Questions about 1st gen. grills?

[JGrefenstette]

i was wondering if a grill from the 91' and before would fit on my 93'?

i like the older style grill much better and would love to swap mine out. has any body done this, or know if the older one will bold up to my truck.



thanks

 

[JGrefenstette]

i meant to say the 90' and before style grill.

 

[bgilbert]

Anything can be done. I've seen a 93 with a 89-90 grill.

 

[AKimmel]

No, the 86-90 style have the headlights set lower and deeper. It can be done, but you have to cut the headlight area out of the older style core support and graft it into the newer one. This is what I did on my truck, I also like the older ones better. I also had to cut my grille down the clear the intercooler, A/C condensor. If your truck doesn't have A/C, you may be alright. Also, you have to get real creative with the lower valance to clear everything and match up with the older style grille.

 

[Mopar_Tim]

any thing can be done, i am like 90% sure i am going to be able to make my 74 or 75 grill on the 92 core support



#ad

 

[Headshot zod]

Tim, I can't wait to see how yours turns out. I'd kill to put a quad headlight (1979-ish)grill on my 92.

 

[therabbittree]

yup I swapped my '92 grille out and put my '89 on. . I had to cut and re weld the headlight bucket part of the core support to make it work but it looks decent, much nicer then the later grille . . at least in my eyes ha.

Later

Deo

 

[dpuckett]

I actually like the LOOKS of the 91-93 grilles, but also think they are the poorest design. Anything that is 100% metal is MUCH better than plastic. I have an 84 core support and 89 grille I could put on my 92, but things are already way too tight up front there.



If you get rid of your 93 grille, let me know.



Daniel

 

[AKimmel]

I actually like the LOOKS of the 91-93 grilles, but also think they are the poorest design. Anything that is 100% metal is MUCH better than plastic. I have an 84 core support and 89 grille I could put on my 92, but things are already way too tight up front there.



If you get rid of your 93 grille, let me know.



Daniel

Just a heads up! I just found this out on my mud truck. The 81-85 style core support won't work with the 89 style grille. My mud truck is an 89, but when I got it someone had an 85 style grille shell and grille in it. I picked up an 89 grille shell, it went on no problem, then the grille itself, no problem. Then to finish up, I went to put on the 89 headlight doors, Crap! The 85 and older headlights are higher than the 86-90 ones. So for now, I'm just running it without the headlight doors. I want to change the core support anyways because its rusted out, unlike the rest of the truck which is rust free. I've got a 92 gas truck core support I'd trade someone for a rust free 86-90 style one.

 

[Shadrach]

I put a 86 and newer style grille on my 84 crew. I used the lower grille panel and complete grille and h/l doors off an 87 and it fit with no problem. If possible I want to keep this style grille when I do my CTD swap. On page 180 of the Sept edition of Diesel Power magazine there is a 90 Dodge with a 03 HPCR Cummins in it . He used the original grille and modified the center to fit the CAC. Thats the look I would like. Shadrach

 

[AKimmel]

Did you use the 87 core support?

 

[Shadrach]

I still have the 84 rad wall. Shadrach

 

[JGrefenstette]

thanks for the responses guys. its sounds like i will have to move my headlights to make them fit with the older grill? what about the parking lights? how does it compair with the bolt patern? (how much fabrication is necesary for it to bolt up)?

 

[AKimmel]

I still have the 84 rad wall. Shadrach

Maybe my core support is older than I think. I know in a crash book, they show 81-85, 86-90, 91-93 as three different part numbers for gas trucks alone. When I got my 89 it had the 85 grille shell and grille, but not the 85 headlight doors (none at all), so I don't know for fact that the 85 headlight doors would fit it either. But, I do know that the headlights are too high for the 89 H/L doors to fit. So if mine does have an 85-back style core support, I wonder what the deal is?

 

[AKimmel]

thanks for the responses guys. its sounds like i will have to move my headlights to make them fit with the older grill? what about the parking lights? how does it compair with the bolt patern? (how much fabrication is necesary for it to bolt up)?

The parking lights are part of the headlight door, so as long as the headlight is in the right spot, the parking light will be there too. As far as fabrication, I'm sure you could space and move the headlights around on the 91-93 core support to work with the 86-90 style grilles, but I think the best way is to cut the headlight area out of the older style core support and graft it into the newer. That's what I did, and here are some pictures. Note: the smaller hole for the parking light wires to come through is also higher on the newer verses the older. I didn't have a before and after from the same side, but you can still see what has to be done.