If you like the look of the "L" you should keep it and maybe have a look around for a replacement. While the "L" grill is not easy to find, they are out there. I have a NOS "L" in the basement and two others, one in fair condition and the last one, probably not as good as yours.
It may be the best option to have a body man repair your grill, or you may do it yourself, if you are willing to give it a try. There is lots of good information on YouTube etc.
The "L grill will only fit with the "L" hood. The "L" hood needs different fender apron hinges to operate properly. The "R" has only one centre hinge per side and the "L" has two per side.
I much prefer the double cantilever "L" hinge setup, so I have taken the cross bows out of the "R" and the "L" hoods and transferred the "L" bows into the "R". I have to use the "L" hinge mounts that are on the "L" inner fender aprons. While some may say that this is a waste of good hoods, it was not. I bought a small warehouse of IHC R&L parts and there were lots of hoods in various conditions from NOS to rusty junk.
At this time,
I do not have anything for sale, but my friend Mike Greenlaw may have something for sale. He generally has some good stuff and he lives in the drier interior of BC. his email is
magihc1@telus.net. Try calling him at 250-280-1474. Mike ships to the US, I do not. Because I am hot a business and not willing to pay for the expensive permits, I have chosen to not ship south, no exceptions.
Check with
buzzman72, he was trying to sell his Binders and he may have something for sale or have a suggestion.
A good hood is worth more than $400 and I would not consider anything less than $1,000 for NOS. That would be nearer $2,000 if the inner fender aprons were included. OK, here is the reality check. Reproduction fenders for a 1940 Ford
are available any day of the week and they are $1500 for a set. The inner fender aprons are about $500 for the set. There are no IHC parts in reproduction, so what you find may be the last of it.
Check Desert Valley Auto in AZ, 1-800-905-8024.