Scored a grill, now what is it

[silroc]

 

So, I was in the market for a bench grinder. One shows up on Marketplace – an old craftsman (old enough to be all metal) mounted on a post, mounted to an old wheel – all looked good to me. But in addition, I noticed from the picture that it is in an old car garage of some sort and there is a ’31 Ford in the background. Figured I had to check this out.

 

Marketplace shows the location which was one of the sketchier neighborhoods around Pittsburgh. I got the address from the guy and when I Google street-viewed the place I could tell it had seen better days. There was a bar next door that was equally as divey that had proudly painted on the side of the building “Drinking is our sport”. Looked like a good adventure to me.

 

On a spectacularly beautiful day, I enjoyed the drive there in my little truck, taking the round-about way on streets I’d never been on. When I got there, it was indeed pretty rough, but the guy that owned it was really cool. It was his dad’s place before him, so he’d been working there since he was a kid. Now in his 50’s he’s tired of working on new cars and dealing with the owners and he’s trying to get rid of stuff and get out.

 

Anyway, I hung out with him for a while taking in all the antiquity of the place. Along with the ’31 he had a ’34 Model 40 flathead, 3 old Rambers, a '41 Zephyr hood, and lots of dirt and stuff! Back in the 40’s the place had been a Studebaker dealership.

 

So, he was giving me a hand carrying the grinder to the truck, and when he saw it of course he was diggin’ it. It took a few minutes of chatting about it before a light when off in his head – he said with some excitement “I think I have something for you”. I followed him back inside and he leads me to some things hanging from the rafters. And lo and behold, hanging there in all its filthy glory was a 620 grill. He said, “give me ten bucks for it”. I gave him $20.

 

It was a good day.

 

Now I’m curious about a couple of things: First, is there a way to confirm this is an old Nissan part (which I’d guess it is, not like the Taiwan one I have), and second what year would this have been for? Some tell-tale features are that it looks like it had the chrome rings and that the flat plastic area between the high and low lights has a pebble grain to it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are the rings available anywhere these days? I can see this as a winter project.

 

 

 

 

[datzenmike]

'73-'77 620. The trim rings always come off, try spray chrome on a Q tip

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

16 hours ago, silroc said:

Drinking is our sport”. Looked like a good adventure to me.

 

If I were the guy, I'd just quit working on newer cars and put the word out that I only work on older stuff.

 

Oh wait, that's exactly what I did.

 

Great shop!

 

 

[620slodat]

I have my dad's old 1973 Datsun 620 (he bought it brand new). Your grill is an old grill, but I don't know if it is a repop or not. My grill doesn't have any numbers on it like yours does. I definitely know my dad didn't change the grill, as he didn't have any accidents. According to the tag on the door jamb the pickup was manufactured in 9/73, real close to the cut off date for it being a 1974, but it was titled as a 1973. The grill does have the metal surrounds for the headlight trim. I have pics of the grill on my phone, and one of the fender tag, if I could figure out how to post them.  

 

Don (edited for correctness, one of my many traits)( I WAS a custom cabinet maker/installer)

Edited September 4 by 620slodat

[620slodat]

Datzenmike, were "73-"77 the years that the headlight trim rings were added to the grill?

 

Don

Edited September 4 by 620slodat

[datzenmike]

On 9/3/2024 at 6:30 PM, silroc said:

 

Now I’m curious about a couple of things: First, is there a way to confirm this is an old Nissan part (which I’d guess it is, not like the Taiwan one I have), and second what year would this have been for? Some tell-tale features are that it looks like it had the chrome rings and that the flat plastic area between the high and low lights has a pebble grain to it.

 

 

You asked what year would this have been for, I thought I was clear...

 

16 hours ago, datzenmike said:

'73-'77 620. The trim rings always come off, try spray chrome on a Q tip