have a idea and was wondering if anyone ever did it

[marty]

ok so being i am unemployed and friggin bored out of my skull i was think if i found another clean used grill if i could cut it out and use it as a overlay on the existing grille but have it chrome plated. i already have the chrome/polished aluminum perimitter trim so i would have to make it fit inside that trim. what i could do is weld small studs on the backside of the overlay grill and drill holes in the truck grill so i can attach the 2 together. anyone have a chrome grille on there truck. i believe i have seen the entire front chrome plated but i did not think i like it to much.

 

[canadian broco]

It might be easier to chrome the entire grill, then sand blast the area you don't want chromed and paint it.

 

[stupidboy]

Get your grille chrome plated and put your grille trim back on then mask it off covering the center section and the trim, then sand the chrome outside the trim and repaint it to match your bronco. I did that 25 years ago, it looked great but I don't have pics.

 

[marty]

i thought about that too. anyone have some pics.

 

[greatguy57078]

Get your grille chrome plated and put your grille trim back on then mask it off covering the center section and the trim, then sand the chrome outside the trim and repaint it to match your bronco. I did that 25 years ago, it looked great but I don't have pics.

Sounds like a great idea. I just happened to find a chrome plating place nearby (thanks Tim eaglesnest66!). I just might have to try this out next spring, if it ever gets here! %)

 

[stupidboy]

Sounds like a great idea. I just happened to find a chrome plating place nearby (thanks Tim eaglesnest66!). I just might have to try this out next spring, if it ever gets here! %)

One thing I would do this time if I ever do it again is, get the chrome trim plated also so that it matches, cause it never looked as good as the grille even though it was polished and looked good on its own.

 

[marty]

the reason i was going to do the overlay was if the chrome didn't hold up you didn't have to have the entire thing redone meaning remove the entire front of the truck have it replated and then strip where chrome was and repaint. this way you only have to have the overlay rechromed.

 

[stupidboy]

the reason i was going to do the overlay was if the chrome didn't hold up you didn't have to have the entire thing redone meaning remove the entire front of the truck have it replated and then strip where chrome was and repaint. this way you only have to have the overlay rechromed.

I don't think that you would easily get the overlay to lay over top the original very well, if you do it you should cut your whole center section out a little smaller than the donor section so that the can be overlapped behind the trim, that way you aren't dealing with a complete overlay. I feel confident that would work pretty good.

 

[marty]

I don't think that you would easily get the overlay to lay over top the original very well, if you do it you should cut your whole center section out a little smaller than the donor section so that the can be overlapped behind the trim, that way you aren't dealing with a complete overlay. I feel confident that would work pretty good.

oh trust me i don't think it would be a completely easy thing to do. i feel if i lay some thin cardboard across the original grill and install the chrome trim and trace the inside opening that should give me a close template to cut the overlay grille. then once i get that cutout lay it on the original and then see how the chrome trim fits. i am sure i will have to grind some of the outer perimeter of the overlay to get it to fit just right. and then send the chrome trim and overlay out for chrome plating.

 

[stupidboy]

It asn't going to lay flat on your grille. I would cut the center out of your grille on the inside of the trim and then cut a donor grille on the outside of the trim. then the one you cut on the outside of the trim can be ground down until it will be hidden under the trim and then the trim itself will hold the 2 pieces together, and you have the holes to line it up. That would be so easy, what you want to do sounds good but the way the grille is formed is going to keep the 2 pieces from sandwiching together and it will look like you have a grill over top of a grille, unless you cut every piece of your grill so that the donor will wrap it.

 

[Dano 407]

I knew a kid back in the mid 80's with a chromed grille. It looked pretty good. But the one that really stands out is the one I saw in a parking lot ONCE that had dual round headlights with stock trim rings around each one. It was very trick. He needed two stock grills to make the one; it was done very nicely; looked factory. No pics.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Many moons ago , there was a feature Bronco in BroncoDriver with a chrome center section grill. Looked sweet.
If I can find it , I'll post a pic.

Found it : issue #15 May/June 2005
Will have to take a pic and post it.

 

[Atom0023]

First thing that came to mind was this bronco with a chrome grill and a corvette engine. Check it out the grill looks great.

http://www.tomsbroncoparts.com/projects/projects.php?a=browse&id=23

 

[marty]

First thing that came to mind was this bronco with a chrome grill and a corvette engine. Check it out the grill looks great.

http://www.tomsbroncoparts.com/projects/projects.php?a=browse&id=23

that does look nice. done very well too. scary looks like chevy motor fits better in there than the ford does.

 

[00gyrhed]

unfortunately thats why they are so popular

that does look nice. done very well too. scary looks like chevy motor fits better in there than the ford does.

Nice small lightweight package. Fits in almost anyplace you can put any v-8.

Its hard to sell a hotrod with anything but a chevy motor. People even look down there noses at a 302 boss or 351C in a 32 Ford.

 

[englewoodcowboy]

A chebby in a FORD is blasphemy!

 

[fuzzy2133]

My EB has a all chrome grill the PO did. Ill post it to my gallery.

It is funny I was thinking one weekend I wanted to paint it all black just as I ran across this thread.

It is up:
http://classicbroncos.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/26278/cat/500/ppuser/22725

 

[marty]

Nice small lightweight package. Fits in almost anyplace you can put any v-8.

Its hard to sell a hotrod with anything but a chevy motor. People even look down there noses at a 302 boss or 351C in a 32 Ford.

i know that drives me crazy. i hate old ford hot rods when they have chevy power. if its a ford keep it all ford. only time i like something different in a hot rod is if it was hot rodded back in the day early '60's and later with maybe a caddy engine or something but nothing beats a flathead in a old ford hot rod.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I was wrong , the whole grill was chromed in the BD article.

Here ya are anyways :

 

[crsman2]

My EB has a all chrome grill the PO did. Ill post it to my gallery.

It is funny I was thinking one weekend I wanted to paint it all black just as I ran across this thread.

It is up:
http://classicbroncos.com/photos/showphoto.php/photo/26278/cat/500/ppuser/22725

Yeah I got mine with the grill all chromed. I like the chrome, I 'll probably make the borders match the truck when I get it re-painted. I do like the chrome though for the center grill.