Lower Grille Hacking
08-06-2012, 12:42 PM
#1
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: IL
Posts: 311
Lower Grille Hacking
I am really starting to dislike the honeycomb pattern on the grilles. I opened up the honeycombs a while ago so they would actually be functional vents but I decided it was time to change it even more.
I added this plastic mesh to the center vents using a soldering iron. I melted the plastic and welded the mesh into the grille.
After using the dremel tool and sanding every thing smooth again it was looking pretty nasty. I decided to find me some of that PlastiDip stuff I have been reading so much about. It did a nice job covering all the sanding marks and the texture it leaves behind matches the original pretty closely.
Here's the finished grille with mesh in all four vents. I'm happy with the finished product. I'm not sure how durable this PlastiDip is. Hopefully it will hold up for a while. I may end up redoing it with bedliner or just replacing it with the Agent 47 lower grille.
Finally a late night shot with it installed. Next I think I am going to order the Agent 47 upper grille. I think that will clean up the front end nicely.
I added this plastic mesh to the center vents using a soldering iron. I melted the plastic and welded the mesh into the grille.
After using the dremel tool and sanding every thing smooth again it was looking pretty nasty. I decided to find me some of that PlastiDip stuff I have been reading so much about. It did a nice job covering all the sanding marks and the texture it leaves behind matches the original pretty closely.
Here's the finished grille with mesh in all four vents. I'm happy with the finished product. I'm not sure how durable this PlastiDip is. Hopefully it will hold up for a while. I may end up redoing it with bedliner or just replacing it with the Agent 47 lower grille.
Finally a late night shot with it installed. Next I think I am going to order the Agent 47 upper grille. I think that will clean up the front end nicely.
08-07-2012, 02:51 PM
#9
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: IL
Posts: 311
I get'cha but I partially disagree. They were fake vents to start with! Any airflow is an improvement. Either way I noticed that it's acting like a filter and collecting small rocks and sticks. I may have to go with the wire mesh screen with much larger holes anyway. Thanks for the advice.
08-11-2012, 11:39 AM
#10
Cut & Paste Expert
Join Date: May 2007
Location: NW Arkansas
Posts: 13,322
I get'cha but I partially disagree. They were fake vents to start with! Any airflow is an improvement. Either way I noticed that it's acting like a filter and collecting small rocks and sticks. I may have to go with the wire mesh screen with much larger holes anyway. Thanks for the advice.
Think about it.
It takes more plastic to close off the 'fake'
vents than it would to leave them open.
And Ford is all about saving money.
So the fact that they are 'fake' and blocked off means
that Ford deemed it necessary to block them off
with expensive plastic instead of leaving them open.