There are some dyed-in-the-wool classic truck enthusiasts that wouldn't have any year or make of truck other than the one they currently own. For some this might mean a real oddball that is miles away from the mainstream. Not to hurt anyone's feelings but there are just some trucks that will never have much of a following, and consequently will always be hard to find parts for.
We mention this because every once in awhile we'll get an inquiry from a reader new to the classic scene that wants to buy their first vintage truck, and they will ask if we have any pointers on which truck would be the best to restore and customize. One of the first considerations a person should think about before deciding on which make and year of truck they want to get involved with should be whether or not restoration parts are available.
Until the aftermarket sprung up this meant that just about any truck 10 years or older would be difficult to bring back to showroom condition. Fortunately, on older trucks, especially ones that are destined to be customized, there's not a lot of emblems or trim pieces that will have to be replaced. Two areas on a classic truck where there's no avoiding the aftermarket is the grille and front bumper. Without a nice grille and bumper there's no way a truck can be considered cherry. In the past this meant tracking down a good used grille, or even three grilles to complete one and then have it re-chromed. Unfortunately, the real grief doesn't begin until after one has brought their restored grille home and discovered the chrome shop polished the letters off their grille to the point where "Chevrolet" or "Ford" looks like it is spelled in Russian. In today's world trucks that don't have a reproduction grille available the process remains the same, but for certain models of classic trucks, such as the '47-53 Chevrolet, there is relief. Thanks to the folks at Classic Industries of Huntington Beach, California a brand-new reproduction grille is available, and it costs less than the price of re-chroming an old grille.
That said, we can't tell you installing a new or used grille on a '47-53 Chevy is easy because they are usually a real bear. The first thing a person needs to do before attempting installation is track down an extra friend or two to help drop it in without destroying the paint, and of course after following the captioned photos below the job will go smoother than jumping in cold.
| PN | Description | Cost |
| CX1242 | Grille Assembly | 429.99 |
| CT11000 | Bumper | 149.99 |
| CX1224 | Headlight Trim Ring | 19.99 |
| 5950248 | Headlight Retaining Ring | 10.95 (2 required) |
| CX1852 | Bumper Bolt, Set or 10 | 19.95 |
| T70455 | Turn Signal Amber Lens | 39.95 (2 required) |
| CX1229 | Headlight Seal | 9.99 |
| Total | | $731.71 |
Here is the truck after coming...
Here is the truck after coming from the paint booth. Sam had a decent but used grille to put in but the chrome was dull and there were a few dings along some of the bars. This all could be fixed, but because of time and general impatience he searched for a new assembly.
Classic Industries had just...
Classic Industries had just what he needed in a fully new and assembled unit. Not only were the bars nice and shinny the rear structure is powdercoated the proper cream color. There is a black version available if that is more your style.
The original turn signals...
The original turn signals were completely missing but, luckily, Classic Industries has them as well. Again, these are completely new pieces and come complete with everything needed like a nice, bright bulb and amber lens.
Here's the stuff he needed...
Here's the stuff he needed to restore the headlight area. He had the buckets and stuff so retaining rings, seals, and trim rings were ordered up...
...The rings come with the...
...The rings come with the proper clips to retain the seal as well as a hook to the bucket.
The bumper blade comes to...
The bumper blade comes to the exact size and shape as original and is coated in chrome for this truck. If you need a paintable version those are available as well...
...All the holes are properly...
...All the holes are properly stamped and the bumper bolts feature the proper oversized head.
Thanks to the install of the...
Thanks to the install of the Ron Francis' wire harness covered in the August '08 issue of CCT hooking up the headlights was a snap. Sam picked up a standard high beam/low beam lightbulb from his local auto parts store.
The new trim ring screws on...
The new trim ring screws on in three points to hold the bulb in place. There are a couple bosses molded in the bulb, make sure those are indexed properly before tightening down the retaining ring.
After the seal was fitted...
After the seal was fitted along the outer edge of the headlight trim ring the provided clips were snapped in. The clip with the large ear must be located at the top of the trim ring...
...The ear will index into...
...The ear will index into a slot on the bucket and provide the upper mounting point for the ring.
Since the previously mentioned...
Since the previously mentioned clip holds the top of the trim ring, a small screw will lock the ring in place on the truck.
Before the grille was set...
Before the grille was set in, the truck nut clips were slipped into place and all the threads on the grille were tapped to remove the paint and relieve any frustration...
...Not pictured is the installation...
...Not pictured is the installation of the lower filler panel, which is bolted up to the bottom of the grille.
This is where you will need...
This is where you will need some friends. Two guys were used to hold the assembly in place while two more shimmied under the truck to install the hardware.
There are a few bolts that...
There are a few bolts that will test your patience. The four that mount from the backside of the upper bar and the six along the side of the grille will be difficult to say the least. Using a pin punch will help to align the holes, and make the job go easier.
After the fender-to-grille...
After the fender-to-grille hardware was in, the rod braces were bolted up. Sam installed the lower bolts and then used a jack to bring the upper part of the rod into position.
With that, the upper filler...
With that, the upper filler was installed using 14 button-head Allen bolts for a clean look.
Since the turn signal assemblies...
Since the turn signal assemblies come prewired all Sam needed to do was add a few terminals to plug into his existing Ron Francis wire harness.
Once plug-ged in, the assembly...
Once plug-ged in, the assembly minus, the lens and trim ring, was slipped into place. It's a tight fit, but it will go, just be careful.
Here is what the setup looks...
Here is what the setup looks like once it's powered up.
The bumper, apron, and brackets...
The bumper, apron, and brackets were assembled on a set of sawhorses in this configuration: bumper blade, bumper brackets, apron. All the bolts were snugged up, but not fully tightened.
The newly assembled setup...
The newly assembled setup was then slid on the trucks and adjusted. Once Sam was happy with the fit all the hardware was cranked down.
Here's the payoff for that...
Here's the payoff for that little bit of work, a truck that will make a great first impression pulling into cruise night. The front definitely needed all this bright work and was well worth the $731.
| Sources |
Classic Industries
(866) 677-6587
www.classicindustries.com | |