decided to try and do my first custom grill on my galaxie, something I've wanted to do since I saw it in an old custom mag on a '58 Chevy. Use that aluminum sheetmetal and run it in the grill, and then do the drawer pull trick. Took a lot more work then I thought. The sheetmetal is three peices... I couldn't find anything longer, so I ran one huge piece in the middle, then two ends... came out alright, I think. The question is, I'm already at over 30 bucks in door knobs from what you see there... should I drop the cash and fill up the grill completly, or do what I saw on another car and use the long chrome drawer pulls with two screws and run them in the middle like teeth? I'm really liking that idea, but I thought it might be crazy has hell to have a shitload of knobs too. MY only issue is mounting the sheet a little more secure... it wobbles a bit, and I don't like that. Hit me!
You can't tell from the photo now that I realize it, but that sheetmetal isn't solid. It's got small holes all over it in a squarepattern, really small but a shitload of 'em.
that looks amazing! Have you ever considered putting a visor on that car, just to go with a more custom theme? thanks, Paul
I agree...you're gonna have heating problems...don't think you're gonna pull enuff air thru those small holes...and it's gonna be a bitch trying to clean the smashed bugs off it. IMHO, I'd continue with the drawer pulls...don't mix and match them... As for mounting, make brackets that hold the grille metal AND some of the drawer pulls at the same time...that'll solid it up. R-
ha,ha,ha...now thats pretty funny from a newbie. You must have been lurking thru Kojacks visor phase..
Looks nice! IMHO, I would continue with the knobs, but maybe stagger them a bit (adding more space) in the center section. Know what I mean? Maybe someone with photoshop skills can do a mock up. I like it. Wondering if you can maybe add some more holes, or an electric fan to keep the temp down. You will definately have to add a bracket or reinforcement to keep that heavy thing on your car though.
fill it with knobs. hve you thought about painting the metal flat black? would look better i think, the knobs would show up alot more and look like they float.
I think it looks pretty good.Keep going with the knobs, or maybe a small tube grill in between the knobs that you have now.
ok i hate to tell it but your doing it wrong. get expanded metal with bigger openings or you custom grill will look really good stitting on the side of the road while your overheating every 10 miles. no matter what you do "custom" you still have to have function or it's worthless. get larger expanded metal stagger your knobs a bit in my opinion. oh and if you want it to have the floating effect paint the expanded metal black. you can get expanded metal with a shitload of patterns but you gotta look for it and i may not be cheap. 30 bucks and your complaining? last drawer pull grille i did for someone he had more than $200 worth of knobs at wholesale price(chrome ball). ask someone how much a grille full of winfield or hell even old cal custom bullets will cost. if your trying to do it on the cheap check ebay for box lots of drawer pulls. try making more of a pattern i tried to show below but pulled tighter together. it helps with spacing and will actually cut down the amount of drawer pulls you will need. look for odd shape pulls to add some flare to it. it's a fairly boxy opening on that car should be real easy. but still most importantly get the small preforated metal out of there before you cause yourself a problem...ken.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ok for some reason it straightens out my diagram so fuck it!!! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
^listen to luckystiff. Just becuase he's gay doesn't mean he doesn't know what he's talking about! I agree with everything he just said, staggering them will make it look better than it already does. They'll still look uniform, but not TOO uniform. (can't call anyone back ken????)
yep kojack they are right you have the wrong metal there is a type that has larger holes and you have to use washers because the holes are to big for the knobs but it gets the air it needs. the knobs it looks way better if you paint it black before installing the knobs too
The knobs look cool. Probably a good idea to take a short test run on the first warm day. There is some info here about perforated metals and how much air will go through them. http://www.mcnichols.com/products/perforated/roundhole/rnd_perf2.htm#percentopening
Thanks for the ideas... I think I'll do that, go and fill the while grill up with those. I do like the way it looks so far, and I'll just shell the extra 60 bucks more I need. My 289 runs really, really cold, so we'll give it a while and do some test runs while the weaether warms up and see how well things work with the heat. Not a big deal if it doesn't work out, trial and error. Though I'm really thinking about the flat black... they might really stick right the hell out if I did that...
you need to stop fucking around and LOWER that fucker... IM SERIOUS. 4" blocks in the rear and cut yer coils DONE I agree I think you should use expanded metal it "looks" right even it that stuff does work...
I think it looks good, maybe spread the door knobs out a little ? Also, i think it would look cool with the knobs on a diagonal instead of straight up and down. L
Tell ya what kojack.. I aint gonna bust you out... you took enough heat over the visor thing. I can understand you trying to be creative... it doesn't look all that bad... but in my opinion I would go with bigger holes for the heating reasons mentioned already. Personally.. if i was gonna do it... i would go with a dark colored material for the grill. Like a black chicken wire material! hahaha... no but seriously... something black that will vent well. Then use the chrome knobs for a contrast. That would look much better in my opinion. But shit man.. what ever floats yer boat...
67ImpWagon did his grill like that, I belive he mounted several rows of 1/2" strips in the opening instead of a solid sheet. I have never seen the wagon overheat.
I hear you, Tuck... I've got 3'' blocks in the back actually, she's on jackstands in the photos. I'm getting a whurrring noise now and then, and I was trying to figure out where the hell it's coming from. The front is stock, need the time to cut 2.5 out of the front, right now it's kinda fun driving nosebleed. thanks for all the words again, I'll shoot around for the expanded metal and see if I find something I think will work good. I'll pick up a few more knobs and fill in a bit more, and try the long knobs... if that doesn't grab me, I'll shoot it black and do like someone said and canter them a bit instead of one by one. just trying something different... don't see too many custom galaxie grills, other then tubes?
when i need to solid something up, i eat some cheese and kite string. the kite string is in case you eat too much cheese, simply hook the string on your boot heel and stand up.
Anyone have any shots of his wagon, or at least more of the idea folks are saying with the expanded metal and painting it black other then what I've got. I just can't seem to find the shit that's long enough for the whole grill..
where have you been looking ? ....a hardware store won't have expanded metal long enough . but a good steel supply company should ......my .02 is paint the expaned metal black and place the knobs in there in a pattern that is staggard much like brick is layed out...does that make sense ? ....good luck.
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