Stainless steel grills homemade

SixBanger

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Just thinking!

Has someone tried to make there own grill out of stainless steel? I was thinking to make one by using a water cutter.Building the 78/79 grill up with different layers. Only is how to make the housing of the flashlights.
It is not the easiest job, but how difficult could it be?

Example grill

440px-'78_Dodge_Aspen_FROM_HELL_(Auto_classique_VAQ_Mont_St-Hilaire_'11).jpg
 

old yellow 78

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I've wondered for a while if a company that makes custom "billet grilles" for other vehicles, might be able to do so for the F bodies. A chrome billet grille would actually look very close to the original on the '78 - '79 Aspens, and would look good on the other years of both Aspens and Volares. Hummm.
images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRoDHkyD7i-GsdDVc82CZBy5oAmuF9FHA7WH3R-QAoUj3XQvEJKmQ.jpg
images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSvZdIHy_DwAFgblHBmX_oe7EwpmJffLuxJfagTtiARzePa-kdMNg.jpg

02-03-04-05-dodge-ram-chrome-horizontal-billet-grille-grill.jpg
TRX21415-Dodge-Challenger-T-Rex-Billet-Grille-A.jpg
 

89.Fifth

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I would CNC them out of aluminum. If I can get at least 6 confirmed buys or deposits I would take the time to design and cut them. I would need a sample grille to take measurements from and several weeks to put it all together.
 

SixBanger

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Great input guys. I should take a look next weekend.

I would CNC them out of aluminum. If I can get at least 6 confirmed buys or deposits I would take the time to design and cut them. I would need a sample grille to take measurements from and several weeks to put it all together.

Hey you stole my idea to sell the grills ;0
 

SixBanger

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Offtopic, 3d printing gives awesome opportunities to cast homemade project.
I once went to a fair where they did shown a mold for the casting of an old rare racing/aircraft engine block.
Also the enormous cast iron engine block was impressive to see. Nice that this also makes possible.

Some great youtuber
 

89.Fifth

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Oh hey I'm not really looking to make a buck, I just happen to know a guy who might let me use his gear.
 

Oldiron440

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The only problem I see is a small market and mopar enthusiasts are cheap, always have been and always will be.
 

89.Fifth

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Yeah there's no money to be made in doing this as business. How many torsion bars you think Firm Feel sells every year? 2? It's for the passion of it and the prices just barely cover the costs.
 

BudW

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If a person got the 3D dimensions recorded, then making grills out of milled Aluminum (or plastic), 3D printer (metal or plastic) or even metal fab wouldn’t be an issue.

Does anyone have an idea on approximate costs (in either/any method)?

My ’77 Volare grill is close to perfect and I would like to put it away before it gets damaged (if I had a replacement . . . that is). I wouldn’t even mind one out of cast iron (if it came to that).
BudW
 

89.Fifth

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If a person got the 3D dimensions recorded, then making grills out of milled Aluminum (or plastic), 3D printer (metal or plastic) or even metal fab wouldn’t be an issue.

Does anyone have an idea on approximate costs (in either/any method)?

My ’77 Volare grill is close to perfect and I would like to put it away before it gets damaged (if I had a replacement . . . that is). I wouldn’t even mind one out of cast iron (if it came to that).
BudW

Cost for metal grilles would be over $1k each by my guess. The only way to make it cheaper (and not by a ton) would be to do them in plastic with a laser cutter and it requires "assembly". Either way you couldn't do them in one piece unless you're doing CNC out of a solid block of Aluminum and now you're really talking more than 1k each.

The fastest way would be getting a pristine unit and laser 3d scanning. It would probably still need a bunch of cleanup in a CAD program but it would be doable. If you could somehow pre-sell enough units it might be cost effective to have them injection molded in China. The production numbers would have to be at least 500 pieces but more likely 1000 pieces.

Again you're looking at a few grand in startup costs. I was looking at doing the dash bezels and even that requires some big time investment to do right. The facility I have a connection with could make some small or simple aluminum pieces in CNC but not be able to do a reproduction. Best case would be a grillle that fits, requires assembly, and has a design that makes it easy to produce.
 

Oldiron440

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At one time these grills were made by the aftermarket, in the mid 80s, but the market for even the aftermarket grills didn't justify their existence. Sure it might be nice if something was available but how many would sell in a year or three?
 

XfbodyX

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At one time these grills were made by the aftermarket, in the mid 80s, but the market for even the aftermarket grills didn't justify their existence.

Ya beat me to it on that one, way back you could get the custom grills from the same page you would find the rear window louvers for alot of cars.

Way back I tossed many a JC whitney tube grills as being "clown like" now they would be cool.
 

Oldiron440

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I was talking reproduction crash parts like fenders and bumpers. We bought them from the same suppliers.
 
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