Question about Grille 1940 Standard / 1940-41 Pickup

Karl Wescott

Karl Wescott

Well-known member
I have the remnants of two grilles. What is interesting is that the center horizontal spacer "bar" ("support") is of distinctly different construction between the two grilles. One grille has a sheetmetal component, the other is cast integral with the vertical bars.


Any ideas if this is an early/late thing, different manufacturer thing, aftermarket thing?
 

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At one time I had 5 NOS ones that came with my coupe. I will look and see what they have. I only have 1 in the car and 1 spare at this point. Hope to see you at Portland.
 
Karl Wescott said:
I have the remnants of two grilles. What is interesting is that the center horizontal spacer "bar" ("support") is of distinctly different construction between the two grilles. One grille has a sheetmetal component, the other is cast integral with the vertical bars.


Any ideas if this is an early/late thing, different manufacturer thing, aftermarket thing?
Click to expand...
539470


539471


539472


539473
 
I have noticed the same. Can not say for certain if it is different Mfg. But that is my guess.
 
Karl, I have had a number of those with the sheet metal support.
I am 99% certain they were / are after-market.
Karl, I should have added earlier but will now (finally)... there were no design revisions on the engineering release for this part.
Of course, that doesn't mean there wasn't one, it only means there wasn't one that was recorded.
Roy Nacewicz and I had numerous conversations on how things like this were supposed to happen. Key phrase? Supposed to.
 
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Karl Wescott said:
I have the remnants of two grilles. What is interesting is that the center horizontal spacer "bar" ("support") is of distinctly different construction between the two grilles. One grille has a sheetmetal component, the other is cast integral with the vertical bars.


Any ideas if this is an early/late thing, different manufacturer thing, aftermarket thing?
Click to expand...


I had an early 40 Standard with the sheet metal style center grille. I think they are rare as Bob Drake wanted to buy it or trade it for one of his cast centers. 40larry


My early car also had side grilles like those in your pictures. I would bet these are all very early Ford genuine Ford parts.
 
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I believe the cast one is an early production like mine with the part number inside the outer vertical bar
 
picture.php


picture.php


Ok, here is something to ponder, first picture is from a very early, maybe a September or October 40 V8 coupe, a close-up picture of the grille half . note raised Ford 01A part number with suffix A in the pot metal casting of the rim and the vertical bars appearing to be folded sheet metal.

The second picture is of left side half of one of my NOS grilles. I knew the previous owner of my V8 coupe who told me he bought those new grilles in 1957 from a dealership after he got the car I now own. note raised Ford 01A part number also WITH suffix A with cast vertical bars and the horizontal stiffening is also cast.

You may have to enlarge or zoom in to see the details.

We will probably never know the answer as to how that unusual grille made it out the door but perhaps it was a prototype or something that changed really early like the "skirtless 33s" which actually did get out into the public. It certainly was made by Ford.

In 2014 at the Western National Meet at LA where I took my 40 station wagon to be judged, Larry Caplan invited me over to his shop to see his collection of something like 18 40 Fords. It was there I saw this VERY early car and got to see the 40 station wagon he was working on.
 
It is my understanding that when Ford drawings were sent to various manufactures such as three different companies who could supply die cast grills, the parts would arrive at Ford with slight differences. Ford could accept the differences or insist the part to be modified. Ford didn't modify the prints to indicate the difference in Mfg.
 
deuce_roadster said:
picture.php


picture.php


Ok, here is something to ponder, first picture is from a very early, maybe a September or October 40 V8 coupe, a close-up picture of the grille half . note raised Ford 01A part number with suffix A in the pot metal casting of the rim and the vertical bars appearing to be folded sheet metal.

The second picture is of left side half of one of my NOS grilles. I knew the previous owner of my V8 coupe who told me he bought those new grilles in 1957 from a dealership after he got the car I now own. note raised Ford 01A part number also WITH suffix A with cast vertical bars and the horizontal stiffening is also cast.

You may have to enlarge or zoom in to see the details.

We will probably never know the answer as to how that unusual grille made it out the door but perhaps it was a prototype or something that changed really early like the "skirtless 33s" which actually did get out into the public. It certainly was made by Ford.

In 2014 at the Western National Meet at LA where I took my 40 station wagon to be judged, Larry Caplan invited me over to his shop to see his collection of something like 18 40 Fords. It was there I saw this VERY early car and got to see the 40 station wagon he was working on.
Click to expand...




The very early car was produced in September or October of 1939 not 1940.....40larry
 
I see I didn't make that clear. Sorry about that saying it was an early car built in Sept or Oct. obviously 39 not 40! I use age as an excuse.
 
My first 40 was a Std Fordor. Very early production. It had a cast grill with no horizontal bars and it had the 01A part number.
 
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