how would you section a 36 ford truck grill

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kenny c

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Jan 4, 2012
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West Greenwich R.I.
I need to remove 3" of height from this grill. The best way I can think of to do this would be to cut the 3" out of the shell where the tape is being that it is not tapered there. and it is everywhere else and then cut grill bars away from the surround and slide them into the lower section as it moves up and weld them back in. the reason I need to do this is that I only have 4" of ground clearance now. I'm looking for ideas from some one who may have more insight than me. thanks
 

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Looks to me like the grill is lower than the top of the cowl. Is that the height that you want it at?
Sectioning the shell can be done as a straight cut like you have laid out or as a stepped cut. That doesn't really matter. I can't really remember ever seeing this style of grill cut down. Usually people use a 32 style grill and chop them.
The other problem will be with the spacing of the cross bars. If you cut the grill bars and slde them down how will the cross bar spacing look?
I would consider removing the grill part altogether, then chop the shell and get some 1/8" steel rods and make up my own insert.You could sand and buff them bright and then clear coat. Or paint to match the shell. Or leave them plain and let them rust.
Lets see what others have to say.
Torchie.
 
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My opinions echo Torchies. Did you stand the grille up two inches higher and stand back and view it all around? That might look O.K. and be a way easier.
Where you want to cut it is the least amount of taper so that is good but if you go straight across with your cut the cross pieces in the grille will be at different widths apart. Then Torchie suggested a step cut and I started nodding. Boneheads thread showed his step cut. That worked out alright.
I still vote for raising the grille up a little bit and saving yourself a lot of work and grief.
Keep on tinkering.
 
thanks for the replies guys. the grill is at the highest I can mount it and have the hood line up. My thoughts were to chop it like Bone head did and use the original grill bars over. I agree with the idea of trying to keep the cross bars evenly spaced. Thanks again.
 
If you put a temporary 1/4" bar across where the yellow line is then,
cut the top of the bars, at the red line just where the bars transition from radius to straight, cut the surround at where you have it marked. You can slide the top of the grille shell down, reattach the bars at th top, you won't lose the spacing and it will look original just shorter [;)

Sorry the lines are a little thin but, you should be able to see them
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