DIY Network

Mesh Grills Upgrade: Bumper Removal and Grill Install Civic Grill and Lights Upgrade, Part 1 of 4 From "Tricked Out" episode DTRK-304

(Continued from page 1)

Bumper Removal and Mesh Installation

Materials/tools for this phase of the project:

screwdriver
aluminum mesh
aviation snips
silicone glue
degreaser
clean rag

For the mesh, you've got some options in terms of material. The mesh should allow plenty of airflow but also be durable enough to stand up to the abuse of daily driving. Aluminum mesh comes in a variety of configurations and colors and is available from auto-supply stores. If you're looking to do this project on a tight budget, check at your local home center for some less expensive mesh products that will serve the same purpose. Some inexpensive options include gutter mesh or aluminum screen-door protectors. For this project, we opted for stucco mesh--an aluminum-coated steel product that's typically used in home building behind stucco or masonry.

Aluminum door-screen mesh

A variety of aluminum-mesh materials are available from custom shops and even home centers.

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Steps:

• Remove the front bumper cover from the car. Most bumper covers are attached with several screws across the top, plus two in the fender wells and a couple underneath. Once those are removed, the cover will slide right off.

• Once you get the bumper cover off, you'll see what you have to work with. Some covers have built-in tabs where you just slide the grilles on and bend over the tabs. Others have no tabs at all. If the inside of your bumper cover has no tabs, you'll have to glue the grille pieces into place.

• First, take rough measurements of the grille openings (figures A and B ).

  Figure A

  Figure B

  
  

  Figure C

• Transfer the measurements to the mesh and cut it out a little larger than you need (figure C).

  Important: When cutting, leave about an inch of overlap on all sides.
  

• When the piece is ready, test the fit on the back of the bumper cover (figure D). You can always trim it down if you need to (figure E).

  Figure D

  Figure E

  
  

• Once you're happy with the size, fold the edges of the long sides forward. The mesh should fit snugly around the outside of the flange (figures F and G).

• The vents at the top of this cover only overlap on three sides so they don't interfere with sliding the bumper cover on.

• Continue this process for the other vents until all of the unfinished areas are covered to your satisfaction.

• When you have them all cut and shaped, you're ready to glue them into place.

  Figure F

  Figure G

  
  

  	Figure H
  	Figure I

• Before gluing, clean off the attachment area with degreaser and a clean rag to remove any contaminants.

• Then, run a bead of silicone around the outside of the flange, and set the mesh in place.

• Go back over the top of the mesh with a second thick bead of silicone (figure H).

• Repeat this process for the other pieces to complete the install (figure I).

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RESOURCES :

Racing Innovations, Inc.
We apologize no contact information is available.

Streetglow Inc.
www.streetglow.com

Spiderlite
www.spiderlite.com

Maxzone
www.maxzone.com