Styled D reproduction grill?

[Canadian Ken]

Hi Is anyone reproducing a styled D complete grill?
Thanks
Ken

 

[woodvue]

Tony Carbaugh sells reproduction grill bars that you put into your existing frame. Not the whole thing but its a start. woodvue
Link

 

[Vern H]

Hi Ken,
On this site, in photo adds, in AZ, there is a complete one for sale. Good luck, VH

 

[D Ongaro]

Ken
Have been through the grille thing and spent a lot of time trying to find one or its parts. The few I came across all needed work and were expensive. Only recently found the replacement bars available on the site already given which seems like a good value assuming you have a decent shell to work with. Not finding anything suitable last fall I opted to repair mine by replacing 1/3 of the shell (lower right side and bottom) (20 gauge worked very nicely...easy enough to work but strong enough to stiffen things up. I fabricated and replaced the lower third of 4 of the bars by making a pattern & jig from one of the good ones and set about cutting and welding. Like everything once you do the first one the others are easy. Re-attaching the bars was also tricky...originals were all spot welded which made for a solid unit, but I could not do that because the top of the shell was reinforced and was now to thick(two layers). Similar repairs I had seen by others had used pop rivets but the bars appeared wobbly and loose. I finally sourced some 1/8 (steel) button head 6/32 bolts that worked great(low profile allen heads). Actually found some flat head 1/8 steel hammer rivets today that might have been even better. Used one button head at all locations of original spot welds (2 at the bottom of each bar and 3 at the top). I then used 5/16 bolts into spacer nut at the bottom of each channel/ bar through the top lip of the bottom portion of shell. After about 15-20 hrs it looks great. Of course all of this only makes any sense if you have some facsimile of a grill to start with,not to mention equipment.
From what I can see this is the most vulnerable part of a "D" and has to be trickiest part to find or repair. If yours is missing and you come across a decent one suggest you grab it. The few I saw last year were asking around $400-$500 and all needed some work.
I take it you are Canadian...What part of Canada are you in?...I am located in Southern Ontario and working on a '48 D. I think I have sourced everything mine needs now and hope to have the project finished by next spring. I started with the Grille!
Good Luck...Dave

 

[Moore-D]

D Ongaro,
I also live in Southern Ontario and have a 1946 D. I'm 10 min west of Brantford. Im actually going to be selling my D before the winter this year. Don't have enough time for it right now.

Moore-D