Mugen/Mesh style hybrid front Grille
This was my first DIY mod, done a few years ago. Just thought I'd share it. This front grille was based on pics of other member's rides and the mesh grille idea as seen on ebay. Numerous members and a good friend steered me away from Ebay mesh grille due to bad fitment. I bought a 2nd hand OEM unit off ebay for $20 USD. The grille was in perfect condition with no cracks or warping
01. Grille before i started
02. First step is remove all screws from back very carefully and seperate the 2 pieces
03. Next I used a hot knife and lots of ventilation for the missus! I inched the knife along as close to the joins as possible. A grinder or dremmel will do it easier but i dont have either - my garage is my kitchen!
04. Just a pic to show what the hole in front piece should look like - too late to stop now!
05. I use fiberglass filler to build the initial cavity then body filler to smooth over. The fiberglass filler is much stronger (IMHO) and seems to stick to plastic much better also
06. Using the trusty hot knife once more, remove all center bracing from the grill support bracket. Leave the best part of an inch along the middle and leave the corners intact. these will be used to screw the mesh into later. Have a beer - by now your hands are starting to cramp and the kitchen stinks of body filler!
07. Looks nasty but trust me it will be OK! Just a close up of what to expect
08. I've rubbed back the front grille and sprayed a coat of spray putty, good time to test the mesh fit as it will scratch up your paint later on if it's not right. I made a cardboard template, tested and re-tested until I was happy. Applied fiberglass filler to support bracket also for stability and shape and filled all join marks along lip where front meets support bracket
09. More body filler, lots more rubbing - first with 120 grit to even the filler then 800 grit then 1200 before next coat - even if it's only primer
10. A coat of primer - by this stage the missus and dogs are ready to move out and I'm feeling very light headed from spray fumes - another beer!
11. This is not complete as I ran out of time - this is with 2 coats of Honda Frost white out of a can from cheap auto shop. I need to black out the corners and top bar/support - the mesh needs to be screwed in for safety but is a tight enough fit to stay put without. I'll post some more pics when it's complete and and fitted to the beast! WooHoo my first DIY thread - hope it's of use to someone!
12. Grille installed
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