As far as I know there is no write up yet so here it goes.

1995-1996 Nissan Maxima grill removal/mesh install

I went out and bought Gutter Guard from Home Depot to use as mesh. I also painted the mesh so it would not tarnish. Also get some zip ties.

1. Remove the grill from the car by taking out 2 (vertical) screws (or clips) which connect to the headlight assembly. Then rotate 3 more (horizontal) clips with a flat head 45 degrees, 2, which connect to the headlight assemblies, and 1 to the hood latch support.
2. Remove the emblem from the grill. It has adhesive holding it on and this may or may not be screwed on. Oh and clean off the adhesive from the grill.
3. I drilled holes all around the grill (between the painted and the black portions) just large enough to insert zip ties through. These holes will be used to secure the mesh.
4. I cut the mesh to a rough shape of the grill. I kept the top straight and left the surrounding edges long so I could wrap the mesh around the grill.
5. Starting at the top center, zip tie the mesh to the grill, inserting the zip tie through the back of your newly drilled hole, through the mesh, and back through a (square) opening of the grill. Pull the zip tie tight and cut off excess.
6. Repeat step 5 going from the center out and all around the grill, making sure the mesh is tight against the grill.
7. On the bottom you don’t need holes because you can just wrap the tie around the bottom of the grill.
8. Now you can leave it blank, add a Nissan burger, or maybe do as I did using the “MAXIMA” letters off the trunk. I painted them flat black and used hot melt glue to attach them.
9. Reinstall the whole grill on to the car, snapping the 3 clips back in, turning them 45 degrees and inserting the last 2 screws or clips.

 

Have fun!

 

Nice write up with pics! Props on being original with the MAXIMA in the front. If it was up to me though, I would've put a Nissan emblem back on because you can see where the logo used to be. You probably can't notice it from a distance, but thats just me. Either way good job.

-Nick

 

great idea...just center up that Maxima emblem...

 

Sweet Job....
Have you tried doing the bottom valences? I like your grill, and I thought about doing it to mine soon, but I also want to do the bottom part. Well if you have any ideas, help me out.

 

Center... yeah I know. Original, yeah I know, I had the bottom valences done... very cheap though, and i didn’t like it. Funny enough I ripped it off because I kissed a snow bank last winter and it bent, so I ripped it off. I put it on from the front, drilled some little holes, in the bumper and license plate frame, it looked silly to me. After I cut myself for the millionth time I didn’t want to do it any better. Here is a stupid old grill.

Oh and I didn't use the stock hamburger because it was gold and I had way too many highway miles. Anyone selling a silver buger?!

 

Oh and someone put this in the 4th gen how to's!!!!!

 

nice write up

 

on the nismo badge...get something similar or a silver aftermarket Max emblem from Custommaxima or whoever sells those...you know those ones, the little circular ones...that would work well, though I like that small nismo emblem. However, if you think like me, i'd skip the emblems period...i like the cleanness of a badgeless car...I salivate over the idea of a Geo1317 grille on my car w/o emblems...

 

Question about the gutter guard. Is it plastic or is it metal?

 

gutter guard is metal

oh and i never said how to cut it, i used a nice but old pair of scissors.

 

you can also use wire cutters...those plier looking thingies that are really sharp...that would work well...

 

if i dont want the mesh to rust what do u guys recommend me painting the mesh with? i want a silverish chrome color....hehe

 

I'm wanting to put the mesh on the grill & bumper, and coated one strip with a "crystal clear, high gloss" rust-o-leum spray that DID NOT work. It took the shine away immediately, and I need something else to try. Anyone have any ideas? TIA.

 

Its been 6 months now, hows your gutter mesh holding up? Any discoloration and such? I have had the galvanized mesh for 8 months on mine, there's a few spots where dirt has built up but some rubbing got it off. But looks like I'm getting a new stock 95 grill and going to paint match the inside of the grill to the car. Unless there's a better grill idea for the 95'ers.

 

looks nice

 

Grille-tech.com makes a prefitted mesh grille for the 95-96 grille area, even the lower portions.

 

The metal grill w/ 'Nismo' was installed some time in october of 2002. I did not paint it then. I redid the grill in May or June of 2003, thats the 'Maxima' grill. I painted the mesh at that time because over the winter it did tarnish. The 'I' in 'Maxima' fell off in spring 2004 but the painted metal still looks great. Its still on the car but its blank and looks bad IMO. Of course the car is pretty much stock now since my dad drives it full time now. Looks and handles so bad with the stock suspension.

For those who wanted to know what kind of paint. use any type of paint for metal, Krylon...Rustoleum....etc. Primer is a good step for a lasting finsh. I have high heat duplicolor in the color aluminum that would look nice. Well my Y pipe does.

 

i just put a few coats of clear coat to give it a shine and protection.


http://community.webshots.com/photo/...54292125xDEzrM

that's it on a lil angle shot and the grilling in about every opening you can imagine.

 

Since this pic, ive gotten clear corners.

much better. Suspension is blown though, and i dont feel like putting any more money into the max. i can kinda tell its on its last leg.

 

better pic

 

SyCefiro's sweet nose

 

you think it would look good if it was painted black?

 

I made a grill yesterday but couldn't take pics, I will try this week-end. It's my second time doing it and I still love the way it looks, plus I now have the ludalip

 

Here is the full GG grilled nose with clear corners this is probably a year after installing it. You can see the metal tarnishes, i toyed with the idea of getting a metal shop to strip it and chrome it, but i talked to the guy and if it flexes at all while putting it back into the bumper, the chrome will flake regardless of how many layers.

PS. dont mind the bugs.

 

Hey, I just made a grill for my maxima today. I had to use a lot of zip-ties though and was not able to just wrap the mesh under the grill but had to zip tie that down too. Did anyone else run into that problem? It turned out pretty good, but it gave me a tough time.

Also, can anyone give a few good pointers on how to do the full valences, like burrll_gee has? Thanks.

 

does anyone a write up for the lower parts of the bumper?

 

no write up, but here's a pic, it seemed relevant.

 

its pretty self explanitory just go buy some guttergaurd from hom depot and go at it. Not that hard, and was there really a need to bring back such an old thread?

 

looks real good, did u take the bumper off to do it? and the holes in yours look kinda small. if u did it yourself give a lil tip on ways to get it done

 

no you dont take your bumper off, if you take your lower splashgaurds off you can put your arm up there and align and whatnot. Why didnt you just make your own thread?

 

that is a hot grill set. i bought mesh grills and i have to cut them before i put them in.

 

home depot actually sells an aluminum grill sheet not all of them have the sheet but most do just look around you will find it

 

i made a grill but i couldnt get past the black zip ties to they make metal zip ties ot at least something that wont stand out so much

 

good writeup

 

are u serious? thats ugly

 

Just made one for my '96, I'll have pics of it on the car in a day or two, I'm doing the openings in the bumper too.

 

Nice write up. A very inexpensive mod most people can do, And it looks good.

 

yeah i can see it to. but nice job on the uniqeness!

 

Turnked out ok I think