floating grill and filling space

Hey guys, I am currently working on my '53 Buick(suicide C-dan). I am working on my floating grill and looking for folks have been using for hiding some of the bracketry and radiator brace thats behind the grill. I have been told about mesh material behind the grill but not quite sold on the idea. I want to try and keep it simple and not have the grill look too busy. I was also thinking of some 16 gauge panels painted black to go directly behind the grill sort of a false panels effect but I also want to make sure air flows through the radiator and well as the fresh air tubes. If you feel like sharing some ideas, feel free.

FRYGUY

 

Nice job thus far. Just get some perforated sheet steel, flat black paint, and mount it.

 

Seems like you need to be careful blocking it off since that might also be a source of fresh air for the engine compartment.

I've contemplated the same thing for my '51 Merc, the floating grills look good but you can see the radiator and trans coolers and that can look pretty ****py. Look at Jesse James' Merc and you while the car looks amazing that area behind the grille does not look that great.

 

I do have another 53 upper grill bar as well as a 50 cadillac grill bar with more of a point in the middle. I am not sure if that will clutter it too much. I think it flows well with the bumper and don't know if closing that off will affect the flow. I am contemplating putting just the waterfall Buick grill back in with the caddy bumper, just another idea I am kicking around.

 

Grill looks real kool!! Caddy front bumper??

I'm working on a new grill and running through the same problems. I'm painting everything black and hoping it takes care of everything but my Aluminum radiator.... Metal mesh is not the answer. Jeff Meyers used a grill off of a 58 ford to fill his grill shell and it looks real kool. If I can't live with my grill opening I was going to use the same type of grill and paint it black that way I would have it covered without taking away from my grill. Also it would be kool to see if anyone would recognize what it was.....

Keep it up its looking kool!!

Happy Trails,

Mick

 

I think it looks awesome as is!

 

It's got a depressed catfish look about it, I like it.

 

if your that worried about seeing the radiator or cooler -- PAINT IT!!!!!

stop and think about it when you buy a new or rebuilt radiators they usually come painted in black

just my 2 cents worth

but they do look awsome with floating grills

 

Thats funny, I like that depressed Catfish.! Maybe I should call it the depressed Catfish Suicide C-dan Here is why its a suicide C-dan.



Mick, yes its actually a 48 Caddy front bumper that I shortend 4 inches and rewelded( the bumper is 3 sections welded from the factory stock that are covered by the bullet shaped bumper guards). I took off the bumper guards off the '48 and cut them down to just the bullets and mounted them to a '56 Caddy center grill bar.

In the back I am running the stock bumper with an overider from a '55 Ponitac to house the license plate.

 

I've got a Caddy '55 center and some bullets to make a floating grillle for when my car is done with paint, I'll try some stuff and take some pics of the different grill possibilities.

 

You can also make a sheetmetal piece that mounts to the back of your grille bar that continues the line back toward the radiator (along the lines of what a 1949-52 Chevy has bolted to the back of the middle bar). That visually hides anything below the level of the center bar, allowing you to mount all kinds of stuff from underneath without it showing. And it won't interfere with air flow. In fact, Chevy seemed to use their to help direct the air flow upward toward the top of the radiator. It only needs to be 4 or 5 inches deep. I can't do pictures where I am right now, but if you google I'm sure you can find a photo of what I'm talking about.

 

Atomic Dave, I am going to check out the 49-52 chevy setup to see what the setup looks like. I ***ume its like a square funnel which would make sense in hiding your cars unmentionable's. Looks like a great starting point


Fryguy

 

that looks good all the way around!!!

 

Thanks PB, its getting there. Right now I am trying to get it down to one or two colors, lol.

Here is what I'd like to do down the road. I want to use the front doors off a 2d Buick sedan, move the center pillar back 4 inches, cut the back doors down. I like the look of the car and its pratical for hauling the kids to and from. I have a 2d coupe waiting for its treament after the sedan is done.

 

sorry to hi-jack,...but i'd like to see more on how you flipped the rear doors?
i considered this on my '53 chevy moredoor, but with the rear quater "flare out" i wondered about getting the door edge to clear the body when opening....

 

Hey cwatson, thanks for the inquiry. As you know with the '53 GM cars it ****s to try and suicide them and unfortunately you can't just flip the hings. I actually got a hinges made that are about 12 inches long to mount to the body. I had to C-notch the rear quarters about 6 inches apart. I had to do the same treatment to the door. I enclosed a pic of what the setup looks like. Its a lot of work. The mounting has to be done up high on the door because of the flare out that you mention. In the pic u can see the channels in the quarter panel, the chanels are roughly a foot long.

 

That's a pretty cool idea.

 

The sheet metal "funnel" is a rightious idea. It may complicate things a bit, but with the flats at the bottom of the bullets on the ends of your floating bar, you could fashion the funnel or tunnel to carry that bar, support the part additionally from behind and lose the center brace you've got in there right now. Paint it all satin black and that chrome center will truely appear to be hovering in there. I hope most of this makes sense. You might also bead or step roll the sheet metal tunnel for added support. The car look great man. Keep us posted.

 

was thinking of flipping the doors on my 53 caddy. Good idea.

Car is *****in.

 

i think that removing the b pillar and making it a hardtop would improve the styling greatly, with the thick b pillar now, the rear side gl*** is small and too me, does not look right....removing the b pillar would make the whole roof flow better and give the lines of the roof a longer, lower, sleek look.. just my opinion..

 

wow! yea, my buddy and i have been thinking on this for some time and what we've come up with is close to yours, but i have to say i like yours better than what i had in my head. looks good and clean. nice work. i ***ume you had to do some reinforcing on the inside of the rear quaters to help hold the door...?

thanks for the pictures, nice work.
BTW, i dig the idea of the moredoor with the shortened/suicided rear doors. i've always really like the looks of the merc 4doors like that.
thanks again

Chris

 

Thats a possibility down the road, but figuring I have a 2dr hardtop sitting in the driveway, don't know if modifying to 4door all that much when I get it on the road. Its definitely a way to go, just that I'll probably want to get some seat time out her before I start on that part

 

Watson, the quarters had to be cut out and then the channels were put in for the hinges. The hinges are actually quite long, 12 inches or so, to distribute the weight evenly down the quarterpanel. It was a major pain in the *** and I don't know if I would do it again.


Fryguy