Be a Hero, Save a Grille

Paul created a table mount to hold the grille in place on its side and allow pressure to be applied by various tools.

This simple grooved tool is an aluminum shop-made item. It can be used in conjunction with a second tool of the same design or with a small open-end wrench the size of the grille bar.

Gently twist the grille bars at the point where they change direction. The idea is to get all the bars straight and parallel. Most grilles were designed to have parallel grille bars.

By sighting down the grille bars, the foreshortened view exposes subtle changes of direction. It can be a time-consuming process, but be patient!

One unfortunate characteristic of ’30s-era Ford grilles is the folded grille bars. They are a trap for dirt and moisture, and therefore rust and other contaminants. Acid dipping will remove much of whatever is trapped behind the grille bars. However, there is almost always still more rust and dirt trapped here.

There are quite a few necessary holes in the grille shell. This one holds the logo trim in place. Other small holes are used to mount the felt located between the hood and grille and to mount the shell to the radiator. Small holes that surround the grille bars hold a piece of stainless steel trim in place. The largest hole on top is for the stock radiator cap. Make sure you don’t need a hole before you attempt to fill it.

Many original grilles will require some patching in the lowest areas. Because this area is soft, Paul uses a soft-edged pick hammer from behind and a block of wood as a dolly. Patience is rewarded so don’t make additional work for yourself by creating high spots.

To sand between the grille bars, Paul wraps some 220- or finer-grit sandpaper several times around a flat file. The multiple layers of paper provide a soft cushion, while the file provides the strong armature.

A small flat file is used to lower high spots and create a continuous surface. It may take a little practice to read the surface, but it will come with experience. Typically, a slight amount of oxidation will serve as a guidecoat.

While roaming the countryside near Vacaville, California, a friend of mine stumbled over something metallic poking out of the sandy desert soil. Being a hardcore car guy, he had to investigate the mysterious metal object that had tripped him up, since it appeared to be some kind of grille.

A few minutes later an original stamped ’33 Ford grille shell was pulled from the loose dirt. It was reasonably straight and the enameled Blue Oval was still in place at the top of the shell. Most of the chrome was gone and the lower surround had plenty of pinholes, but a good deal of solid metal was intact. My friend asked himself, Could it be restored? Perhaps, with enough time and attention! He decided to take it home.

The ’34 Ford grille in these photos isn’t the same one that my friend pulled out of the dirt (that ’33 grille is hanging in my garage), but it, too, was in sad shape. Was it beyond restoring? Would it be more economical to purchase a reproduction grille? The true automotive craftsman is reluctant to give up on any piece of original equipment. We won’t try to tell you that there isn’t a significant amount of time invested in restoring a stamped grille back to a condition where you’d want it mounted on a modern street rod. But the price of an original grille continues to rise faster than a share of blue-chip stock—and the owner was willing to invest the time, money, and effort to have an original ’34 Ford grille on his street rod. Check out how this is accomplished, then decide to save a grille of your own.