I've been working on making a custom grill for my bird. I just started. I was thinking of different centers to put into the grill area. Here are some pics of what I've done so far.
(http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s188/ipsd1/Grill.jpg)
That center must go. And now its gone.
(http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s188/ipsd1/NOgrill.jpg)
I was thinking about a mesh style grill. I've also thought about a tube style. Anyone have any Ideas what else might look good.
Sweet! Good job so far. It's fun to mess around with that.
I don't know if this will help you, but here goes anyway:
(http://www.coolcats.net/ximages/tbirdgrille.jpg)
It's a painted horizontal billet-style grille from waaayyyyy back in tha day (cover of an old Hot Rod issue). Haven't seen anyone do that yet.
Mesh is nice, provided you paint the insides surfaces of the grille black.
Not sure about a tube grille.
Another thing you could have tried is leaving the top and bottom lines so it didn't look like someone with missing teeth :hick:
(http://www.baxo.ca/cougar/newgrillecomplete.jpg)
Eric, That thing has a rather interesting bumper cover too! i want it!
I would have been simpler if I had a spare 83-84 grill to make it out of.
I think I might start playing with the black 84-5 grill I have now.
Eric, I love that black bird pic. Almost as much as the motorsport grills
I had thought about a floating "Thunderbird" emblem,like the Mustangs had with the Pony and Cobra.But with the TC nose,that idea was put away.
(http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r9/84fila/red_8386_chromecobraR_motorsport.jpg)
I wana see if I can re-create this somehow
The floating bird isnt the problem, its the depth of the grill.
It doesn't have to deep, though that would be badass
Hrm...
Just dont regret it after you cut into it, 83-84 T-Bird Grilles that arent broken are hard to find nowadays.
This is what recently did to my grille:
http://aesthetikz.topcities.com/journal.html
Fila if you want that grill look on ebay. That is a Motorsports Grill. Yeah I have 1 83-84 grill and 1 85-86 chrome grill and 1 86 Turbo coupe blacked out grill. Wasn't gonna hack the 83-84 or the black one.
I have the original 84 away for safe keeping. I have the 85-6 black grill on it now, and I have a chrome one to play with.
Yeah tells us about it.... :hick:
But seriously this thread has kind of forced my hand. I've been discussing manufacture of this design...
I wanted it to be a big suprise but still unsure of its popularity....
Don't expect much I guess...
Thats pretty cool man. Kudos!
yea nice job on being original!
Is that brass? I'm wondering how that would look with just one Cougar head.
just the lighting i think. it looks like 1 83-86 cougar grill an 2 87-88 grills. i like my mesh but im thinking of new thing, even just different mesh. im also making a grill for an 87-88 Bird. its goin to be different but i didnt think of it i stole it off here somewhere
what if your got your normal grill cut it out like you have done and but a billet grille thats larger and cut the tines off of it to fit the tbird/cougar grille? that would look goodand leave it chrome around the billet
Nice job and nice junkyard find. Let us know what else was left on the car or some pics!
It's pretty stripped now, I think it's going to the crusher soon. *cries*
Not before i basicly got the WHOLE interior for my car though. :hick:
I also got the entire vent door's with the keypad setup and illuminated locks + All the Heritage Goodies. :banana:
Not much left, Random engine and electrical stuff, The seats minus the rails, But they are filthy.
Most of the body stuff including a lot of broken parts.
I spent like $200 on her, She may be crushed soon... But she shall live on through my car! If i can get it started... *Sigh*
Heres a grill I got when I bought my first spoiler kit back in 86 for my 5.0 bird. I bought another spare body a few years ago that had the same kit on it so I have a spare now. BTW Fila this one looks like it's for you, kinda like a big F in the middle of it. :D
I had the one on my car molded in when I shaved door handles,antenna hole,gas tank door,trunk key hole and emblems. 12 function alarm opened each door,rolled up windows opened trunk,cranked engine.
Check out where I moved my gas filler neck too. Under the trunk lid but outside the trunk gasket - no fumes
This is that beautiful Black Bird thats been on jackstands in my garage for 15 years now, waiting on me. Thanks to your site making me itch this project will resume when the temp's start dropping here, kinda hard to enjoy working it when it's 95° outside in the shade.
Mike
That fuel filler neck relocation is pretty darn slick! I like it!:D
Correction that fuel filler is the SHIITTT!
We ALL have a big "F" for Fila. :flip: :flip: :flip:
(and an extra :flip: with a purple scrunchie)
Figured I'd finish telling you what it is also. The metal cone is a mag wheel centercap with a hole cut into the end of it. It was actually a quickie install so the pipe I added needs to be rebuilt to get it closer to the fenderwell so it can be covered .
Heres new pic's of it all and a shot of the trunk before I tore the car down. Had my amp's and such in the bottom of trunk, covered by black plexiglass connected to a ford truck window motor. Open the hidden door with the equalizer on the back of it and hit the window switch and the plexi slid back under the front section which enclosed the woofers. Rear lower piece of wood had a 12V cooling fan installed to remove the amp heat.
Notice the blacked out tailights using a roll of 2 sized evenly spaced pinstriping tape. From a distance they appeared black, tailights worked fine when lit. Can also be colorcoded to car. Simple, cheap and last forever if done correctly.
Sorry about the pic quality, old pic's, old camera. All these things were done in 1986-1987 right after I purchased the car.
Mike
Bad Ass Man!!
Diggin the filler neck spot, and the pinstripe on the tailights. Thats some trick shiznit, and I like it!!!
I do like that filler spout idea. That was some good thinking outside the box.
Keep in mind this was all done TWENTY years ago :-) Alot of people said the car was years ahead of it's time. Not to mention the whole BOOM stereo thing was just getting started, and there were no robotic's on anything. I figure someone's gonna go off on all those wires but I guess thats how it was back then.
About those stripes on the lights, I put that on in early 87 and drove the car till 93 when I disassembled it and it's been on jacks since, so that show's you it will last if you do it right.
Appreciate the kind comments.
I wish you would have posted this 5 months ago. i would have stole that gas fill idea for sure. :evilgrin:
Whoah
You've got some awesome creativity, Keep it up man!
BTW, isn't that grille a Ford Motor Sports grille? And isn't it really rare?
sorry to drag up this old thread but i had to say that bumper and fuel filler relocation look awesome:birdsmily: