48-50 Grill Bars

[HotRodTractor]

What is the going price these days for the stainless grill bars (both as found and restored)? What is the typical price for restoration? Where do people recommend getting them restored?

[B1B Keven]

I just sold the top bar of the 3 for $100 + shipping. Stainless.

I paid $600 to have mine restored. Ask for Dave: http://www.fatfenderedrelics.com/

I HIGHLY recommend his work.

[RodFru2u]

Hot Rod Tractor,

I had been Looking for  set of SS bars for my '50 B2B for MANY years. Found the top ones  from a (new) friend he only  charged  me  $20 each for the top two SS  they were pretty beat  up & missing mounting brackets. I searched all over the US for bottom bar, the prices range from $ 1.200-1,400 restored for all three on flea bay .A few gentlemen from this forum had been keeping an eye out for me as well. I found a set but the we're too beat up for the amount they were asking plus they wanted WAY more then the cost to ship them.  Took me 5 years of looking many false leads ( even bought some Stainless Steel to try & reproduce it ) But  I found a man in Vernon Ca ( bout 3 miles away )  Bob the  Bumper Guy . I pulled in with my missing Bar he came out took one look  at my truck and said " I got what you need" . We  spent the next45 minutes digging thru piles of chrome &  stainless steel trim body moulding. And ther they were, a complete set. They were bent and.some missiing mounting brackets , he wanted $500 for the set. I only wanted/needed the bottom one & not having $500 to mount to the front of my truck I said so sorry. No thanks. He came back and offered the LONG ONE to me for $200, I wanted to jump all over it , but I knew I did not have that much cash on me. I pulled out every cent I had emptied my pocket, I had $91.00 he looked at the money  then my truck , He took all my money then ,Gave me $ 1.00 back. I did not expect him to break up his set ,He said they had been there 40 years   He had forgotten about them.  So the bars ARE out there just have to be Lucky , Full of Cash . Good Luck in your Quest , Mine only took 5 years.    Rod

[HotRodTractor]

That actually why I asked - I ran a set of bars on Fleabay the other night to $400ish bucks plus shipping and thought that was plenty. I have been quoted as much as $800-900 to restore that very set based on the pictures that I had.

I have a set that needs to be restored already - but I also have a set that is missing the bottom bar - which from my experience seems to be the one most likely damaged.

I'm just trying to weigh my options.... if its worth just buying a complete and finished set versus piecing a set together and having them restored. The set I was bidding on the other night seems to what I figure is the upper limit of the value. I was just more or less trying to determine if the prices are that much higher now than when I was looking several years ago. Sounds like they are just slightly increased, which is totally expected.

 

Thanks!

[48Dodger]

The bottom one is the tricky one to find. Yes, you are right about them being more likely damaged.

My opinion is that the ends (and height) on the longer bar put them closer to the "work" and are more likely to get snagged, pulled or crushed.   

And of course, the truck could be ordered without the lower three bars. 1948-49 were all stainless steel, 50 had a painted grille bar option.

48D

[52b3b Joe]

As far as the cost to restore the bars, I think anything under $1,000 is a good price. The $600 Keven paid sounds really good! I paid a lot more than that to have the grill on my 52 done. It was very rough, and I've never questioned spending the money after seeing it on the truck! 

[Los_Control]

worth it at any price, the 48-49 grill is what makes the world go round ... could you imagine going through life with a 51-53 grill?   lifes just to short for ugly grills.

[johnsartain]

I had looked for a few months for mine but every price i saw made me cringe. I had run up on some on eBay at the very outset of my search and had dismissed the price of $1300 for a restored set of bars as too high. After about 10 months ad figuring different ways out of my dilemma, buying old and restoring, buying steel bars and having them chromed. Making them out of aluminum, getting bead roller dies and rolling my own... I decided the $1300 wasn't too high after all. I looked on eBay and there were none of the restored bars to be found. On a chance I called the guy, Eric Bannerman I believe the name was, and he had just got some back from restoration. so I just went ahead and pooled all my money and just bought them. Like LC says, "the 48-49 grill is what makes the world go round" even on my 1950 model. That year Steel bars were stock and stainless was an option. 

[Dodgeb4ya]

3 hours ago, Los_Control said:

worth it at any price, the 48-49 grill is what makes the world go round ... could you imagine going through life with a 51-53 grill?   lifes just to short for ugly grills.

Geez... I don't like you anymore!

[ggdad1951]

15 minutes ago, Dodgeb4ya said:

Geez... I don't like you anymore!

well, he's DEAD! DEAD to me!

[52b3b Joe]

4 hours ago, Los_Control said:

worth it at any price, the 48-49 grill is what makes the world go round ... could you imagine going through life with a 51-53 grill?   lifes just to short for ugly grills.

Lol, I had to do this, you left me no choice!!! I like both of the grill styles, but I'm a little partial! 

[Don Coatney]

Joe, you have snow??

[52b3b Joe]

2 minutes ago, Don Coatney said:

Joe, you have snow??

No, that picture was taken when I put the grill on a few years ago. They are saying 1-2" on Saturday though. 

[Don Coatney]

No snow here in the Fort but it has been below freezing all day today.

[Reg Evans]

41 minutes ago, Don Coatney said:

No snow here in the Fort but it has been below freezing all day today.

Oh, and I think it's bitter cold here in the upper 50's ! 

[Merle Coggins]

16 minutes ago, Reg Evans said:

Oh, and I think it's bitter cold here in the upper 50's ! 

LOL... We had mid to upper 50's here a couple days ago. It was nice to be outside without a jacket.

A day later it was below 30. We won't see above freezing for the next week or better, according to the weather "experts". But it is December in Northeast Wisconsin... 20's will feel warm within the next few weeks.

[Los_Control]

5 hours ago, 52b3b Joe said:

Lol, I had to do this, you left me no choice!!! I like both of the grill styles, but I'm a little partial! 

That one looks specially nice, think is first time I seen one chromed. Ya all know I was just stirring up the pot a little for fun.

[52b3b Joe]

10 hours ago, Los_Control said:

That one looks specially nice, think is first time I seen one chromed. Ya all know I was just stirring up the pot a little for fun.

Lol, no need to worry, I know you were joking! 

There was a stainless option for the 51-53 grills also. My grill is stainless, but they did have to chrome it when they restored it because it would have been too thin after polishing/grinding. 

[ggdad1951]

16 hours ago, Merle Coggins said:

LOL... We had mid to upper 50's here a couple days ago. It was nice to be outside without a jacket.

A day later it was below 30. We won't see above freezing for the next week or better, according to the weather "experts". But it is December in Northeast Wisconsin... 20's will feel warm within the next few weeks.

Monday was near 60, Tuesday we had rain that turned to snow and froze down.  My 20 minute commute turned into 1.5 hours and 1/4 tank of gas.  I think the highest we've been has been 20 now since then with strong NW winds...welcome to winter in MN!  I think I might start zipping up my jacket!  

What sucks the most is the temp swing will likely adversely affect all the trees I planted again this year as they are to small yet to deal with the rapid swings in temp.

[48Dodger]

With all the fires in California, I couldn't believe people at work were complaining about 2 consecutive days of rain....LIGHT rain.  goobs.

I'll take lot more rain, a bit more snow in the mountains, some frost to tone down the insects, and a bit of cool wind to my rosey cheeks.  

48D

[ggdad1951]

you want some frost and a cool breeze?  Come visit!

[Dodgeb4ya]

21 hours ago, 52b3b Joe said:

Lol, I had to do this, you left me no choice!!! I like both of the grill styles, but I'm a little partial! 

Now that's a beautiful and handsome looking Dodge truck grille!

[Reg Evans]

Yes, that is a beautiful grill  for sure !

Just wondered.....Did you retain the bed side mount spare tire carrier or the tow ball that were on the truck when I owned it ?

 

 

[52b3b Joe]

36 minutes ago, Reg Evans said:

Yes, that is a beautiful grill  for sure !

Just wondered.....Did you retain the bed side mount spare tire carrier or the tow ball that were on the truck when I owned it ?

 

 

I think I have both of those still in the garage. I'll have to look the next time I'm out there. I made my own receiver hitch for the rear, and I have a factory spare tire holder under the bed now.  

[Mick Blake]

I have the two bottom bars, that would need to be restored.