Blank Grill.

[YEWWWW]

hey all,

Just been trying to search for a new grill for my vy, but I wanted a blank grill, because i think they look sexy.

I was going to go to super cheap and just get some of that mesh stuff and rig up my own, but then thought about a bit more and realized im not the sharpest tool in the shed so im tipping it would have looked yobbo.

So does anyone know where I could get one, or even just a guide into making your own if possible.

Thank you

[Kingston_99]

here ya go mate.
Step1
i had an chev badge grill. choped the middle out with an angle grinder (with 1mm cutting disk). i then used an Hack saw (very slow and pain full process) to cut the tight corner fiddly bits. (all you cut out is the bit in the middle with the chev badge, leaving behind the outer frame with the orginal mounting points.)
Step2
I then used a smooth file to file all the dags and sharp edges.
Step3
i then used the mesh i got from Autobarn. laying the frame on top of the mesh and roughly tracing the shape onto the mesh (when you cut it out, allways give yourself plenty of green to trim off later).
Step4
i then cut the shape out leaving 25mm of area to play with later. i then trimed bits off mesh till it fitted snug on the frame.
Step5
i couldnt think of any other way to secure the mesh to the frame, so i used some woodwork glue (from mitre 10). and it is still holding today after 2 months of Mount Isa summer heat.

see in my pic, i kept the outer black frame and just cut the center out and glued the mesh behind the frame. it looks and works well, letting extra air-flow into the Rad and engine bay. also my OTR is geting extra cool air

[YEWWWW]

cool thanks for that

[tothezenith]

That's awesome, looks sweet as! So gonna do something similar to mine after seeing a finished result.

[Kingston_99]

its still holding today. im deciding to paint the mesh all black. its good, been keeping engine bay temps down with extra air going through the grill.

heres a picture with the hood up and a close up. as you can see, theres a gap on sides of the outer frame. have to fill them up when i get time again.

[tothezenith]

cool, just waiting for pay day now.
I wonder what it'd look like color coded (not the mesh, just the surround). I might have to do some photoshopping to get an idea before I tee up my spray painter friend.

For you and the black mesh, yeah that would look tuff too. With that front on pic of yours, squint your eyes to get an rough idea.

[Kingston_99]

cool, just waiting for pay day now.
I wonder what it'd look like color coded (not the mesh, just the surround). I might have to do some photoshopping to get an idea before I tee up my spray painter friend.

For you and the black mesh, yeah that would look tuff too. With that front on pic of yours, squint your eyes to get an rough idea.

no worries mate, glad i could help out.
and the front picture is trippy as with the squinting your eyes.

[tothezenith]

God damn that mesh is a bitch to mold right to suit the surround!
Took a while, a few bloody pokes in my skin, but got it done tonight, just waiting for the liquid nails to dry now.

[Kingston_99]

God damn that mesh is a bitch to mold right to suit the surround!
Took a while, a few bloody pokes in my skin, but got it done tonight, just waiting for the liquid nails to dry now.

yeah i had to sit there and keep presure for 20mins :P just sat infront of the TV while holding it down :P

get some pictures!!

[D3CID3R]

That looks awesome kingston.. want to do it to mine now, but might leave to lion badge in the middle and cut out the middle bars

[walesy]

i was thinking of getting a WH stato grille to try do the same thing, just havn't been bothered yet, plus the stato grill isnt just plastic so might be a little hard to get right

[tothezenith]

[{snip} get some pictures!!

Looks the same as yours at the moment with those little tabs missing on the sides... I got a plan to spiff it up a bit & got some product coming in the next few days, will post pics once it's in its final incarnation.

[Kingston_99]

i was just gona use fiberglass and sand and bog it and paint it all black once im done.
tell us how you did yours when you finish it with pictures so we can see.

[tothezenith]

took a few days to get around to getting the pics, but got there in the end.
I had some old body filler laying around to fill in the blanks, but I don't think I prepped the surface very well for the 3M Carbonfibre vinyl to stick to very well, it's peeled away in those corners two days later. To save re-vinyl'ing it, I reckon I'm just gonna attack it with some superglue.

Well finished product below (till I fix up the corners anyways)

[Kingston_99]

Nice work mate. i like the carbon touch.
may this be the start of a new trend over the chev badges?? HAHA

[Verynice]

i think the mesh would look better black dudes

or perhaps the same colour of the car

[tothezenith]

Yeah it's easier to go from silver to black than it is the other way around. I'll see how I like the silver over the next few days, and if a change is in need the black is only a spray can away.

[Commo_Carl]

Interesting concept. Definitely like that better than those shit looking chev badges hey kingston lol
Carbon fibre looks neat too. How much did you pay?

[tothezenith]

may this be the start of a new trend over the chev badges

fo shizzle!

[a1k3m1]

its heaps better than a damn ugly chev badge!!! lol... Awesome as man,
Thinking of doing it to mine and maybe panting it chrome or something? .. how would that go ya thinks for a silver car?

[Commo_Carl]

I reckon you should keep it darker than your paint work. Maybe black or a dark grey? Bit of contrast and definition. But that's only my opinion

[Kingston_99]

I will be painting mine black this weekend. i'll get some pic's up when its finished

[Commo_Carl]

Will look good against the red, kingston.

[Dr HaxZaw]

im keen to do this as well... also thinking of removing the "aerofoil" thing in the lower part of the bar and putting mesh in there too... just not sure how it would look and it would mean a new front bar if i didnt like it lol

[Kingston_99]

How much did you pay?

only cost is buying the mesh from Autobarn which was $15.00 and the glue from Miter 10 which was $8.00
alot cheaper then buying a gay chev badge of ebay and looks way better.