Catalytic parts cleaning. Ace hardware carries the cleaning soda, but you may have to order it.

Read down through this post and it will tell you how to do it.
http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=farmall&th=715111

WOW thanks!

Does anyone remember the square tube "show grills" for 70's and 80's Dodges. I would trip over them at swapmeets when I didn't have a truck[laugh], now I can't find them anywhere [verymad]


Sure do,
They were made by Stull Industries and I used to see a lot of them on Vans as well as Pick Ups, they were a simple square tube insert that was chrome.

I have used square tubing as small as 3/8" and it comes in a 20' length.
Square tube is cheap and easy to weld using a MIG welder, it would be easy to make your own inserts and either have them chromed of power coated.

I think the Banks Intercooler Kit came with a tube replacement grille.

Here is what they looked like.
http://www.supertruckusa.com/Showcases/truck_grilles/stull_grilles.php

WOW thanks!

I have a friend who cleaned a bunch of parts for a tractor built in the early 20s, the manifolds came out looking almost like new. There's not a lot of aluminum in an old tractor so you may want to try it on a piece of scrap first. I have a few parts I need to clean, got the cleaning soda but haven't got it started yet.

Catalytic parts cleaning. Ace hardware carries the cleaning soda, but you may have to order it.

Read down through this post and it will tell you how to do it.
http://www.ytmag.com/cgi-bin/viewit.cgi?bd=farmall&th=715111

I have used this on steel and it works great. However everything I have read states not to use it on aluminum or babbit as it will quickly destroy these metals.

Oh wow. The paint is chipping pretty good so i think I will just use the hose or pressure washer. I Wonder if I'm not better off leaving it alone than risking corrosion of the aluminum.

If you do the electrode process it will turn the metal black. I've never done aluminum but i assume the same... you can clear coat it after to avoid corrosion. Some simple aircraft stripper should work if its just paint.

Ooooh. MEK. That stuff is NASTY! I bet it would work great though. Why didn't I think of that?

works on just about anything... think it melts plastic???

works on just about anything... think it melts plastic???

Yes

Is it similar to this one...but square....???
http://i747.photobucket.com/albums/xx114/gtonos87/n724400188_340413_8814.jpg
Yeah there ya go :cool: Thanks
Sure do,
They were made by Stull Industries and I used to see a lot of them on Vans as well as Pick Ups, they were a simple square tube insert that was chrome.

I have used square tubing as small as 3/8" and it comes in a 20' length.
Square tube is cheap and easy to weld using a MIG welder, it would be easy to make your own inserts and either have them chromed of power coated.

I think the Banks Intercooler Kit came with a tube replacement grille.

Here is what they looked like.
http://www.supertruckusa.com/Showcases/truck_grilles/stull_grilles.php

Thats the stuff [guitar]!!!!!!! Why can't a guy find those anymore. I have been lookng for one for years. [verymad][verymad]

don't stop looking because someone else WILL find it as soon as you stop!

Oh I'm sure of that LOL[dummy]

Thats the stuff [guitar]!!!!!!! Why can't a guy find those anymore. I have been lookng for one for years. [verymad][verymad]



Cause they're hideous. LOL[dummy]

don't stop looking because someone else WILL find it as soon as you stop!

I always find things when I stop looking.

I bought this grill about 2 years ago. The verticle bars are recessed about 1/4", so I've been thinking about masking off the horrizontal bars and flat blacking the verticle ones. Then it would look like a billet grill all the way accross. One of these days I'll get around to it. [laugh]