Customize that 700 series grill

[capthook]

I've got an '89 760 Turbo... starting to feel the ages I'm sorry to say, and it always was kind of a 'business-mobile.' I've been looking at all of the styles of grills out there (tons of custom jobs, it's like a toy store) and I want to know... is there some site with custom grill instructions? I assume it's as simple as paint and time, but -- what kinds for exterior plastic hold up - and should I sand the 700 series chrome to attach new paint :?: Don't want it to look ugly. Perhaps taking out the center is the only way to go - and replacing with some sort of mesh (not chicken wire....pleeeease.) :roll:


Here's one idea:


http://www.volvo240tic.com/vall082.jpg




And Another...

http://www.volvo240tic.com/emm059.jpg




And, I guess you can always just paint the sucker black. :wink:


http://www.volvo240tic.com/vall02088.jpg



Well... get back to me guys, with customization information. I'd like to know how to do the mesh look, but perhaps I'll do just a 'spring cleaning' now with the right paint suggestions....

Thanks, L8rz...

[DaRiceRipper]

Its gehttos but looks real nice.
Have you ever gone to the doctors office and noticed how most of them have the drop tile cieling. Well if you look at the covers for the lights in the cieling alot of them are a chrome color metal with the diamond pattern. Looks real nice in a chrome frame.
You can find it at your local HOME DEPOT.
lol

[Anonymous]

lol :lol: Sweeeeeet. Now you're talking my lingo. Volvo dealer - out of my league, and WAY out of my wallet. Home Depot - Riiiiiight at home.




So, in terms of attaching this 'mesh screen door' material to the grill, what do they do - glue it, epoxy, blah, blah?? I'm looking for someone who's done a few, and who can give a few suggestions on diff looks- etc.. I don't know, maybe I'll have to experiment to get the look I want anyway. My wife seems to think I'm about to make her Volvo look like RICE but I'm not! I want it to look fairly stock, just (better) and possibly without that seatbelt-cross volvo symbol.




Thanks again for the info... I'll be sure to stop at Home-Depot to spend $3 in materials. They always love you for that :) Brings a smile to my face every time.

[towerymt]

Yorkbrick:

http://www.student.nvcc.vccs.edu/home/mtowery/volvo/240/013.JPG

http://www.student.nvcc.vccs.edu/home/mtowery/volvo/240/013_york.jpg

[capthook]

Enough with making me jealous already :D Just give me some basic instructions on how to get this look. Do I have to cut the entire center out of the Volvo grill to attach the mesh? Or is it glued over the top?? I guess you could really do it any way you wanted to - or even just paint it flat black :P but I'd like it to look like this, I think it fits the chrome look of this car better. I don't have a 740 Turbo with all black trim. I've got the 760 w/ chrome.

[boosted]

i painted the slash the same color as my car

i meshed my grill and its real easy if you want it to look super cool go to the dealership and pick up a new style emblem to dress up your new grill first im not sure if you can take it out like a 200 series grill but take it out get out your dremel and hack off the emblem and 2 diagonal bars then dremel out the connection spots the get some mesh i get mine and the local rice racer shop then get out your sencil and sheet metal clippers and cut to shape leaving a lil on the sides to bend in then drill like 3 lil holes on the sides and zip tie!!!! there your done wasent that easy!!!!!

[TRBO242]

These are the simple steps to making a custom grill that looks pro. FOR CHEAP.

1-Source the grill mesh:
a). Go to a metal shop and ask them for any stainless steel mesh scrap. Sometime it costs a couple of bucks, but most of the time they’ll let you rummage through they’re pile for free. If you can get several different size mesh so you can get the perfect look. Look for something woven.

b). Go to the hardware store, it’s just that you’ll have a less exotic selection of mesh costs more.

2-Prep the old grill:
This is the tricky part. Carefully cut out all the ribs, just to the inside of the grill. Remember you’ll be putting the mesh in from behind.

3-Make a paper template and gut mesh to fit. Test it out, and remove before painting.

4-Prep the surface:
Sand all the plastic chrome off or down to a constant smooth surface that your primer can bite into. Work down to at least a 200 grit sandpaper paper, if you can go down to 400. if you want, wet sand it with 400 grit.

5-Get a good SANDABLE primer, that works on plastic:
(very important). Prime it as instructed. Let dry 24hours.

6-Get your body-color, or desired color:
Paint that sucker. Insert the mesh, and epoxy in place. Be sure to score the glue surface first! A quick and ghetto way to secure the mesh it so soak it in epoxy.

Good luck! :boink:

[capthook]

Sweeeeet :twisted: The only problem now is, where do I put all the playboy bunnies who got the 'sweede for speed' ? :wink:

But seriously:

Can I place the mesh in front of the grill, and epoxy it to the inside rims? I'm going to go with your method anyway, because I don't want it to look ugly - but I believe I'll pick up a few junk-yard grills to test some of my ideas l8r.

Good tip on the metal shop. I'll end up going to home De-Pot, but hey - - it's always nice to know there is a larger selection out there; and it's free. My favorite part.

What kind of plastic SANDABLE primer do you use? I know I got a can of some crap around here someplace - but I can never get anyone at Home-Depot who's made it past the 3rd grade. :cry: Bummer huh? I just have all the luck with customer service I think.

[RobTarD]

I put the eggcrate-style grille from a 940 onto

my '88 760 and it looks awesome, much better than the old chrome piece. And it's body-colored so it looks

pretty slick.

[taskmule]

My car is an 87 760 Ti. It had a

chrome grille when I bought it. I put a 740T grill in after I repainted it, using black satin finish epoxy spray

paint, which made a really nice and strong finish. No chipping! The frame was painted when I repainted the whole

vehicle last fall.</P>


This (http://www3.sympatico.ca/sticklad/photos/newpaint3.jpg)[/B] is

what it looks like when you paint the frame to match the body colour. I'm thinking of removing the bar, but,

anyway, you get the idea. I might consider mesh...maybe...someday...but I like the way it looks now.</P>

</BR>Don't wanna go TOO rice on the ol' 760, ya know? :roll:

[Captain Bondo]

Capthook is that pic in your avatar of you?



if so, you look like the singer from System of a Down. :)
Sorry for the ot

[bitjockey]

How about this?



http://www.pbase.com/image/8469505.jpg

:twisted:

This is

what I really

did:

http://www.pbase.com/image/3162549.jpg

http:/

/www.pbase.com/image/3162504.jpg

Took the slash off, sanded and painted so it looked

even.

Ptouch20 did a mesh grill... said it restricted airflow too much.

[neurot75]

damn ur car looks nice, i got the same one in

dark gray except mine has a huge scratch on the back right side to the tail light which got there from me backing

out too close to my stone wall, i got a joint driveway iwth my neighbors and its ****in tiny. the bumpers are all

faded and banged up too.
planing to get all taht fixed and rejuvinating my paint this spring.
i'll get the

pics up real soon.

[taskmule]

bitjockey, that looks great. I

wonder how cool it would look with a hi-mileage badge where the logo was? Maybe I'll give it a whirl on

mine...

'mule

[capthook]

Yeah, I made my prettiest face for that avatar.

Love the Mercedes grill, did you drive it around for a while like that? Extra points if you did :lol:




You're right, for a nice conservative 760 - you wouldn't want it to look too rice.... I kinda want

it to look like my dad's car, but run like an asian kid's. What's up with that?

[taskmule]

[quote:61c9959b04] I kinda want

it to look like my dad's car, but run like an asian kid's. What's up with that? [/quote:61c9959b04]

<P align=center>:twisted: But...that's the idea, isn't it? :twisted:

<P align=center>images/smiles/owned.gif

'mule

[gecko]

i'm actually going to start work on

designing mesh grilles for the 200s and 700s. but right now i need grilles from these series cars in good

condition (ie. mounting tabs etc still intact) to be donated or sold to me for a small fee. also if you can add

any info about grille dimensions for the 700 series for specific years for cars with and without fogs. I want to

focus on the 240s first though as there are really only 2 grille styles for them so they could be developed

faster.

neal


<a href=http://turbovolvo.saliv8.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=3526>see this post for

grilles that i am looking for</a>

[RedDragon]

I really like the suggestion of

painting the grille body color, especially after taking off the sash.

I am in the process of painting my

headlight rims -- bezels, cages, whatever you call those things -- body color (red in this case) and now I think

I'll paint the grille, too.

Thanks for the suggestion.

[Unregistered]

this volvo looks awesome


My car is an 87 760 Ti. It had a

chrome grille when I bought it. I put a 740T grill in after I repainted it, using black satin finish epoxy spray

paint, which made a really nice and strong finish. No chipping! The frame was painted when I repainted the whole

vehicle last fall.</P>


This (http://www3.sympatico.ca/sticklad/photos/newpaint3.jpg)[/B] is

what it looks like when you paint the frame to match the body colour. I'm thinking of removing the bar, but,

anyway, you get the idea. I might consider mesh...maybe...someday...but I like the way it looks now.</P>

</BR>Don't wanna go TOO rice on the ol' 760, ya know? :roll:

[exexpat]

Love the Mercedes grill, did you drive it around for a while like that? Extra points if you did :lol:


I didn't know I should be getting extra points, too :rofl: I like the badgeless black one best.

[PWRPUFF]

Holy thread resurrection, Batman!!!

-- Kane ... this thread is only 2 years, 8 months old.

PS: Ikea mesh wastebaskets for teh win!!!