Just getting a little bored with my stock 83 grill. I'd like to try an aftermarket open grill with the floating emblem like they made for a while in the 80s but so far as I know no one makes them anymore. Does anyone know of some other source or maybe one of you is making them in his garage?
i made mine and it came out great. use wire mesh and i have a late 70's cougar pillar emblem in the middle to brake it up
Hmmm. I'm guessing you hollowed out a stock grill? Got a pic?
When I do the paint/bodywork for mine in the spring, I'm just updating to an 85-86 grill over my 84. Not sure if thats the change you want, but it's an easy mod that keeps the look, but changes it up:nkhk:
Interesting thought. But I have a different vision for my car.
Those are tought to find now...not impossible but frustrating. If you want a custom grille other than that, you'll have to make one and be resourceful...
http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?t=11723
some pics more somewhere around here.
Been giving some thought to it and doctoring photos to get an idea of the effect and I think what I'll do is eliminate the vertical bars from the grill to get rid of the crosshatch look. I figure I can take care of the scarring with some filler that I can then paint over. What do you guys think?
I like it. Do you need a spare grill to try it? I have a chrome one if ya want
Thanks ;) I have a grill kicking around already, I replaced it because the chrome was peeling in one place. But it'll do nicely for cutting up. Wish I knew why the image is so pixelated, it isn't on my computer.
hwo big is your grill? height by width.
if you want to do mesh i can make one for you
I think I'll play it by ear on the mesh. This design might be fine without it. Thanks for the offer.
cool cool just an offer
dude i never was a fan of the older grills (pre-87) [jmho] but that mesh grill is nice man. and i think that grill you guys are talking about with the vertical bars taken out looks good.
actually the other day when i saw an all black crown vick the front resembled an 87-88 a tad bit, and the square grill was painted black to match the car. the grill didnt stick out as much as the 83-86 grills on our aeros but i thought it looked really good. i dunno if you guys are into vippu cars. you should check them out, but they're pure luxury orented, and i think a blacked out crown vick (2006-07) would look NICE b/c of the grill.
Anybdoy ever see a custom grill for a 87/88 bird?
It's called make your own. Hehe, I was toying around with the idea of cutting out the bars in the middle and making a bracket to hold a bird in the center when I had my car. It looked like a moderately difficult task, but with some good dremel skills could be done. A lot of other guys just run it without one, and it actually looks pretty decent.
i remember andrew beedle (member) doing a customer grille. yes its been done and when you see his, dont your pants!!
im 95% sure its andrew who did this. I think he also layed sheet metal along the engine bay all over for a clean nice silver cover.
andrew,, was that you ?
its been a like almost three years i think.
i guess you could call my 87 grill custom... painted it black and kept the bird chrome... needs to be redone with a better clear coat or some other non chipping paint. look up my posts and find my threads about pics of my bird and you'll see the (chipped) blacked out grill. i think it looks pretty decent if i had the whole front end 100% done.
that is my next take home project! going to get the grill and the pillar emblem today. gunna sand down the bird on the top and have the floating one! dont mean to steal you idea but i like it alot!
Here is a couple pictures of my grill I made a few years ago. This was on my first 83 bird that got rear ended and now it lives on my current 86 Bird. I got my idea from Eric but I wanted mine out of a T-bird grill and not a cougar grill so I made mine out of fiberglass and a spare t-bird grill I had around. Far as I know Eric and I are the only ones with a grill like thisl
(http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/fastertbird/2920.jpg)
(http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/fastertbird/t_86andrew03.jpg)
Just if you were going to replicate this I plan on making a few changes this winter :D
Here is a couple pictures of my grill I made a few years ago. This was on my first 83 bird that got rear ended and now it lives on my current 86 Bird. I got my idea from Eric but I wanted mine out of a T-bird grill and not a cougar grill so I made mine out of fiberglass and a spare t-bird grill I had around. Far as I know Eric and I are the only ones with a grill like thisl
(http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/fastertbird/2920.jpg)
(http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o187/fastertbird/t_86andrew03.jpg)
Just if you were going to replicate this I plan on making a few changes this winter :D
So Mike, please, change the bird emblem on the grill to match with Your car year, a stylyzed bird emblem on a 83-84 bird don't match for Me, unless all birds emblems are changed, at this time the dash don't fit for Me:hick:
Keep the car stock as possible...
Have a nice Day,
Dom.
Thats why I was ging a STOCK 85-86 grill. I planed on keeping the stock one, not trashing it. that way I can always go back to factory.
Okay, good, because the 85-86 grill have a stylized bird, and 83-84 have a straight bird (not sylized), well, keep Your car original as possible, or put just a Ford options on that...
I viewed Your post where You plan to change Your cluster for a ??? I don't remember, but if You make this keep all of Your stock parts and write a notes, My mother before his 85 donated to Me, have a 84 Bird, and if I remember corectly a lincoln digital dash will be an so easy fit in a 83-4 bird...
I plan to put a digital cluster from a MK-VI in My Ford van this spring when My Bird come out with his fresh paint:evilgrin:
Have a nice Day Mike,
Regards,
Dom.
i keep EVERYTHING! I still have the original header panel that was in my accident just incase
Ok, this is off topic, but since I have owned her, I have every part. Blown theromostat, ever bold, every smog line, EVERYTHNG:beatyoass: !!!!! I am going to kep the bird factory to an extent, but it WILL have ford parts on it. OR atleast a ford counterpart ( Ford Racing/SVO, Steeda, Roush....) so don't worry. I don't wana fornicate up the only fila here:punchballs:
Go for it on the spare grill. It adds a nice subtle customize to it. You can't lose, besides Pick n' pull have a rotating stock of T-Birds all the time (If you want to get another). Would you consider just black out paint first?
I got a grill off ebay for mine..9 bucks..i sanded it down and my dad took it to his shop today to paint. It'll go on in the spring w/ a few other MODS :evilgrin: