How Do I Build A Grille?
 

It is obvious that I need to buy some mesh and cut it to the appropriate size, but what do I put around the edges to make it look like a nice fitted grille?

In the picture below, the grille has a border surrounding the mesh, I am wondering how to go about doing this. If anyone has some suggestions, I'm open to them. Thanks.

http://www.grille-tech.com/products/200407291037481.jpg

I am assuming the picture you have there is using GrillCraft, a company specializing in the production of mesh grill, and hence, the perfect fitment, and the border (a clipping mechanism to hold the grill in place). I have tried creating my own mesh grill out of gutter guard purchased from home depot, it can be made to look nice with patience and time, but you will have to slowly trim the grill to perfection (eg. curves) etc. You may want to ask around to see if someone else has already done this, for a template.

you dont need a template for nothing just take off the bumper, flip it over use an epoxy adhesive and use like little paper clips , make em straight and stick them on, then let em dry and mount your mesh on the back by putting the little tabs thru the grill holes and bend the tabs over to hold, then just trim excess grill from the edges and wadda.

good luck with your project oh and its the same for your other grill and body kits. but body kits (fibre glass use shotr strand glass) and urethane use an epoxy adhesive.


:thumbup:

that will yield u an ugly ass non fittin grill...dont listen to dennis!

this would be an awesome idea fror someone that has a bodykit or has already cut out the inside plastic piece of the bumper but this guy wants to put mesh grille over his existing stock grille that is in the bumper.

OVER the stock bumper grill?

ewww. id use a cardboard template then cut grill to size and use small black zip ties in the corners to hold it , and maybe 1 in the middle to stop it from popping out in the center.

ud be surprised at how many people do it. in dont see anything wrong with it, seems actually better then hacking up a perfectly good bumper

I agree. Once you hack the bumper, there is no turning back. I have gone to home hardware, but they don't have the sheets of gutter guard, only rolls of chicken wire. I'm going to have to try another store here and see what I can find. I was also thinking of putting some tubing around the edges of the grill so I don't scratch my bumper. The tubing will be painted black of course. I'll let you guys know how it goes.

Try Canadian Tire for the grill mesh, you'll pay a little more but I have seen some for around $20, they had some different colours and designs too (diamonds, circles, etc.).
I'm interested to see how it turns out for you because I have been thinking about doing this on my lower grill on my hatch.

Canadian tire will have them for sure, i was looking into that then i was like fuk it, looks gay to me anyways, but dont' use chicken wire :goof:

I've given up for now b/c the CT near my house doesn't have any, or the workers just don't know where it is. I found some gutter guard but the pieces are not long enough for my grille. They are too ugly anyway. Wal-Mart is a no-go too.

I can't find anything really suitable either. The previous owner of my car cut out the stock grille, so I have a wide gaping ugly hole. I just want something black to hide what's behind it. Turbo, intercooler, high performance stuff, fast, you know how it is ;)

i just did mine for ek, and i swear 99 civic is not diy grill, i had to make my own custom fram for the grill took me 2 hours.

but for egs i heard it is diy grill, take off the bumper flip it over your ugly plast fram should have screws around it. there are 2 frames the border part and the inside part, un-screw it and inside part should come off. put after market grill/meshing in and make sure it fits, and not too lose. then screw it back together on the border part, and then put border part back on the bumper and screw the border part on the bumper.

it should look like the pic grill.

have fun

oh and i got the grill/meshing for free, from the shop i deal with in scarb it was a rough cut out of a grill from a roll so i had to to all the work from scratch, lol hence its called DIY :)