57 Grille

[Piperj3]

Hi Guy's,
Where's a good place to buy a grille ?
Thanks for the help.
Bob
Wis

[Ford Blue blood]

If you want original check ebay, they pop up there reguarly in varying states of condition.  Butches Cool Stuff is developing or has in production a tube grill for 57s and of course check with the "traditional" guys over on the HAMB.

[RICH MUISE]

What Bill said. Just for reference, I saw two nice driver quality grilles at the Pate swap meet..200 and 250. I just checked Butch's site and there is no '57 grille listed yet. I did notice the verticle ss tube grille for the '55-'56 was 1250. There are at least several tube grille manufacturers that make a '57 grille. I've seen both chrome and stainless steel (would be my choice for sure), with different tube sizes and number of tubes. I'll look for some .coms if you want them.
Rich

[jumping jack flash]

Hey Rich, After an absence of 20 years I am back in the restoration of a 57 ranchero. Was wondering about this Pate swap meet. Where, when , etc.Man the parts available are so much more expensive,and rare now. When I built my first 57 in 1969 rear shocks weren't even available.Now I can even replace the floors,and the rocker panels.Picked up a drivers side of a good driver grille at the New Braunfels swap meet for $20. and a nos grille splice for $35. That was about all they had for a 57 except the tail lights that every one sells.A little here and a little there, and this 57 will breathe again...in style. What I mean is rare is the used , still good stuff. More than ever , new stuff is available. I noticed that Ecklers has the nylon switch insert that is always broken on the 55-57 chevy windshield wiper motors.( they bolt right on to our 57 fords) .Less than $9 for that repair.

[jumping jack flash]

Me again Rich, Is pate the one at Texas speedway?

[hiball3985]

I just bought a grill for mine but I'm not sure if it's a OEM or some aftermarket. Weren't the originals polished stainless ? This one appears to be chrome plated but is 100% better then the one that is in it now which is also chrome and has large area's flaking off and rusted. I still don't have a center piece 

[RICH MUISE]

Me again Rich, Is pate the one at Texas speedway?

Yes...you just missed it by about 3 weeks.
Hiball...they oddly enough are all chrome. It was the one part on the car you would have expected to be stainless, but they are not. The two I saw at the Pate swap meet did not have the center pieces either. At least they weren't on display with the grilles..I wasn't needing one so I didn't ask.

[hiball3985]

Thanks Rich, that's good news for me. I got these for a decent price and probably cheaper then having the others re chromed. I think all the regulations here in Calif have caused plating prices to skyrocket..

[RICH MUISE]

prices I've gotten for replating range from 500 to 850. I would imagine a place like Paul's would be close to 1K. I can't decide between having the oem one rechromed or a stainless custom tube grille. It will probably be a matter of which one pops up available at a good price. I may just clean up my really good driver quality oem one and install that down the road (LOL...it's been a long road with no end in sight yet) while I work on a custom grille. I ideally want the oem outer portion welded as one unit with the center section removed and replaced with s.s. bars...ala Burgoff's

[hiball3985]

Those kind of prices are not in my little budget, so I'm happy with what I bought for $140. They aren't show quality, a few really small scratches that are hardly noticeable  but nice enough for my driver..

[Ford Blue blood]

I just bought a grill for mine but I'm not sure if it's a OEM or some aftermarket. Weren't the originals polished stainless ? This one appears to be chrome plated but is 100% better then the one that is in it now which is also chrome and has large area's flaking off and rusted. I still don't have a center piece 

Nope, chrome plated stamped steel, Ford didn't spend a lot on chrome.  Most start rusting on the back side first and then it works it's way into the park/turn light pockets and in the corners where the horizonal bars and vertical bars meet.

[hiball3985]

Mine have major rust on the front so I can only imagine what the back looks like, I haven't taken it off yet. The ones I purchased only show very light rust on the back side, they will out live me 

[Zapato]

piper go to the wrecking yard listings contact Clayton Bauer (Oregon) he'll treat you right. I bought a real nice driver quality one from him for $100- a few years back.

contact him at      rancharito@hotmail.com      he always responds quickly, its a sideline business so if you call him think evenings pacific time. his number is in BWhitmores' following post.

zap-

[BWhitmore]

Claton Bauer is a top notch guy.  The best time to reach him is in the evening.  I will look for his phone number and post it.

[BWhitmore]

Clayton' s number is (503) 684-2059.