what material should i find/use to make a "billet" style grill for my 78? since noone seems to know if anyone makes them for us 78s and 79s? any help thanks.

what material should i find/use to make a "billet" style grill for my 78? I'd use T6 aircraft grade aluminum. It shouldn't be that tough to fabricate a really cool billet grill!http://www.corvetteforum.net/c4/alchemist/thumb.gif

It really depends upon the look you are trying to achieve. If you are referring to a "Tube" style grille, it would not be difficult to fabricate using aluminum or stainless "tube stock". You can buy these in straight lengths and cut them down yourself. The most difficult part would be to make the brackets to hold them parallel to each other and screw into your original grille mounting holes. With some sheet steel, a hammer, tin snips and a lot of patience, these can too be fabricated. Make a cardboard pattern first for the brackets as it is way easier to revise than sheet metal. The bend in the middle of the grille could ba achieved by bending the tube (for a more rounded bend) or cutting a slot with a hacksaw halfway through the back and bending the tube - this will give you more of a "kink" or hard-edged bend. The tubes can be pop-riveted to the mounting brackets from behind and they will never be seen. Paint the mounting brackets matte black and the grille will give the illusion that it "floats" in the space. The tube ends can be filled with a small amount of Bondo, sanded off to the metal and then primed and painted to match the metal - a simple and neat trick to make the tubes look solid.

The term "Billet" refers to a process by which the grille, or what ever part is ground out of a solid chunk of aluminum, steel, or another material. It is a painfully expensive process where your pattern is designed in a CAD program and then a computerized milling machine cuts out the pattern.

If you are looking for more of a Honeycomb look, I would look at companies who sell perforated materials in large sheets. Sometimes, a different pattern other than what was offered from the factory gives the car that subtle "trick" look that makes people look twice. The mesh or honeycomb piece can be mounted to your grille shell from behind, also by making small brackets to connect the two. This would reqiure you to cut out the center "Grille" portion and replace it with the new piece.

Here are a couple companies for these materials:

www.mcnichols.com - they sell mesh and honeycomb sheets in metals and plastic

www.danikstainless.com - they sell stainless tubing in lots of sizes.

You can also check Home Depot and Lowes as they have a limited selection of tube stock to work from.

Good Luck with it . . . .

Dan

When you remove the original grille ,there is a recessed area at the top of the header panel where the grille fits in. On 82-87 ELs you have to CUT the top of the original grille off and re use it when you install a billet grille ass'y.You may want to check yours out before you begin fabricating.