STownSaint

Follow-up to the G sedan aftermarket mesh grille thread. While that grille was Ok, it was poorly designed and fabricated, so the fitment was off and the final look was lackluster. Chose to go the custom route, by having an OEM grille converted to a mesh grille. Process and photos below.

1) Step one: buy an OEM grille (bought an all-chrome one used for $40)




2) Step two: chop out the horizontal "fins" and smooth out the sides. I have exactly zero talent when it comes to autobody work, so I sent mine to Customcargrills.com (Matt), a shop that has an active Youtube channel that demonstrates OEM grille conversions. Video below. By the way, dealing with Matt was a real pleasure (his communication and attention to detail is remarkable) and the final product was exactly what I had asked for (which included diagrams for how I had wanted the grille to be cut). If you use Matt, be patient and let him have plenty of time for the project. Grille frame was shipped (very well-packaged) with a smooth, matte black finish, along with a pre-cut metal diamond mesh (available here) and full sheet of ABS diamond mesh (available here). I chose the ABS mesh since it closely matches the OEM mesh in the lower air dam.

Note: no form of advertisement intended, just very impressed with Matt's professionalism and craftsmanship








3) Step three: figure out a way to secure the mesh to the grille frame. I used "2-inch round head fasteners" from Staples and E6000 adhesive from the hardware store.




4) Step four: trim the mesh material to avoid clearance issues during install. You don't want to trim too close that the mesh doesn't reach the inner edge of the grille frame, but you want to clip off all of the bits that could interfere with reinstallation into the front bumper cover




5) Step five: wanted a gloss finish to match the car, and I went the vinyl route, using 3M 1080 gloss black. The material and color-match are great, but the vinyl has more orange peel that the car's paint. Not a dealbreaker, but will eventually get the frame painted. Tip: when wrapping corners, especially inside corners, utilize the vinyl's material properties by heating and stretch to avoid seams and creases.







6) Step six: slap on a Fuji emblem (if you want one, I used the rear hatch emblem off a QX80 using 3M double-sided auto tape) and install (how-to) and enjoy a mesh grille with OEM fitment!










7) Step seven: think about installing cold air intakes for weeks/months/years, because they'd look pretty neat behind the mesh grille...

And thanks to all the members that gave tips, feedback, walkthroughts, etc.!

Mboxer511

iTrader: (1)

That looks pretty nice!

STownSaint

Got some PM requests, here’s how the grille looks with more direct light (hoping to add some long tube intakes soon):