Quick Grill Question (educated forum)

[DAMON]

Hey guys, Ive got a quick question about modding my new grill. I have experience with clearing out the grill on my gen 3... I just didnt like the all open grill and want to try something new.

This Time I want to make a grill similar to Ratko's- The emblem and main vertical bars eliminated, only the three remaining horizontal bars of the grill. My question is how should I go about bridging the gap of the middle bar where the emblem would have been? I know solid bondo will just crumble across there... how did you guys do it? I have the old grill too, I was considering using a piece of that across the gap... you guys have any ideas?

Ive found a lot about grills but not a lot about this process...

Thanks guys

Damon

[BLUEMEANIE]

bondo over a piece of metal mesh.

[DAMON]

thats a good idea, thanx bro... maybe ill try that tomorrow

[Erbe]

that would be different...bondo over mesh would do it...hope you kno this is gonna take some work

[DAMON]

yeah i know erbe, This will be the second grill ive done. My first one was cleared out just like yours but I was worried about the safety of that... So I ordered a new grill and have been running it stock for a few months... just looking for something to do over xmas break. If my camry still had the clear grill Id look almost exactly like yours! I think our cams were seperated at birth

[Erbe]

^why were you worried?

[DAMON]

I just didnt want anything flying into my radiator with such a big opening there.... I mean the stock grill is there for a reason

[Erbe]

o...i have mesh behind mine that i painted black (cant even see it)

[Eye8Pussies]

ain't nothing that bondo can't do....ask the boro crew...

[CrawlingEye]

Be warned, there will be a lot of sanding to be done. Also, you should mesh over the inside groove, then bondo that in place, after that cures, bondo an excessive amount over the mesh then sand your way down. It may be coarse as bondo's not very fine. You'll find luck in using quite a few thin coats of 'filler primer' to smooth out all the small imperfections in the bondo.

Be warned though, this isn't an overnight job. With fairly steady work, it took me about 2 weeks to get mine to where it is now.

I also took a different approach based on the materials I had on hand. I simply used a thick gauge copper wire (bare wire) and just bridged the gap, bondo'd it in place and then built it up with bondo and began sanding.

Good luck with it, and let us know how you do.

[Erbe]

^tru...took me 8 weeks (fooled around)

[DAMON]

yeah It was a lot of work on the last grill I did but I think im ready for it, Ill let you guys know how it goes... Ive gotta order my struts first... santa was good to me!