How-To-Guide: Colour code and mesh a mk2 grill
 

Here is a quick guide to colour coding and meshing a mk2 grill:

We start off with a standard front end - looking rather boring:


So we remove the grill from the car, easy as pie, 7 torx head screws on the inside of the bonnet, unclip it, and remove... Then take off the chevrons...by compressing the clips on the back...



We are now ready to start cutting out the slats... i use'd a dremel tool to get rid of the majority of the slats...(make sure you wear eye protection)



You need to cut out nearly all of the backing but leaving the edge frame... you also need to leave to two tabs at the top on each side... as these house the mounting screws to reattach the grill to the car...



I then decided to neaten it all up by seperating the backing from the front... in order to do this you have to drill out the plastic rivets that hold on the backing...



I then smoothed down all exposed edges to make it nice and smooth..(beware it's a messy task)



It is then time to sand down the front of the grill and the chevrons ready for paint... I used 1200 grit paper...



3 Layers of grey primer was applied to the surface... allowing time for it to become touch dry and being gently sanded between layers...

After leaving it for 24hours for the primer to dry it was ready for the first layer of paint :y:

Make sure you allow the paint to dry before applying another coat, and the paint should be sanded between coats to avoid the orange skin effect...

Once three coats of paint have been applied, leave it to dry for 24hours and then it is ready for laquer...(make sure when using metallic paint that you apply Clear laquer...


I then prepared everything ready for the mesh


Then the mesh needs to be trimmed, leaving an overlap, you need to make sure that you don't cut off too much, remember you can trim more off but can't add anymore! You also need to trim out a whole so that you can still reach the bonnet release catch once the grill is fitted..


Once the mesh has been trimmed down accurately and fits the backing of the grill it is time to glue gun it in place...


Once the glue has set fit the backing back onto the front of the grill and glue gun the backing back on by regluing the plastic dowels... then refit the chevrons... IT IS NOW COMPLETE :y: and looking thoroughly sexy...



I will add pictures of it back on the car when it's daylight and not raining!

EDIT: Here are some pictures of it on the car, once all cleaned up :y:





Update/Edit:

After having the grill on my car for several months i noticed the top had started to become a little loose... so i removed it, put my standard grill back on... and set to work on sorting out the grill..

I would now like to recommend that a glue gun is not used... or if it is used is supplemented with a different glue... as it may work loose over time... especially if the surfaces were not 100% dust free when applying....

I used 5minute epoxy resin, that is essentially a VERY strong version of araldite... that works on anything from marble, concrete, metal and plastics...

I peeled off the glue gun on the top of the backing, and have epoxy resin'ed it back on, and i can safely say it's not going anywhere

If you have glue gunned yours, please keep an eye on it... as i would hate for yours to work loose....
Hope that helps you guys!
Alex
:panic:

Nice one mate, quality guide! Cant rep ya but would if i could looks well smart :y:


P.S you get my cheque?

great guide rep on its way been after this for ages i cant wait to do mine

very gudddddd looks nice mate

Thanks for the positive comments guys! :y:
Yes buddy, will cash it in asap.... and will pm you when the backbox has been sent out :y:

Cheers
Alex
:geek:

Al thats a great thread, i see loads of people asking how to do this, if it was made a sticky, then that would help solve alot of these problems! top lad, i am another who cannot rep you lol, muxt have sent you some "green love" in the not so distant past! :y:

Top write up, covers everything you need to know. I have added it to the FAQ sticky thread at the top of this section.

Mike

Great stuff Al, would rep you, but have to spread it around first.

P.S. Get some fitted pics. :y:

my bro is away back in london, but i went out and took some pics of the grill fitted for you all :y:

well done on a good job looks sex. rep coming your way, catch

well thats g*y i need to spread the love sorry

nice guide, i shall be following ur advice this weekend! Hope it turns out as good as urs! cheers.

quality guide mate! about time someone done one!

Thanks!

top guide! :y:

christ; that car is CLEAN!

I need to cut the slats out of my desire grille.

that car is also very gorgeous

that looks mint might do that with my spare MK2 grill cheers buddy.

looks realy smart and clean lol you wash it before you took the picture

Just washed, detailed, claybar'd, dressed and poorboys polished :y:

Cheers for the positive comments guys :y:

Alex
:geek:

Thanks for the guide! very very handy, and nice and simple to follow! will be doing this to mine asap!

Great guide. Might have a go.

Followed your instructions, needed extra elastoplast for fingers! I think it turned out well. sorry for poor pic.
great guide, if I can do it anyone can.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...d/DSCF0006.jpg

better photo.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w...DSCF0002-4.jpg

thats looking good mate. how did u cut the little slats off because i dont have a dremel tool. and where did u buy ur mesh from n how much was it?

I used the dremel to cut the majority of the slats... but i also used a tool that is like a mini hacksaw, but it is just a single blade that sticks out of a handle... available from most hardware stores... then filled down any sticky out bits...

I bought my mesh from halfords at the extortionate price of £20-25... but i have enough mesh to do 2-3 grills... so i think i will mesh my standard grill and sell it on...

Glad you found my guide useful :y:

Alex
:geek:

if u mesh your grill and wanna sell it on PM me and i will probs buy it off ya

I used a dremel, and a bit of old hacksaw blade, the mesh was in a box of bits when I bought car.
FurioAL's guide was spot on,
thanks
will rep you when allowed!

Sorry to bring this thread up, but brill, ill give it a go tomorow now I have eveything. Ill post some pics up then too.

awesome guide mate

good work

anyone going to try it with a mesh grill?

Barney

Ok, i just remembered that I dont have a glue gun... any other way of fixing the mesh to the grill, or should I just chop it all out and leave it open for a while?

brilliant guide i started doing this a few days ago hears the result i have not got it put on the car yet as im waiting for the glue to dry fully. to glue the mesh i tried no nails but i found that the glue gun was better as it sets much more quickley any way hers the pic
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ok well I have some stuff like no more nails but ive found it before to be better when i stuck my rear spolier onto the glass, so I think ill give it a go and if it does not stick very well, ill just leave it for now and cut the slots out and leave it with a gap for now, will be ok, would it not?

the grill will have to be off the car for 3 days mate if you spraying it too coz you have to leve 24 houres between stages primer/paint/lacker ETC i have a spare grill i used while i was doing the standard 1. as for the glue i would advise you to go buy a glue gun as no nails is crap i tried it first but ended up borrowing a glue gun of a mate. hope this helps ps you could try super glue :y: :y:

Im not going to spary it, im leaving it black as its very dark black now anyways and im happy with it :grin

The stuff i used for the spolier is like super glue, its this spray stuff you spary on to what you want to stick, then apply the glue to it and it sticks so well!

yer it should work then mate its a pritty easy mod to do and looks much better good look to ya

Cheers, ill start it early tomorrow morning anyways and let you all know with pics what it goes like.

great guide:y:

Awesome thread mate, i actually bought a new grille from work the other day to do this, and was wondering how to do it, so i can do it now. Plus mines allready primered lol

if your selling grill pm me as i cocked mine up :( :( and would like to try it again :y:

i tried to do that myself....was a challenge but came up ok i suppose. then asfter about 6 weeks it was on my car for the glue started cracking and it came apart. think im going to buy the debadged grill. its on www.espdesigns.co.uk for around £50. what do you think of it?