Looking for engine grill

If you don't score a CMC grill, I have a CMC but opted for a grill from VS for a better look.

The CMC grill is slightly smaller all around, so you would have to make the rectangular hole a bit bigger (Dremel tool using a 1/8" rasp bit) and then J-B Weld epoxy mounting tabs to the underside of the engine cover to secure the grill in place, but that's like a Saturday afternoon job.  A fine rasp won't wreck the paint  - It just cuts right through it.

I spent too many hours to count making my CMC grille look less crude.  The end result isn't bad.  I had an IM owner tell me he prefers my grille.

I can’t even remember what became of my CMC Hibachi grill.  Took one look at it and started looking for a different one.

I think it became a raffle item at one of the Carlisle gatherings.

I’ve got a few more things that should become raffle items, too, like an oil pump puller, case splitter or lifter retainer springs.  Some of those once-in-thirty-years tools.

@Michael McKelvey posted:

I spent too many hours to count making my CMC grille look less crude.  The end result isn't bad.  I had an IM owner tell me he prefers my grille.

Was that me? Because I'd love a grille that didn't bend up when you look at it sideways. It's "not original" - but watch me not care even the slightest.

I agree. If the current grilles are the same as what I have on my Spyder, then I also prefer the cast CMC grille. Some elbow grease and that could be made to look like something. The current grilles are pretty sad. I've stared at mine for long periods of time wondering, how can I make chicken salad out of chicken sh!t.

@Stan Galat, no it was not you.  It was a local guy with an IM.  I spent hours and hours smoothing and polishing the ribs and I put black tape around the wide bar so it tends to disappear.

Fitting a slightly bigger "normal" replica grill to a CMC is quite a lot of work.  Alli's CMC grill was apparently poorly painted with chrome paint.  Like Mike - I spent many hours sanding mine with WD sandpaper and then polishing it until it looked like chrome.  It has weathered back to a semi-dull aluminum.  The original casting was rather rough but with elbow grease (ok a lot) it can look good.  I debated painting the really rough casting flat black to make the grill look more "delicate".

Gordon - Didn't Wild Bill grill some burgers and brats on your old CMC grill outside his motor home at Carlisle.  Vague memory here of that.

@WOLFGANG posted:

Fitting a slightly bigger "normal" replica grill to a CMC is quite a lot of work.  Alli's CMC grill was apparently poorly painted with chrome paint.  Like Mike - I spent many hours sanding mine with WD sandpaper and then polishing it until it looked like chrome.  It has weathered back to a semi-dull aluminum.  The original casting was rather rough but with elbow grease (ok a lot) it can look good.  I debated painting the really rough casting flat black to make the grill look more "delicate".

Gordon - Didn't Wild Bill grill some burgers and brats on your old CMC grill outside his motor home at Carlisle.  Vague memory here of that.

@WOLFGANG love the German made grill. 👍

Is it true that the first 602 IMs (or a portion of them) used the same cast grill that CMC went on to use? 

I would think all of the IMs made before the sale to CMC would use the same grille.  I think I have seen some early IMs for sale with the same grille.

@WOLFGANG posted:

Is it true that the first 602 IMs (or a portion of them) used the same cast grill that CMC went on to use?

Paging Mike Picket. @MichaelP.

@Stan Galat posted:

Paging Mike Picket. @MichaelP.

Funny, I was outside taking pictures of my old grill when you sent this. The grill that came with my old IM was not a cast grill. On the part that goes through the hole in the lid, it measures 8 1/4" x 14 1/4." It's very similar to the replacement grill I bought from Greg at VMC.

It might have been replaced in the roughly 40 years before it came into my hands, so just a data point, not definitive.

Top side

Bottom side (8.25x14.25)

Close shot of fins

My rear FiberFab deck lid has an original used 356 aluminum rear deck lid grill that had to be cut and welded in four different places to shorten it slightly so it would fit this this deck, and the luggage rack is from Vintage LA.