Can you spare a grille?

[me4osu]

I purchased my rig used with a chrome grille. I like the sport look, and with the bumpers I put on, the grille is the only chrome item left.



Does anyone know where I can economically get a paintable grille? The salvage yards I have been to don't have any (probably sell them for big $ to the body shops).

 

[MCummings]

I don't know if you can, but I'll put up a suggestion/idea.



Could you take the chrome and sand it down to the plastic, then primer and paint it? The Chrome grill on my '98. 5 is just cheapo tin foil chrome wannabe stuff.



MerrickNJr

 

[me4osu]

I thought about that. Maybe bead-blasting would be easier.

I just wanted to know how much dinero it would take to get one that I don't have to do so much prep work for.

 

[redneckdr]

grille

you can get aftermarket grill shells and billet grills for $250 or so. least expensive would be to check with a body shop. they may be able to paint it without removing the chrome??

 

[ftb87]

You might want to purchase a Lund or similar screen protector, paint them and insert into grill.





Frank

 

[JKloppe]

What color is you truck? Did you want the sport grille or the crome painted.

Mine is the crome grille painted. I would think about repainting it to match you truck and trade you. The family business is a body shop, so it would be professional quality.



Just a thought.

Jordan

 

[JKloppe]

grille

Here it is.

 

[me4osu]

Grille

JKloppe

My truck is black and the grille is chrome, but the gomer that had the rig before me had a cheap grille guard that bent back toward the grille. Every time you opened the hood, the grill would scrape on the bolts for the pushbars. Anyway, my grille is chrome, but it is not in good shape. I don't think anyone would like to trade for it.



I now have a full front end replacement bumper with reciever and grill guard built in.



I do a lot of my own body & paint work. How do I prep the grille? Do I just rough up the chrome or remove it altogether? I want to paint it black (base coat, clear).

 

[kslayton]

Several grilles on Ebay

There are several on Ebay. Some new, some used.

Just do a search for "Dodge grilles" Most of them are going for under $50.





Kevin

 

[RThompson]

JKloppe,,,



That is a really good looking front end treatment on your truck!

Would you share with us the prepartion of the chrome grille so the paint will adhere?

 

[ReggieRam]

And the chrome stuff falls off!

My problem with the chrome-looking-stuff they put on our grills is that it falls off! Mine looks like it has leopracy or something. Has anyone powdercoated one? I've been thinking that it might be tougher. I'm also thinking about going black to match my rims.

 

[Roger rodbolt]

I changed my Black '98 to a "sport" with painted bumpers and grille. A company called Certi-fit sells wholesale body parts (imported) at low prices (dealers only). My ready to paint grille was less then $30. 00 and total for both bumpers was about $200. 00. The rear bumper was powder coated black but still needed paint/clearcoat to match the Ram. They also sell the lower bumper trim in black. Don't remember the price but it was low enough that I didn't bother painting the factory gray part.

Did the same front treatment on my dark silver '94, it didn't have an air dam but bought one for <$20. 00 HTH.

 

[me4osu]

Certifit Rules!

Thanks Roger! I called certifit and they sell a paintable one for $29. 95. Thanks everyone for all of the suggestions. I am going to fire one up as soon as I get the AFE from Wifey.



I still wonder how to prep the thing for best adhesion. I'm thinking a light wiping with Urethane reducer before application of an epoxy based primer. Let me know if I am way off base.

 

[DBCooper]

I too would like to know what the best way is to paint a non-sport "chrome" grill. I've also thought about doing the bumpers . Any thoughts?

 

[MidwestMotorman]

painting chrome...

Well, if your chrome is peeling try blasting it off with an air blow gun, or peeling it off by hand (do not cut yourself!!!).



If chrome is good and/or the chrome is off, prep the chrome/bare grill with a cleaner, scuff or rub with scotchbrite or wet sand with 600-1000 grit sandpaper. Wash grille. Put on a good primer or epoxy primer. Blast on your color or base/clear. Enjoy!

 

[JKloppe]

The best way to prep is to lightly sandblast the grille, then prime with and etching primer.

 

[JHansen]

Hey me4osu!

I bet you work in the oilpatch-the AFE bit gave you away... . ! Where and what? Inquiring minds want to know... .



Jason

Crude Oil is your Friend!

 

[me4osu]

Oil field trash

I work for the Big Green H! Hanover Compression in Houston, TX. Thats where my office is, however my ugly face has been seen on locations from Big Piney, WY to Bolivia and the Middle East. Haven't been to the Great White North yet, eh.





Started when I was 14yr old doing roustabout work and apprentice diesel mechanic'in. When I graduated college I was a Project Engineer for ten years and engineered over 400,000 hp of natural gas compressor packages. (also comissioning and field trouble shooting) For the last three years I have been full time engineering support for our field operations. Vibration/Pulsation analysis and remediation. Our company (Production Operators Inc. ) was purchased by Hanover in August. Consolidation is a way of life in the oilfield these days.



If I'm posting at night, I'm on the road. If I post during the day, I'm at the office.



How about you?

 

[JHansen]

Contract field operator for a dinky little oil and gas company up here in Alberta-at last count there were 12 full-time field operators (6 company guys, 6 contractors), a couple or three part-time ones that work a couple days every 2 weeks for fill-in or during holidays, a field foreman and a secretary. Doubt there's 20 employees in the Calgary office either-and a few of those would be contracted as well (geologist & HSE guy come to mind off the top of my head as well as major services like facility engineering etc. )-in fact might be closer to a dozen! Lean and mean-kinda nice when you want something though. Go to the field foreman-most of the time he approves or disapproves it right there. If it's something major he'll make a quick call to his boss and it's either shut down or approved right away... not like a big company where things seem to get lost in the shuffle...



We actually have a Collicutt Hanover package at the new gas plant we just put together in June. Pretty nice piece-7042 and a 3 stage Arial. Too much electronic crap for my tastes though-but I guess that's the wave of the future. Once they got the bugs worked out it seems to be doing OK now-really too big of a package for what we need now but that's just a good excuse to start drilling again



If you ever make it up here you'll have to give me a call-Collicutt Hanover's big manufacturing base here is in Red Deer which is only 1. 5 hours away from me. We can drink beer and tell stories!



Jason

Operator Extraordinaire!

 

[me4osu]

Waukeshas eat Cats

JHansen



Sounds like a plan; its been awhile since I killed a few Molsons. Is that '42 a GL or a GSI? Also, does it have CEC ignition & Det. Sensing?



We had the first 5794LT with the new ESM package. Once again, works well after the bugs were worked out. One problem it had was when you shut it down and try to restart within 10 min, it forgot to pre-lube.



I'll send you a PM with my contact info. Most of the full Hanover guys know more about CATs than Wauks. As POI, our whole fleet was mostly Wauk. , VRGs all the way to 16V-AT27s. If you need any help on that compressor or any other (even if we don't own it), I'll help you out.