LOOKY LOOKY! custom billet aluminum grille

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Oct 23, 2002 | 07:56 PM
  #1  
Well. I did it...I made my own aluminum grille. Go to the my album and see it for your self. Sorry for the dark pics, but I was so excited that i broke down and bought me a digital camera (Fuji Finepix a201). More pics tomorrow once I clean my baby! WOOO HOOOO!

http://community.webshots.com/user/bighmann
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Oct 23, 2002 | 08:14 PM
  #2  
Re: LOOKY LOOKY! custom billet aluminum grille
Looks WAY nicer than the 5th gen Trenz grille!.. GREAT JOB! Hook us up!

G
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Oct 23, 2002 | 08:16 PM
  #3  
Yeah, that looks nice. Explain to us how you did it yourself please.
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Oct 23, 2002 | 08:29 PM
  #4  
Well here is how i did it...i went on ebay and bought this grille for $89.00 + $17 shipping (I'm in Canada). The grille is for a ford expedition 99-02. I traced a template out of X-mas paper! I draped it from the top to the bottom with the paper and then I very lightly cut out the shape using the inside edge of the bumper as a guide...when you do this mask off the area with tape to avoid any chance of scratching the bumper, I learned the hard way. Once the template was cut out, I placed it over the aluminum grill, making sure to center it, and then taped it down for the next stage...cutting! I bought a dremel, I also splurged and bought some dremel fiberglass cutoff discs because the ones it came with sucked (just ask my forehead) Once the cutting commenced, all it took was patience. I got some flat black touch up paint and painted the ends where the fresh cuts were made and voila...oh im using about 10-12 ties to hold it in place. Any other questions ask away...
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Oct 23, 2002 | 08:42 PM
  #5  
looks nice..... now give that beautiful car a WASH... it deserve it!
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Oct 23, 2002 | 08:43 PM
  #6  
Ingenuity, that's what I like to see!!
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Oct 23, 2002 | 08:47 PM
  #7  
i'll be doing the same for the bottom valence too
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Oct 23, 2002 | 08:48 PM
  #8  
nice,

btw,
Im not a fan of tiburons, but, thats a hella nice tiburon (did I spell it right?) veilside all the way
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Oct 23, 2002 | 08:50 PM
  #9  
Quote:
Originally posted by big h
i'll be doing the same for the bottom valence too
My man, i was going to say that. Looks actually very nice. I thought my setup looked nice, but yours is looking sharp son.

Dixit
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Oct 23, 2002 | 08:51 PM
  #10  
Wow looks real mean, but good. Waaaay better than the Trenz grill. Nice job!
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Oct 23, 2002 | 08:55 PM
  #11  
boys...this forscheesy is off da hooooook! wit til summer...i've got plans!!! thanks for all the compliments...if anyone wants to buy the grille, i'll talk to the guy that sold me one on ebay...actually, i paid a total of 106US shipped, and emailed him cause i will be purchasing another for the bottom valance, and he will be charging me 96US. i'll email him now.!
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Oct 23, 2002 | 10:01 PM
  #12  
Hell yeah!
Quote:
Originally posted by big h
Well here is how i did it...i went on ebay and bought this grille for $89.00 + $17 shipping (I'm in Canada). The grille is for a ford expedition 99-02. I traced a template out of X-mas paper! I draped it from the top to the bottom with the paper and then I very lightly cut out the shape using the inside edge of the bumper as a guide...when you do this mask off the area with tape to avoid any chance of scratching the bumper, I learned the hard way. Once the template was cut out, I placed it over the aluminum grill, making sure to center it, and then taped it down for the next stage...cutting! I bought a dremel, I also splurged and bought some dremel fiberglass cutoff discs because the ones it came with sucked (just ask my forehead) Once the cutting commenced, all it took was patience. I got some flat black touch up paint and painted the ends where the fresh cuts were made and voila...oh im using about 10-12 ties to hold it in place. Any other questions ask away...
That's the EXACT style I was HOPING to get from TRENZ. Maybe just with a few less, but thicker slats. I can't believe they didn't think that style was better. They could have made a killing!

Anyways, just to double check, is it secured over the stock grille with only zip ties? No cutting the stocker, right?

Also, I really liked your PREVIOUS setup except the honeycomb part. Did you just cut the excess "slats" out to clean it up like that?

Good job bro! I can't wait for the daytime pics.
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Oct 23, 2002 | 10:41 PM
  #13  
Thanks Ice...you don't wanna see whats behind the grille...its been altered to the state of no return. The billet did not sit right without cutting...it had to be done.

For the mesh, I had cut pieces to fit in front of the factory grille, no cutting whatsoever. And then it was ziptied to those branches you thought I cut out.

Yah, daytime pics will be beautiful.
thanks for the compliments.

Not bad for a Canadian Boy ......eh?
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Oct 23, 2002 | 11:04 PM
  #14  
....
Quote:
Originally posted by big h
Thanks Ice...you don't wanna see whats behind the grille...its been altered to the state of no return. The billet did not sit right without cutting...it had to be done.

For the mesh, I had cut pieces to fit in front of the factory grille, no cutting whatsoever. And then it was ziptied to those branches you thought I cut out.

Yah, daytime pics will be beautiful.
thanks for the compliments.

Not bad for a Canadian Boy ......eh?
I thought so! It looked pretty "see-through", so I figured you had to cut it.

Thanks for the mesh idea though, I'm going to try something like that one of these days.

Not bad, not bad at all for a Canuck.
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Oct 23, 2002 | 11:20 PM
  #15  
man I should a marketed the design, or atleast sold the templates....
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Oct 23, 2002 | 11:57 PM
  #16  
very nice
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Oct 24, 2002 | 06:37 AM
  #17  
That is lookin' so phat!!

Nice work.
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