medfurd
08-02-2004, 07:22 PM
*WARNING* Don't attempt this yet unless you are willing to do a little uncharted fabrication work of you own, as I haven't yet perfected a means of affixing the grille to the car. This should be solved by the end of the week.
OK, here's the rough draft anyway. I've wanted an eggcrate grille for my car for quite awhile now, and only recently did anything about it. This is pretty easy and you could roll through it in a couple hours with the right tools and supplies. I just went up to my grandparents' house to use the fully stocked shop/garage and had at it. Take note that this is not a PERFECT fit, but it does the job just fine, and looks great from any distance over 3'. My grille came of a '90 745ti, and cost me $15 at the junkyard. Make sure your grille is not cracked or weathered beyond repair. It needs to be pliable enough to bend a smidge in the middle.
~Supplies & Equipment
Old grille
New grille
3 1.25" Screws and nuts
5 ribbed plastic anchors
5 1/2" screws
Needle nose pliers
BIG circular, rip, or table saw
Precise cutting tool or serrated knife
Ruler
Optional:
Sandpaper
Spray paint
Masking tape
I. Cut it up!
Measure in about 1" and cut flush with the top retaining tab. Leave the bottom tab on for now. Holding the convex grille in place will be tricky, so grab mom or dad to help you.
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjM4NnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
Now you get these for left overs:
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjM5NnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
II. Prepping the grilles
Now turn your attention to deconstructing both grilles. This isn't hard, but it is the point of no return, so be advised. Using a nail and the needle nosed pliers, push/pull the plastic pins out of the plastic plugs like so:
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjQxNnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
...and then
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjQwNnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
Do the same with the new grille, and you can discard it's frame. Hold on to the inside of the original grille; you'll need it to set up the mounting tabs.
Now try setting the eggcrate grille inside into your original frame. Check for a bit of clearance on both sides.
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjQyNnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
III. Tab cutting
Now cut off these plastics tabs from the top of the eggcrate grille:
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjQ0NnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjQ1NnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjQ2NnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjQ3NnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjQ4NnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
These last two are on the inside of the top of the frame.
The point of this step is to further settle the grille in its frame, and to prevent rubbing the inside of the top of the frame. This also makes it easier to attach.
IV. Connecting the bottom
Take the plastic anchors, and put them into the five mounting holes in the frame, which should match up with those in the eggcrate grille, albeit with a whole lot of bending. Snip the end off the anchors if they are too long and they hit the individual squares inside the grille. Then screw in the 1/2" screws, until everything is nice n' snug.
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0OTAxNnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
V. Connecting the top
Take the 1.25" screws and nuts and put them into the 3 top holes. The nuts will have to rest on an edge on the inside of the grille.
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0OTIxNnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
Now you're done!
Resting on my car: http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/582743/2
Coming soon: how to actually stick it on your car! Please PM or post with ideas or questions!
OK, here's the rough draft anyway. I've wanted an eggcrate grille for my car for quite awhile now, and only recently did anything about it. This is pretty easy and you could roll through it in a couple hours with the right tools and supplies. I just went up to my grandparents' house to use the fully stocked shop/garage and had at it. Take note that this is not a PERFECT fit, but it does the job just fine, and looks great from any distance over 3'. My grille came of a '90 745ti, and cost me $15 at the junkyard. Make sure your grille is not cracked or weathered beyond repair. It needs to be pliable enough to bend a smidge in the middle.
~Supplies & Equipment
Old grille
New grille
3 1.25" Screws and nuts
5 ribbed plastic anchors
5 1/2" screws
Needle nose pliers
BIG circular, rip, or table saw
Precise cutting tool or serrated knife
Ruler
Optional:
Sandpaper
Spray paint
Masking tape
I. Cut it up!
Measure in about 1" and cut flush with the top retaining tab. Leave the bottom tab on for now. Holding the convex grille in place will be tricky, so grab mom or dad to help you.
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjM4NnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
Now you get these for left overs:
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjM5NnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
II. Prepping the grilles
Now turn your attention to deconstructing both grilles. This isn't hard, but it is the point of no return, so be advised. Using a nail and the needle nosed pliers, push/pull the plastic pins out of the plastic plugs like so:
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjQxNnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
...and then
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjQwNnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
Do the same with the new grille, and you can discard it's frame. Hold on to the inside of the original grille; you'll need it to set up the mounting tabs.
Now try setting the eggcrate grille inside into your original frame. Check for a bit of clearance on both sides.
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjQyNnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
III. Tab cutting
Now cut off these plastics tabs from the top of the eggcrate grille:
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjQ0NnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjQ1NnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjQ2NnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjQ3NnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0NjQ4NnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
These last two are on the inside of the top of the frame.
The point of this step is to further settle the grille in its frame, and to prevent rubbing the inside of the top of the frame. This also makes it easier to attach.
IV. Connecting the bottom
Take the plastic anchors, and put them into the five mounting holes in the frame, which should match up with those in the eggcrate grille, albeit with a whole lot of bending. Snip the end off the anchors if they are too long and they hit the individual squares inside the grille. Then screw in the 1/2" screws, until everything is nice n' snug.
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0OTAxNnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
V. Connecting the top
Take the 1.25" screws and nuts and put them into the 3 top holes. The nuts will have to rest on an edge on the inside of the grille.
http://www.we-todd-did-racing.com/wetoddimage.wtdr/wNTA0OTIxNnM0MTNkZmQzMXk1NDE%3D.jpg
Now you're done!
Resting on my car: http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/582743/2
Coming soon: how to actually stick it on your car! Please PM or post with ideas or questions!