VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 Radio Grill Screen Info?

Can you tell me about the "Radio Grille Screen" that is behind the speaker grill in the dash? Have you seen them? I believe that they were installed at the factory whether or not the vehicle had a radio. I specifically want to know about the screen that would have been on my '54 pickup but perhaps similar grills were used in cars. I'm sure that I can use any information that you can give me.

Here is the meat of a similar question that I posted on a Chevrolet truck site ...

Most Radio Grill Screens have long since disappeared. Perhaps you have seen some remnants.

> What material was it made from?
> What color was it?
> Most importantly - how did it attach? Especially at the bottom.

> This is the radio grill in a '54 truck.

The Radio Grille Screen should hide the speaker and hide the wires behind the dash if there is no radio.
> This dash does not have a screen.

Looks like the screen was installed in all trucks.
> It can be seen in this diagram in '54 FAM Sect 12, Sheet 4.03 Curved flat against the grill opening.

> Instructions for installation: '54 FAM Sect 1, Sheet 14.00 "BEND RETAINER TO SECURE RADIO GRILLE SCREEN"

My '54 pickup has the retainer tabs at the top, but there is nothing on the bottom to attach a screen or baffle.

I'm gonna engineer something, but it will help if I know what I am trying to replicate.

Thanks for your help,

Lonnie

I know a fellow who can sell you a 1954 Truck radio and solve the problem.

Thanks Ray,

The "Radio Grill Screen" is not attached to the radio. It was attached to the dash at the factory. The radio was a dealer-installed item. In addition to the drilled sheet metal protector shown on the speaker in a pic in my post, it also may have had a cloth screen in front of the protector; but that is not the screen for which I need info.

Are you that fellow who can sell me the radio!!! If not, can you find out if he has seen all or part of the screen that was attached to the dash with three tabs - two top and one center/bottom?

Did late 40's - mid/late 50's cars have a similar screen attached to the dash opening?

I'm looking for any tid-bit of info that I can find.

Thanks again for your interest.

I've seen a loose woven fabric material, black in color that covers the speaker in 50's cars.

Have you seen anything attached behind the dash opening in vehicles that do not have a radio?

- Lonnie

This may or may not help you..............

I have a 1948 Fleetline Aerosedan that never had a radio in it. There is a piece of screen behind the chrome radio grille. It looks like regular window screen (insect screen)and is painted black. It is either aluminum or steel. There is no provision to attach it to either the dash or the grille; when you remove the grille, the screen just falls off. I have a spare grille and screen for the 48. Tomorrow I will dig it out of the box in the barn and take a few pictures to post.

Ken,This may save you some trouble. Their are 2 studs in the center, with press on retainers, that hold the screen in place. Also, of the 4 screen that I have had none were black. They appeared natural and rust as they are steel. 1948

Ken and Russel -

Thanks for the info and pic of the passenger car "non-radio" radio screens.

I enlarged your pic. The mesh looks like common wire window screen. Does it have a finer weave? Is the wire finer?

One of the truck guys on another forum described the original screen behind a truck non-radio dash grill as "heavy black paper/cloth like material." Wonder if it was meant to be removed when a radio was installed(?)

I'm doing details to prep for a couple of shows in Oct and Nov. I'll either create a cardboard+cloth screen, or a mesh screen like you describe. Guess it depends on which I can get to fit and stay in position best. My dash has bend-over tabs instead of studs with push nuts, so I may not get the screen to fit tightly. The radio grill is stamped into the dash - it is not removable like yours.

Thanks again. I'll continue to look for information for a couple more weeks.

- Lonnie

Russell.....

You nailed it again I just came in from the barn where I looked at my old grill and screen.....not black, natural steel with some patina (rust) and mine falls off the grill because the push on retainers you describe are missing from mine. I guess my old memory wasn't as good as I thought .

Lonnie,
Without side by side samples of grill screen and common window screen and a good ruler to measure with, I'd risk saying the mesh size is pretty close, I won't guess on the wire size....but I will say the radio screen is quite a bit stiffer than common window screen. Hope that helps. Good luck with your project.....hope you find the "right stuff".

Ken and Russell -

Thanks for the additional information.

- Lonnie

Problem solved ...

The '54 Accessories Installation Manual for installing a manual radio in a truck (Step #7, page 92, and illustration #213, page 93) states to "Remove the radio grille screen and discard."

I had the info right in front of my face, but some friends on a truck forum had to point it out to me.

Now to search for an acceptable material for the "heavy black paper/cloth like material. Very much like paper money." that was originally installed in my non-radio truck.

FYI - the instructions for installing a radio in a passenger car (Step #6, page 86), say to "Remove the fiberboard radio grille screen from behind the radio grille in instrument panel. THIS IS IMPORTANT: If not removed it will cause a muffled distorted tone ..."

Thanks for your help and suggestions.

- Lonnie

I have a 1950 Styleline Deluxe that was radio delete. When I installed the radio there was a black fibre paper behined the radio grill. The paper was like a heavy tar paper which I saved. If you are interested in it let me know.

CGchevy:

Yes - I would like to see it. Doubt that your screen will fit my truck, but I think that the only way that I will be able to choose a substitue material is to see and hold an original. I'll be glsd to return it to you.

The tar paper analogy is interesting.

Check for a PM.

Thanks,

- Lonnie

Just got back from the Post Office, you should receive the screen backing by Wednesday Oct. 10th. Let me know if it was of any help.

CGchevy, and everyone who gave me info ...

Thanks! I'm looking forward to seeing the original 1950 material. I'll return it to you for safe keeping. I made a screen yesterday from textured black paper based on CGchevy's description and a similar description on another forum. I'll make another if it is not like CGchevy's screen material.

I'll post some pics after I finish some other details on the dash.

- Lonnie

CGchevy -

Thanks for loaning me the radio grille screen from your '50. It is as you described ... almost like tar paper. I'll mail your screen back to you tomorrow. I found an art paper that may be a good replacement (Jet Black Canford Card Canford Imperial #402800004).

The paper radio grille screen on my '54 truck would have been installed at the factory. The dealer would have removed and discarded it if a radio was installed, as stated in the Accessories Installation Manual.

The removable radio grille was eliminated in '54 trucks. Slots to allow sound to exit were cut into the dash. The grille screen is held to the '54 truck dash by three tabs behind the grille opening. The tabs have holes in the center of them. I bent them open, then held the grille screen to the dash by inserting 3d nails through the holes in the tabs. I was afraid that the tabs would stress harden and break off it I bent them to hold the screen. I placed a thin, firm, yet flexible plastic sheet behind the paper to hold it flush to the grille.

> '50 Chev passenger car grille screen
> '50 Chev Grille Screen thickness
> Art paper similar to the original screen
> Radio Grill Screen in the Factory Assembly Manual
> Pic of tabs by Stovebolter "healingbear"
> 3d nails holding the plastic sheet and paper screen
> Paper Grille Screen is tight against the grille opening

Thanks to everyone who helped me research and find the solutions to creating the radio grille screen.

- Lonnie

If Lonnie puts this much effort in a simple radio screen, wouldn't you like to pull up beside him at a meet and know he must have exercised the same labor to have everything correct, and YOU are in HIS judging class?