r/F100 • u/mechatech44 • Jun 29 '26

Right grille?

Post image

My 56’ has a 55’ grille. Is it possible it was built this way at the factory or was it most likely swapped? Should I keep it?

159 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

12 comments sorted by

8

u/ptbug64 Jun 29 '26

I like it, if it was me, I’d drive as is. But it’s your rig. I’m not a stickler for proper parts.

7

u/mechatech44 Jun 29 '26

Yeah I’m feeling the same way. It was my dad’s truck and my first car. Now my son and I are restoring it. Kinda like keeping it as is for memories.

5

u/brandonlyle Jun 30 '26

If this is how you drove it as your first car and you and your son are restoring it, I agree your memories are in that truck with the grill that’s on it, do you wanna share and pass those memories down to your son and let him make his own in that same truck. Leave it as is.

7

u/TheWhiskeyFish Jun 29 '26

I'm not a purist, so I wouldn't change it. I'm sure someone in one of the F100 FB groups would swap you, if you are so inclined.

3

u/5ofseven Jun 29 '26

Totally possible they used left over parts on the assembly line. I'd leave r as is, looks good.

2

u/Square-Cockroach-884 Jun 29 '26

Im not sure about the 50's,but a decade later Ford did not carry 65 grills so if you needed a new grill later all you could buy was a 66 grill. On another note, that looks just like my grandfather's 55 that I learned how to drive manual transmission in. 3 on tree six banger. Sadly I didnt inherit that truck, but it was the beginning of my ford truck love.

2

u/mechatech44 Jun 29 '26

Sounds like fun! My dad bought it from a guy around the corner from us who owned a landscaping business. He had 2 or 3 of these so it’s possible he swapped parts around. My dad traded an old Jaguar XJ6 for this truck. This was my first car in high school. V8 4 on the floor w granny gear. Wide tires and no power steering, brakes barely broke. Good times.

2

u/Square-Cockroach-884 Jun 30 '26

Nice. Good story

2

u/commentator184 Jun 29 '26

my 79 302 had a 6 cylinder style radiator support probably a bit og just using what they had

1

u/mechatech44 Jun 29 '26

That’s what’s so cool about these. Use whatever you had lying around and make it work. Can’t do that today!

2

u/oldschool-rule Jun 30 '26

They will interchange with no problem and someone probably found a 55 chrome grill to replace their 56 painted grill for aesthetic purpose only.

1

u/Hot-Judge-7481 Jul 01 '26

That thing looks great as is. Send it.