Poorman's $2 front-end cosmetic makeover
 

Click to see the Pic of Poorman¡¯s $2 makeover project!
http://www.geekazoids.net/~images/dsc01168_copy.jpg

The 2 gutters cost me less than $2 from Homedepo & dat includes tax, too.
They're on sale for .88cents each. It was $1.88 each last week and I guess it was worth the wait! I know I know..I'm cheap.
I only needed 2 pieces and the total job took me 40mins to complete!
It's 3pieces design if you look more closer.
I've decided to cover the entire top grill and botton air-inlet and leave the center-inlet open for sportier look.
The center section is only partially covered from the leftover pieces and I think it matches pretty good.
Next week I¡¯m going to tint the rear siganl lenses.
I can¡¯t afford the $160~180 clear lenses and I¡¯m going to tint the clear backup light & yellow signal with dark smoke tint and leave the red break lights to stay legal.
I will post pic as soon as I finish it.
I've already tested it and dang~ it looks SWEET~

I went to home depo and was looking for a metal grill to put on my inlet... but i couldn't find any... your car looks nice... but i am confused on what the gutters are? are they like gutters like the one you put on your home?

Okie! Jung.
Those are same as your home gutter guards.
If you don¡¯t like it you could put right into your gutter and make your father happy.
If you like black color like mine and don¡¯t wanna spray black epoxy paint then you should pick ¡°brown aluminized gutter guards.¡±
They said it¡¯s brown but it looks more like black to me.
The scan# is 17857-00125 made by Gutter world for .88cents at your local Homedepo.
Hope it helps.

Thats cool... whatever works... Still a little confused? Is it the same thing as a screen that keeps the bug out? How are u holding it to your car?

RE: Home Depot Mesh...
 

Its in the gutter section of Home Depot, called Rain Gutter Mesh. Its the only way to go without if you are a real man...no wussy buying off eBay sh*t right? Took me about 2 hours and I think I did a good job (I filled in everything even the top bumper insert around my license plate). Doesn't look like a professional job up close, but atleast you can yell at all the Honda boys to stop wasting their parent's money :D.

just some info for you guys, if you decide to paint the metal black, dont use regualar black spray paint. what you want to use is black applaince epoxy from home depot. regular paint WILL chip. the epoxy dries much harder and wont chip off, its just like spray paint and in the same cabinet.. take a look at the finished product..

Im just curious as to how that is fastened on...i havent taken a look at my stock one yet but, is it just screwed on where the previous grill was attached?

Ok.. guys!
Here's the other pictures.
Now I got sliver ones, too!
Once you made the template the next one is piece of cake!
BTW, do you like mah new ID?
Somehow I couldn't log in so I made a new ID..


http://www.geocities.com/kwelhand/1.txt
http://www.geocities.com/kwelhand/3.txt
http://www.geocities.com/kwelhand/2.txt


I think silver one is little bit better in here.. don't u think?

How to attach them?
Use the glue? He*l no mah man!
Just use zipties!
here's da pic for you mah man!
http://www.geocities.com/kwelhand/2.txt

Wow, I gotta say that looks pretty sweet. Does it rattle around at all? It doesnt seem to secure with just zipties....

Those things are very secure with just some Zipties!
Here's the tip!
When you cut it make sure the new grill is slightly smaller(1/4”) than the stock opening to avoid contact otherwise the sharp edges of your new grill will scratch up your bumper like your galfriend’s nails on your back! OUCH~
You don’t have to take your grills out in other to cut it properly!
Just align it onto the grill and use the marker to draw a line then start to cut it!
Very easy to do it yet custom looking & durable!
Try it one for yourself today you won’t regret your $2!
Just trying to help my fellow Maximan!

hey I have been working on this myself. I painted my mesh with rustoleum and then a clear laquer finish. I am just not sure how to deal with the top grille. I can't figure out how to take the damn thing off.

i copied that from DBM from another post

so the top part....
 

did you remove the factory grill, or is this one just laid on overtop of it (I am talking about where the nissan emblem is..)

Looks good, I did my mid hole w/ black gutter guard stuff but it is crappy, since it wasn't metal it wont stay in shape.. so Im gonna pull it off-

You don't have to take the grill out and if you did then what? Just put the gutter onto the grill and draw the line then cut it accordingly.
However, you need to take the Nissan badge out if you want to put it front of your new grill.
Make sure heat it about a min before you take it out coz those thing is fragile.
Use 3M double sided tape to mount them again.
Hope it helps!

all this seems a little ghetto... why not just buy a metal grill and cut it out and insert it?

Jung! The possibility is endless! Just use your imaginations!
However, thick metal one is pretty tough to cut & shape.
I've seen the thick metal gutters at Homedept but oh boy! those things are pretty thick man!
I dunno how you gonna cut it though...
Just trying to help!

Cool, it should keep the birds out of my engine compartment ! :slant:

i just went to home depot and i guess i couldn't find the right one so i got KWIKMESH utility screen rool 1/8 galvanized expanded metal roll...i think this should do this job and says it won't rust but the holes are like tiny

Hey! good luck on your new project!
Make sure post some pic after you done, OK?

thats how i did mine.. i cut out all of the honeycomb grille of my 95 except for the perimeter of it and a few vertical peices of the plastic just to make sure it still had some strenght. looks much better than an overlay in my opinion.. heres a pic. check it out mabye itll give you some ideas...

and another..

wow
 

Cheap make over, i'm going to home depot and i'm gonna try it out tonight =) hopefully greg's clear taillights will arrive sometime this year as well.. i could do both today

How do you do the grill on a 97+ max, and does anyone have any pics?

Thanks

ya i want to do it on 97 front, i think it my be ore difficult bc of the larger area to be covered

kctyphoon! damn!! yours look good! almost like a factory!
Good job man!
Man! after seen your mesh I think I've to redo mine!
I love your grill man! 4 real.
It's a work of art!

me 2
 

i broke all of my clips trying to do it , now is just on there by the screws of the max emblem .... i guess i need to buy some more ,,,

i think the only problem with the 97+ is that there is that big hamburger sign in the way...that's about it

well my problem is i have a custom made 97 bumper, and i ma not have places to attach it to, first it was just a gxe/gle bumper but i had the middle bars in the outer holes cut out, so its more like an SE without the fogs, also i had the piece that the liscense plate is attached to removed so it would look better, so my real question is wha am i going to connect the mesh to

That looked really good!!!

There's a Plastic Gutter gaurd in black or white availible @ homedepo. It's real easy to cut since it's plastic and you don't have to worry about scratches to your paint or rusting. Took me less then 10 mins to do. You can just cut it with a sharp pair of scissor. I used that originally but changed to a aluminum silver one instead since the black isn't really visible.

ok well i went to home depot but found nothing for $.88 or plastic gutter gaurd, i did find a $2 roll of metal 6inchX20ft gutter gaurd stuff, im thinkingi will go t another home depot and if i still dont find the stuff i will get the other one

all this is giving me MASS confusion..
Are there any websites with pictures explaining this?
Here are lot's of newbie questions for you: please answer ^^:

1. Can I use white paint instead of just black? or does white paints chip off more then black ones?
2. For the front grill, do you just take the stock ones off then do it? how are you going to install the nissan emblem after that?
3. How do you do bottem ones if there aren't any holes to stick the zip thing in?
4. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH confusion.. I'm just going to buy those stuff first and wait for an answer ^^
Thanks~

good mod maybe ill try it

ok well i went to the other home depot and found some other stuff that cost like $1.28, so i got two of them, they were like 6 inches by 3 ft, and they also had clips on them which made it a breeze to attach it to the bumper, in order not to scratch it i took off the 6 screws under the bumper and pulled back the black plastic and slid it up under there, then clipped it on, and it stayed fine, took maybe 30 minutes and looks great, i only did the bottom 3 holes, not the one between the grille and the bottom holes, i will take some pics tomorrow and post em up, btw its a 97-99 front, l8r

Still confusing...
I went to home depot and they had nothing..
all metal meshes were just a squares..

just look hard, it took me twice to find the right stuff, i found them on top of a box between cabinets, it is the diamond shape too, just a small screen

Ok I finally bought the metal gutter thing.
And spray painted with the heat protectant, and then clear coated it.
Now... How to get UNDER then bumper and where to ZIPTIE them?
and also for the TOP front grill, Please explain detaily how to take the thing off.. and then Where to use ziptie for the top one.. shouldn't it be ziptied on the bottom too?
Please help. Thanks.

those grills look AWSOME!

how do ya like the ones in my sig, no zipties here

how did you do that redmax?
can you like tell me?
my aim is : AznCraft