Is this grille worth trying to fix?

[AaronW]

I'm not particularly attached to this grille or anything, but am starting to run up against the end of my budget for this project, so if I can fix this one without driving myself crazy, I'd like to. Had thought of trying to weld in some patches, and then hit the grille with some heavy rhino line or undercoating that would cover up some of the bumps I won't be able to grind off. It's got these little cheesy plastic plugs in th

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e ends of the tubing. Figured I could cut off some small bolt heads and weld them in there to plug those holes. It's all the cracks in between, that have me scratching my head.

Thoughts? I'd have to make and weld on a new one of the mounting flanges, too.

Aaron

 

[bucket]

I'd hang that one on the wall and get a cheap reproduction grille. Or just reinstall that tube grille for the time being. I certainly wouldn't spend any time attempting to make it look better.

 

[RecklessWOT]

Yeah man, as stated above, that thing is shot. Sure, technically anything can be fixed, but that grille is NOT worth the time it would take to fix, it's basically all gone. If it was an original grille you're trying to save on an all original truck I guess I could see the reasoning for trying to save something that far gone, but for that thing either keep it the way it is (hit it with some silver spray paint to buy yourself a year or so) or just ditch it and buy something similar or even go back to stock.

 

[AaronW]

That's a good point: If I run out of money, which seems increasingly likely, I could just hit it with some paint and replace it later. Maybe I'll make a stencil and spray paint "Brandon Inflation" on it.

While I'm at it, a few years ago, a mechanic friend was telling me that he hated those chrome trim pieces on the fender wells, because water sits behind them after the seals start leaking. Boy, was he right. I've got some huge holes in my front fenders, behind those darn things.

Aaron

 

[RecklessWOT]

Also, unrelated-
I see in your info your truck is listed as an RV3500. Is it an R, or a V, or maybe a homemade cross-breed that started life as an R and got converted to 4x4 so despite being titled as a 2wd truck is now 4x4 so it's a play on words? I'm assuming pickup because as far as I know Suburbans weren't available in anything higher than 3/4 ton (2500 in 1989 lingo), so assuming it's a crew cab? Probably a 2wd crew cab if I had to guess? That would make it a R3500. 4x4 would be V3500. AfaIk there was no such thing as an RV truck, R/V would be like saying C/K, which obviously no truck is a C and a K. Not trying to be picky, just honestly curious what you're driving.

 

[Finkaire]

GM reproduction from LMC

 

[Shorty81]

My GM reproduction grill from LMC also..

 

[AaronW]

Also, unrelated-
I see in your info your truck is listed as an RV3500. Is it an R, or a V, or maybe a homemade cross-breed that started life as an R and got converted to 4x4 so despite being titled as a 2wd truck is now 4x4 so it's a play on words? I'm assuming pickup because as far as I know Suburbans weren't available in anything higher than 3/4 ton (2500 in 1989 lingo), so assuming it's a crew cab? Probably a 2wd crew cab if I had to guess? That would make it a R3500. 4x4 would be V3500. AfaIk there was no such thing as an RV truck, R/V would be like saying C/K, which obviously no truck is a C and a K. Not trying to be picky, just honestly curious what you're driving.

Hmm, I'll bet the book that was with the truck when I got it, was a general book for both R and V models, and I just put that down without thinking too much about it. It's a 4x4, so I guess that makes it a V3500 rig.

Aaron