1932 Ford Grille Shell

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Krylon32

Well-known member
A friend of mine asked me a question I can't answer. On the bottom of the 32 Ford sheet metal shell there is of course a crank hole but on each side of the crank hole there are a pair small slotted holes. What is the purpose of these holes? I told him it was to help clean out the grasshoppers. He laughed so I told him I'd ask the experts. Thanks
 
Krylon32 said:
A friend of mine asked me a question I can't answer. On the bottom of the 32 Ford sheet metal shell there is of course a crank hole but on each side of the crank hole there are a pair small slotted holes. What is the purpose of these holes? I told him it was to help clean out the grasshoppers. He laughed so I told him I'd ask the experts. Thanks
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I've not encountered an explanation for those two oval holes in my years of digging through Ford archives information and I doubt if the engineering drawings would offer an explanation. They aren't there for added cooling given that they are well below the radiator. It is even more of a head scratcher given that the '32 commercial vehicle/truck radiator shell lacks those holes.
 
Stranger still is that the opening continue on to the flange/flat area of the shell (as well as the crank hole opening) as noticeable on this angle of the shell?
 

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I have always heard them referenced as drain holes...but probably from the same people that reference 32 front axles as "heavy"...
 
I have built a several Brookville Spec 32's and I had an employee that could make the holes at the bottom of a Vintique filled shell look almost factory. I always put them in strictly as a way to help get the accumulated bugs (running without a bug screen) out from behind the grille.
 
IF for drainage, just how much water where they anticipating, from where and just HOW would the grill area "HOLD" that much water??? Lol
 
Interesting, I never had an original without the slotted holes? I got 8 or 9 hanging in the basement and shop and they all have the holes. Tom, I wonder when and where the shell like yours was stamped?
 
Krylon, There is no identification whatsoever on the shell, I found it mixed in with the swirl of orphan parts at Hershey way back when. Is there a DNA test I can perform?
 
I have a fiberglass version doesn't have the holes either. Could that possibly be a clue?:rolleyes:
 
The earliest version lack the two extra holes. Survivors with a single hand crank hole seem to be more common in Europe.

I think that they are for drainage purposes and the absence of them on commercial/truck is an oversight with the result being that many of that version are rusted out at the bottom behind the grille bars, including on through the '34 commercial/truck shells.

Robert,

Water in the form of rain while driving would build right up behind the bars both at idle and at speed.
 
I think I read way back in V8 Times that they were for clearance for the controls on the Pines WinterFront vanes.
 
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