Someone Discovered an Authentic Chrysler K-Car Grille Pattern at a Flea Market

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In general, most automobile manufacturers maintain a firm grip on their production tooling and associated equipment. Nevertheless, several decades after the K-Car played a significant role in saving Chrysler, an individual stumbled upon what seems to be an original engineering pattern of a K-Car grille.

The piece in question seems to be a model or engineering pattern for a front grille, crafted from wood. Specifically, it resembles the design seen on the 1985-1989 Dodge Aries following a refresh with the new crosshair grille design. This discovery was made by Robert Schoenlein, who acquired the item at a flea market in northern Michigan a few weeks ago before sharing it on Facebook.

A 1985 Dodge Aries; note the grille design. Wikimedia Commons/IFCAR, public domain

Schoenlein indicated that it is entirely made of wood and quite weighty. While he referred to it as a “designer’s model” of the K-car grille, others suggested that it might actually be a piece of production tooling. Some proposed that it could be a “positive” pattern utilized for sand casting an aluminum replica. The item shares some similarities with sand casting patterns, especially in terms of visible alignment features among its different segments.

However, it’s worth mentioning that K-cars did not come with solid aluminum grilles; instead, they featured typical plastic grilles with chrome trim. Moreover, sand casting would not have been a common production method for an automotive grille in the 1980s due to the time and labor-intensive nature of the process. Sand casting also would not have been an effective means to create a mold for a plastic part at that time, as it would have resulted in an aluminum grille rather than a negative aluminum mold.

A new-old-stock grille for the Dodge Aries, as seen for sale on eBay. eBay

By speculating openly, this piece was likely utilized to produce a prototype grille through a casting method or another molding technique. The resulting piece would then undergo processing and be later used for measurement and development purposes. Having an actual model for measurement would aid in the development and machining of an injection molding die. These dies are typically meticulously crafted from tool steel, enabling them to produce hundreds of thousands of plastic parts swiftly. The use of tool steel is crucial for achieving a fine surface finish and reducing wear after numerous “shots” of molten plastic.

Possibly, someone within the broader engineering community could shed more light on this subject. Nevertheless, it remains a peculiar piece of engineering ephemera that one would not typically expect to encounter outside a Chrysler facility. The fact that it has endured over the years and made its way to a flea market suggests that someone souvenired a little keepsake from the K-Car engineering department. Now, it has transformed into a noteworthy flea market discovery with an intriguing narrative.

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