OK, I need some help in ciphering the possible 53/54-grill reproduction project:
2) Where the Champion script is located on the driver's side of my car. are the mounting holes the same for the passenger side's Studebaker script (before/after "flip flopping") on both sides? Are the holes for the Champion script the same as the Commander script? Would those holes really be that big an issue, at all?
3) I can't remember. was the whole grill surround chrome, or just the faux trim piece? I don't think that matters to me, but I'm curious. Memory is a terrible thing to lose! My thought is that I would offer the product as-is following the manufacturing process, and the owner can decide whether to have the parts chrome plated, or paint them the color of their choice. I might contract with a plater, but my responsibility would end when the product was delivered to the plater. After the plater inspects the product and accepts delivery, he would be responsible to the customer for anything that happens after that point.4) If a '54 grill was scanned, and the company digitally removed the bars before production, would that be close enough to a '53 to work? (This can be done.) (The owner of a '53 would be on his own in mounting the unit, but his original brackets should work.?)
Depending on the opinions of this group, I am somewhere between removing one grill and surround (or both) from my car for the scanning process, or having someone send me 2 each left and right grills for both '53s and 54s, and the same for Commanders /Champions, as well as both left and right surrounds.
I would rather scan a '54 surround. We could not include the grill mounting holes, but put dimples on the back side, so that '54 owners would know where to drill the mounting holes.
Obviously, I would rather not disassemble my car, and would sure rather disassemble one side rather than both, but would do so if I had to. if the project proves to be feasible.
I took the car by today for the guys to look at, and they are supposed to get back to me on an estimated cost. based on me having them scan one each grill and surround. More scanning of more pieces, and differing elements of the manufacturing process will increase cost.
5) Fair market value, as described?Let's see if I still have anybody's attention. This is my second effort in putting this information together, and I'm sure I did better the first time. Mr. Shaw, is it possible to make it impossible to close the page during the writing process... or at least a pop-up that says, "Are you sure, STUPID!?" I know I am forgetting something this time around, maybe somebody will catch whatever it is.
Another test of attention span/interest level: I mentioned to the guys that I might like to have some '61 Lark taillights re-produced. They said that if they had good enough lenses to work with, they could produce them without scanning them.
6) As I asked before. does anybody have a nice set of '61 lenses they would allow to be used for the project? And. are they symmetrical. or, would I need both a left and right?7) What would be a fair market value for the lenses? I don't really want to become a vendor, so would have to be able to have them reproduced at a cost that would allow me to wholesale them to a vendor. Same holds true for the grills, methinks.
Fire away, I need to be totally and completely discouraged from this madness!
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