Mesh Grill Treatment

New 10/15/2004

The top grill was easy once the front bumper was removed, but the lower grill was a major PITA. My friend and I had to cut some of the plastic inside the lower grill to make the mesh flush. Also, the mesh had to be in 4 individual pieces, molded around those bars that run vertically in the lower grill. We drilled some holes for some silver bolts, and got it all finished as it got dark.

I personally think it looks good, especially because my SHO is silver. Let me know what you think. (cross posted from SHOforum, for those that aren't members over there.)

Skye

Any side shots or angle shots? Is the lower grill set flush with the front and the upper flush with the back? Inquiring minds are curious to know.

If I only had a press and mold close at hand, I'd like to make a front flush upper grill that mounted to the back of the bumper cover, much like a few GTP's I've seen running around...

-John Breen III

I'll get more shots during the day soon. I might even get some shots of inside the bumper if we decide to take it off while doing my CAI.

Here's the process. Hopefully this will help you. We bought three strips of mesh altogether. We used most of the first mesh strip doing the upper grill.

We took the front bumper off and took out the six screws that held the Ford logo plate in place. We just laid the mesh where the plate used to be and screwed the mesh in with those six screws. Folded the excess mesh over the inside edges so the upper grill is flush with the back of the front bumper.

The lower grill wasn't quite as easy, at least the way we did it. The mesh strip wasn't long enough to stretch the length of the lower grill, so we were planning on overlapping behind the center post. Then we actually looked at the inside of the lower grill and saw that this would not be possible, because the back of the lower grill is not even close to being a flat, flush surface to lay the mesh down on.

In particular, one of the edges on the center grill piece stuck further back than the other three, so we dremeled the extra plastic on each four sections so that it was identical to the other inside edges. Then we cut four pieces of mesh and formed them BY HAND to fit the contour of the lower grille. The excess mesh on the sides was folded over the back of the posts. We left some overlap on the top and bottom of the mesh pieces so that we could bend them over the top grill slot and under the bottom grill slot. We drilled four holes for each piece (2 top and 2 bottom) and voila!

P.S. The bolts we used were a little long, and they were digging into the Styrofoam on the actual bumper. We dremeled off the bolts so that they wouldn't be in the way and so we would be able to put the front bumper on.

Skye

K, that's kinda what I figured. I think that's how Nimz did it, too. In the end, that's definitely the easiest way to put a piece of mesh back there.

-John Breen III

Sorry man, everyone is entitled to their opinion. UGLY! but if you have to keep that like that take the black covers off of the spacers in the lower section.. they are just covers over a factory painted fascia... to each their own, I'm glad that there is still interest in modding the V8 car though.

Kirk
(as always, brutally honest in his opinion) U.L.

I think they look great! If the black inserts some people are complaining about are the vertical supports between the lower sections....I would not remove them, they keep things from flapping in the wind. But maybe just paint them to match the body.

Good work.

Don Mallinson

Actually the black inserts are just snap on trim pieces. You can remove them and it will then be body color.

Paul Nimz
'97 TR
'93 EG mtx

Shoot, wish I would have known that while I had SW9's nose resting on the garage floor for 5 weeks.

U.L.

I like the look as well.

I'll try to keep my car stock looking but I do like the look.

Tim

I like the looks, should keep robins out,

Tim

Already took care of that.

*Pix)

Paul

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