Snarl it is not just to buy the bullets and the grill, drill 14 holes in the grill and mount them. You have to make 7 plates and weld them between the 2 grill bars and mount the bullets to that. The reason it if you mount them to the top bar the top of the bulllets will interfear with the grill opening meaning the dont fit. If you mount them to the bottom bar they will interfear with the top grill bar. So if you make the plates and weld them between the grill bars they will fit. Thus by welding the you burn the chrome on the grill and have to replate it too. So 4 bills for the grill, 4 bills for rechroming, and 4 bills for the bullets and you have 1200 dollars. Correct me if i am wrong.
I'd like to know where you folks are getting your chrome work done ? $500 to $800 ? **** my guy wouldn't look at for less than $1,500.00
I'm pretty sure I understand what you've done, although a close up of the backside would help. I don't currently have those parts available to play with... Is the diameter of the backend of those bullets large enough to contact both bars without other interferences? If they are, then you should be able to take a piece of steel with holes in it for the bolts, and using that plate and the bullet, draw them together sandwiching the grill bars between them. Is that possible to do? Just to clarify, I don't believe charging $1200 for a finished chromed grille setup is going to give you any profit margin. If you could buy the parts wholesale, and get a killer deal for rechroming (should that really be necessary), you MIGHT get by...
I have put the red grill in but have another one so i can show you. The peice of steel with holes in them for bullets is what i have done. Reason for welding is when you sandwich them together without welding on a new chrome grill you may damage the chrome plus it aint secure. May be able to move around. I will dig out the other grill and make a plastic plate so i can show you. As for clamping. It could be done but aint secure either and it could move around to. Welding is the bast way to go. Here in so cal every year we have what is called the BIG 3. Its a 3 day long swap meet with only car parts mostly vintage and some cars. I always get my bullets there. This year went around and bought all of them i could find. The gmc grill form 63 was for free as on sunday the last day someone just threw it out so i took it. But give me a few days so i can dig out the stuff and i will show you how i did it. Sound good?
Actually, what I should have asked earlier was it depends, can the Chinese make one they can sell for $19.99? I don't think there's any question that a freshly chromed version is worth $1200 without any trouble, but you asked would people be willing to pay that? and the answer is probably not that many, because they'll be trying to find the Made In China version for half as much. And that's not even getting into the question of how many people are going to think that particular grille is cool, as you've seen in this thread not everyone is in love with it.
Sure. I'm in no hurry. Just trying to help you come up with an easier/cheaper way of doing it. I understand your concern about it maybe working loose. If the bars on the grille are stamped sheetmetal with a hollow backside, then if you bent the ends of the plate so they fit into the backside of the bars (doesn't need to be much), and added a thin piece of rubber between the bullet and bars, and lock***e the bolts, I would think that would be enough to control them.
Would I pay $1200 for it? No, sorry. Would other people that don't have the vision and /or talent to build one? I'm sure some would. Does it seem high to me? Yeah, but I'm a cheap *******. BTW... Cool looking grill mang!!! I'm diggin it!
Would I pay $1200? No. I definitely dig it though. Considering the cost of chrome, I don't think you're out of line, especially since you have to fab all the brackets and whatnot. That can't be a quick process. People will pay lots of money for stuff if they need/want it bad enough. Plus, I know a lot of "men" that have cars but loathe to get dirty and god forbid they bust a knuckle open.It's easier and cleaner just to buy it. I think in the right market, that price is pretty fair. Perhaps the lukewarm response is due to the fact that HAMBers are a DIY kind of crowd.
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