Need help with a custom grille

[tigeraid]

Alright, so I have a pretty unique project on my hands, with yet another B-Body wagon, and I'm sorta stuck on this grille.

Russ was gonna help, but I think he's got his hands full lately, so maybe someone else could offer a solution, or help me cast a part.

I'm building a '91 Olds Custom Cruiser, which is a wagon based on the Caprice or Roadmaster platform. I've already built a half dozen of these wagons for customers, so I'm familiar with the build, but the Olds has a few differences that are proving to be a challenge. I'm using the modelhaus Roadmaster transkit, and doing a lot of custom fabrication, but the grille is a problem for me. This is what the car's grille looks like:



And here's the Caprice grille I'm working with:



They're essentially the same shape, but the Olds has that center section dividing it. I haven't been able to duplicate this using strip styrene and modifying the Caprice grille though, because the Olds grille doesn't have that big fat surround around the grille.

So what I'm wondering is, does anyone have any ideas about fabricating it from styrene, and if not, is anyone able to maybe cast a version of the Olds grille for me? As long as the price is reasonable I'm sure the customer would be all for it.

Thanks guys.

[klutz_100]

John, I might be wrong but I don't think it should be too hard to make that whole grille from strip styrene.

There have been several examples of scratch grilles in WIPs (usually Ferrari's) here on AF that could give you some ideas. Look up auw12's 612 Scaglietti, hirofkd's transformer Mustang, my 2CV and there was another 612 where someone also made the egg-crate grille.

[Joe Blyth]

I would say strip styrene like Klutz recommended, or strip brass should work pretty well. Maybe making a jig would help you build it.