The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk 47-53 Truck Grills

Stupid question: Are the original truck grills chrome or stainless or did they offer both?

No question is stupid. The grilles went through changes over the years because of shortages, wars etc. Jim Carters catalog has a lot of the information of year to year changes.

Jims catalog page 10

To the best of my knowledge grilles were never offered in either polished stainless or chrome... painted only.

Chrome grills, not stainless(factory) were offered with the Deluxe cab option on 1947-48-49-50-51 then the Korean war hit and things got tough with nickel. I have owned one 1954 with the factory chrome grill as well it was a 3600. Keep in mind corner windows were available seperately not in conjunction with the deluxe cab. I have never seen a chrome grill on a 3-window that was original. I have owned 18 trucks in the last 20 months so have a pretty good hands on history to draw from, but as always there were exceptions.

Thanks Brad. My burb had a 'chrome' grill, stainless glovebox and speaker grill, and stainless windowsheild trim, but nothing else. With the burbs, its starts to get real strange. I wanted to buff on these bars, but I think i'll just get an exchange from bumper boyz in CA.

Learn something new every day.

Brad, What color was the inner bars on a chrome grille? Just curious.

The chrome grill option (386) was available on all 3000 series trucks in 1947 (a separate option (387) for the rear corner windows could also be ordered by itself). In 1947, there was also a Deluxe Cab and Equipment (390) option that included both the rear corner windows, the chrome grill, other bright-work, and other accessories.

By 1949/50, the chrome grill option (386) was still available by itself on all 3000 series trucks except for the Suburban. The Deluxe Cab and Equipment option (390) looks like the only way to get the rear corner windows (with all the other deluxe goodies).

In 1953, as stated above, there were no chrome or other bright-work options available; however, the rear corner windows option (387) was available by itself.

Many things changed in 1954, and various chrome and deluxe packages were available.

Woody on the 54 grille they were a matte kind of silver color on one of the others (1950)it was creme colored and the other a 1949 it was white. Of the 18 those are the three that had chrome grills. Here is my latest find a 1953 got caught in a brush fire but its painted grill has been preserved by the massive home-made bumper. I bought the truck for the grill (my 50 needs one) it has lots of other good stuff too just singed a bit. Just got it home last night #19!
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2903797930102454676RFhLeN

Just a little sandblasting and she'll be good as new. Good find...

They did offer stainless, I have one from a 47. I was told they are very rare.

So Brad, what do the neighbors have to say about having a salvage yard where your located??? I'll bet they're taking up a petition right now to get you out of town and out to the country as we speak. You're gonna be giving "Mothertrucker" out in the AZ desert a run for the money if you keep it up.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny,

I have been able to placate the neighbors by parting just one truck at a time from the time it hits the driveway until I take the bones to the scrapyard is two-weeks. Patrick in regards to the stainless I would be curious to see pictures or hear more about how you determined that. I have never seen one in stainless, has anyone else?

An Advance-Design stainless-steel grill would be as rare as hen's teeth (unless it was custom made - this would be a rare and valuable curiosity).

I believe the early chrome grills all had the slightly off white painted back bars. If I remember correctly it is called "Windsor White"?? Not sure though. It does have a cream color to it and I believe it gets "creamier" as the years pass.

I have never seen or heard of a stainless grill in these trucks.

It has a small dent, some dings, and someone drilled 2 holes to mount the licence plate. I was thinking of getting it fixed and rechromed, and the chrome guy told me it was stainless and rare. He said don't chrome it, but it could be repaired.

Real easy to tell Patrick, is it magnetic or not? That would be a first if it is SS. Ya just gotta post a picture of it.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny & Patrick,

I do not want to further blurr the possibility of the grill being stainless (if it is a custom grill, it could be stainless); however, it should be noted that the magnetic test is not 100% proof. There are magnetic and non-magnetic examples of stainless steel. I have received slightly-magnetic stainless steel from vendors of stainless steel hardware.

Regardless, if the magnet does not stick, it's definitely stainless. If it does stick, that doesn't mean it's not stainless.

I'd like to hear the results of a magnet test. It could prove that it's stainless.

Some good closeup pictures of the damaged portions and I can probably tell you if it's stainless or not.

Try the magnet test first, but as Tim noted some stainless is magnetic or mildly magnetic, still worth trying.

Grigg

Magnet does stick, but there is not a speck of rust, not even in the damaged area. If you give me your e mail, I can send a few pics, or tell me where to post them. I am interested to know for sure. Thanks.

Patrick,

In order to make a conclusive determination, a sophisticated chemical assay would most likely have to be done (and you'd probably have to cut into the sheet metal).

You could try your own "comparative magnetism" test by seeing if the magnetic attraction of a piece of your bright metal against the magnetic attraction of a similar gauge of sheet metal. Is there a painted piece of similar-gauge of sheet metal on your grill assembly? If yes, compare the strength of its magnetic attraction to the magnetic attraction of a bright-piece of your grill.

Magnetic stainless steel would most likely have a noticeably weaker magnetic attraction.

The chrome on my 1954 grill has a substantial layer of copper underneath it. I guess you could try to rub off the layer of chrome (and nickel) but this would mar your grill (and, you would not know how much material to rub/abrade away).

Its not real nice anyway, I just have it hanging in my shop on the wall as art. I replaced it with a perfect painted grill. When I get time I will pull it down and check it out better. Right now I have alot of other things to get done, like finish my engine install in my 53. Can't wait to drive it.

He could also compare the magnetism to other stainless parts on the truck.

All Stainless Steels are attracted to a magnet with the exception of the austenitic grades i.e. 300 series. Type 303, 304, 310 and 316 are the most common grades and in their annealed condition they won’t show any response to a magnet. Nine chances out of ten if you had a grill that was punched out of SS it would be type 303 or more likely type 304. That said, cold working, machine polishing and welding can cause the grain structure in 303 or 304 to change enough to become responsive to a magnetic but stress relieving will return it to it’s non-magnetic condition. Generally speaking if you increase the nickel to chrome ratios it will remain less responsive to cold working. There for type 310 and 316 can be worked quite heavily and still remain non-magnetic.
If you look at welds that have been made on SS and that have been in service for a period of time you can notice a band a short distance from the weld that will begin to rust and has become slightly magnetic. This is because some areas of the metal adjacent to the weld cools down thru the transition temperature very rapidly causing martinsite to form. When carbides form in the lattice the austenitic grain structure changes to martinsite and it looses some of the properties that SS is known for.
Even though the 300 series SS may have become magnetic from cold working it will still not be as strongly attracted to a magnet, as would ordinary carbon steel.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Looks like Denny has done some studying?

Some Tim, I've worked with metal and welding since I was in knickers, early on was in partners with my bro in a welding fab/machine shop and finished of the last 27 years at Fermi National Accelerator Lab most of it spent as a welder and inspector. 99% of the accellerator was made from SS so I have quite a bit of exposure to it.
I still think if our buddy Patrick has a stock appearing grill, it's a chromed grill rather than SS!
DG

I'd be willing to bet on it, Denny (and, I do not gamble).

Woody, the inner bars on the '47's and '48's were body color. After that they went to a creme color, then to the off white.