A little baffled by the grill situation

[Cooter]

 




Maybe the fact that 2nd-gen grilles have so many separate pieces is putting some companies off.  They cannot advertise "complete grilles" until they tool up at least 5 different parts, and the total price for the set cannot be brought down very low either.  Technically a company could just offer some parts of the grilles, but I'm saying maybe they are treating all the parts like a package deal when they evaluate the economics of it.  

I'm not defending this thinking, I'm just theorizing that maybe it's happening.  

       

Finally, the gold star for actually understanding what is posted instead of seeing/reading only what they want to interpret just for the sake of arguement. 5 separate pieces is gonna cost more to produce than one simple bolt in piece.  I find it simple economics. You wanna make money doing grilles, do the EASY ones FIRST. Save the harder/more complex grilles for another time. Unfortunately, I fear that time may never come when a complete grille for a 1968-69 Charger will prolly cost around $3K....This grille has to have two headlight doors that function and work together. This causes all kinds of manufacturing cost problems. Therefore, the whole grille doesn't "Move", but there are parts of it that DO. Lemme see if I can say this AGAIN here......Not too many were buying and only whining about the $1500.00 Center sections.....I can all but hear them whining about $3K grilles.

[bull]

And if you had read and comprehended what you and I both wrote before you'd understand that people can and have made just certain parts of the grills that are commonly problematic, right? The EASY parts FIRST? My point with the last photo being that the grills being sold now should be no more difficult and costly than the CENTER section of a 68 or 69.

[hawkeye]

Look at how they just scanned the part into the 3d printer.  Within 5 years you will be able to buy almost any of these smaller parts.  Could do it now but the grill is just a little too large.    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aghzpO_UZE   

[green69rt]

I did just a little shopping online and the biggest 3D printer produces a 15" x 15" x 10" object.  Not quit big enough for our grills, but they keep getting bigger so maybe in a few years... Some also use a scanning technology so this would replace the 3D CAD drawing that some use now.

As Bob Fist showed, it can be done now if we're just willing to pay the cost (I would.)

[bull]

As Bob Fist showed, it can be done now if we're just willing to pay the cost (I would.)

IMO the jury is still out on those 69 grills. Time will tell.

I did just a little shopping online and the biggest 3D printer produces a 15" x 15" x 10" object.  Not quit big enough for our grills, but they keep getting bigger so maybe in a few years... Some also use a scanning technology so this would replace the 3D CAD drawing that some use now.

Someone was saying that there are plans in place for some larger 3D printers. But yes, right now they're too small. Regardless, I'd rather see the 2nd gen grills go through asimilar development process that the others that are posted in this thread apparently went through. The end product would be more credible if the vendors did the testing and quality control rather than some guy alone in his garage (not a reference to bobfist, so take it easy everyone).

Would anyone buy them if they were made out of metal? But then the bending process would probably cost as much as the injection molding process. Someone is making injection molded grills so I suppose it boils down to whether or not they're making any money.

[hemihead]

I feel so bad for you 2nd Gen guys . Try buying a Door , Fender , Bulge Hood new for a 3rd Gen . And if and when it is ever made 3rd Gen parts cost
2X as much as the same part for a 2nd Gen . Just compare prices on Taillights of each for example .
Sorry to stick my nose in but be thankful for what you guys can buy new and the price .

[green69rt]

As Bob Fist showed, it can be done now if we're just willing to pay the cost (I would.)

IMO the jury is still out on those 69 grills. Time will tell.

I did just a little shopping online and the biggest 3D printer produces a 15" x 15" x 10" object.  Not quit big enough for our grills, but they keep getting bigger so maybe in a few years... Some also use a scanning technology so this would replace the 3D CAD drawing that some use now.

Someone was saying that there are plans in place for some larger 3D printers. But yes, right now they're too small. Regardless, I'd rather see the 2nd gen grills go through the same development process that the others that are posted in this thread went through. The end product would be more credible if the vendors did the testing and quality control rather than some guy lone in his garage (not a reference to bobfist, so take it easy everyone).

Yeah, sure like to hear if anyone has comments on the Fist grills.   And yes, most of us know about the small manufacturer producing parts in the garage, (yeap, I'm talking about PPR.)

[JB400]

I sent an email to Classic Industries to find out who is reproducing the plastic grilles for Mopars.  Maybe, we can find out what the holdup is.

[bull]

I sent an email to Classic Industries to find out who is reproducing the plastic grilles for Mopars.  Maybe, we can find out what the holdup is.

The holdup is always money. Understandibly no one wants to spend more than they make and some in the reproduction industry believe most of the people begging for expensive parts scatter when the part is actually produced. I'm sure there's a lot of truth in that. Honestly, if I had to choose between spending three weeks to repair a grill to the tune of $400 or buy one for $1,500, I'd choose option #1. Especially if the $1,500 part was not made the way the factory made them.

I also sent an email to Metro Parts, the company I believe produced the '71 Cuda grill. Obviously it can be done, but will it?

[bill440rt]

The only "real" differences between the '68 & '69 grilles is the center section (obviously), and the driver's headlamp door. The rest is the SAME! 

[green69rt]

Just a question, because I don't know.  Are the doors and the outside sections the same for the 1968 and 1969 Chargers??   If so that would seem to increase the market.    The center sections are a different beast, obviously.

[bull]

Just a question, because I don't know.  Are the doors and the outside sections the same for the 1968 and 1969 Chargers??   If so that would seem to increase the market.    The center sections are a different beast, obviously.

You're right. If you're only going to produce one part the safest thing to produce would be the plastic portion of the headlight surrounds for 68 and 69. They're the same and they're almost always broken and the corners are MIA.

[Ghoste]

That center section on the 69's takes a real beating too.

[green69rt]

I haven't taken my grill apart yet for repair but the doors and headlight surrounds should be the simplest to reproduce.    I followed the Fist project and he actually repro'd the hardest part first, the center.   So for someone to undertake the surrounds especially, would be a big help to us.  I guess the 70's folks would still be stuck.

[Ghoste]

I wonder if there aren't similar parts in the 70 one though?

[BIGBLCK11]

The 70 grill is one piece for the center section and entire outer surround.  The headlight doors are also different, having the horizontal ribs/recess through them.   I guess they should make it first!  It would only take 3 moulds.  

[bobfist]

Hi!

I still have the tooling for the 69 center grilles and has not been sold to any company.
The price for the production was to high for us and in the end for the customer but we still have them.
Hoping for some cheaper production in the factory since new machines are coming in

Tony

[bull]

Tony, are your '69 grills injection moulded?

[bobfist]

Yes but we cant show ypu how we make them. Since the factory we make them in are the same as produce to volvo etc.
If anyone wondering how the quality has been just ask the people in this forum what they think about the part.

Tony

[bull]

If anyone wondering how the quality has been just ask the people in this forum what they think about the part.

Tony

So far nobody's talking. At least none that I've seen.

[bobfist]

Lee A at this forum from Canada is one of them
He has written at page one at this thread if you read

here is his pictures comparing the stock grille and ours

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,100758.msg1183634.html#msg1183634

[bull]

Lee A at this forum from Canada is one of them
He has written at page one at this thread if you read

here is his pictures comparing the stock grille and ours

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,100758.msg1183634.html#msg1183634

I wonder how many people here have purchased one. Any idea how many you've sold?

[bobfist]

have sold 10 or 12  what i know
Many at ebay, dont know how many of them that are members here
got some replies there also about the grille quality

This company from Germany called me one day after they heard about the production.
They drove up here one day just to see it, they had nothing bad to say about it.

http://www.moparshop.de