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Home Depot Grill For 00-04 Models (Hi Picture Count) UPDATED!!!

27K views 72 replies 41 participants last post by  SilverRaptor 
#1 · (Edited)
Id like to say thanks to Brad White as this is where I got the idea from. This is a really good cheap and easy project to do. I also think it looks a million times better than the OEM grill.

Tools:
Drill with 1/16 drill bit
Metal Shears
3/8 drive Socket
1/4 drive Socket
Various Sockets

Materials:
Two sheets of Gutter Graud
2-10 packs of #6x3/8 hex head srews

Total Cost:$7.00

Total Time: 3 hours (including time to take paictures)

Before:


Removal of Upper Grill

Step 1:
Remove the air damn from behind the grill.


Step 2:
Remove the four bolts holding the grill.


Step 3:
Unplug the lights from the harness.


Now your grill should be out and look like this.


Fabricating The Upper Mesh Grill

This is the gutter gaurd that I got. You can use any lightweight mesh you like.




Step 1:
Remove the Ford emblem from the grill. Use a 10mm socket to reomve these tow bolts on the back of the grill.


Step 2:
Lay the mesh ontop of the grill and center it. Then fold the mesh under the bottom of the grill so that the mesh lines up with the back edge of the grill. use your drill with the 1/16" drill bit and drill a pilot hole for the first screw in the center of the grill. Then use a 1/4" socket and screw the first screw into you pilot hole.




This is what it should look like at the end of this step.

Step 3:
Go to one end and drill another piolt hole and place another screw. Then trim with your shear along the bottom edge of the grill. Repet for the ohter end of the grill.


At the end of this step you should have 3 screws in the bottom of the grill.

Side Note: I did screw into the light housings. That way the screws could not be seen from the outside sticking thourgh. The screws should be in snug enough that moisture can not get into the housings.

Step 4:
Fold the mesh over the end of the grill. Then drill a pilot hole and place one screw on the end of the grill. After the srewed in use your shears and trim all over hang off the mesh.






Step 5:
Fold the remaining mesh over the top of the grill. Drill pilot holes and place a screw at each end of the grill. Then trim the mesh back as shown in picture 2. Next cut lines in the remianing mesh hanging over so you can fold the remaining mesh into the back of the grill.








You may want to try and just tuck the mesh without putting the screws in the top of the gill. Just so when the hood is open the screw are not there. But they are hardly seen if there.

Step 5: (Optional)
Use you wire sinps and cut the mesh from the front of the holes where the emblem goes. Then reinstall the emblem.



I had to use 5 minute epoxy to hold the bolts onto the stems of the emblem because the stems were chewed up from piror removal.

Congrats the upper grill is now finished. Re-install is the reverse of taking it out.

Fabricating The Lower Mesh Grill

Step 1:
Usinig zipties attach the mesh to the lower OEM grill. (this is only tempuary) Once the mesh is attached and not moving, use your shears and cut off the excess mesh following the opening of the bumper.





Step 2:
Once the mesh is cut to fit cut the zipties and remove mesh. (if you want to paint the mesh now is the time) Using door trim molding from your local auto parts store, line the outer edge of the cut metal. This gives a cleaner edge and protects yuor hands from cuts when washing the car in the future.


Step 3:
After the mesh is lined with the molding, attched it to the OEM grill with zipties, or light gauge wire. I put a ziptie on each of the verticle pilars, five in total.


Note: If you have a light colored car, and do not put the emblem back on, you will need to paint the metal brace behind the grill where the emblem goes. It will show through both grills if left a light color.

Congrats Your Done!

After With Non Painted Mesh:






After Painted Black:






I have future plans for the fog light area so that is why I didnt go all they way to the end. If you would like to go all the way to the end a 3rd piece of mesh will be required.


Thanks for looking! Let me know if there is anything I need to explain better.[race]
 
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#7 ·
[vommit]
am i the only one who thinks that this looks cheep and cholo-ish?
 
#10 ·
Well jeez, you don't have to be rude. It looks ok, it needs some work. It doesn't quite fit, and the bottom is a bit much. How about painiting it black?

I like the fact that its custom, at least your not like the 1,678,923 other foci out there. Good job!
 
#15 ·
christopher, looks awesome [thumb] that may just be my next mod..... but I'll have a lil more fun with it lol. I have a spare grille, and I'm gonna cut out the WHOLE inside of it, and do basically the same thing (following your directions) only have everything within the frame of the grille, then reinstall the emblem and of course have it painted black. if it works well enough, I'll mount the turn signals to the back of them, barely visible (maybe smoke them [thumb]) the idea is.....obviously. cheap euro grille [thumb]

I'll do the same with the lower [thumb] (cut the insides out, that is :))
 
#16 ·
lol btw...I tried to give some rep but it says I need to spread it around some more. I haven't done it forever. LOL.

BTW this needs to be added to the how-to directory [thumb]
 
#17 ·
at least you didn't have to solder anything like us 08/09s!!! and how are your hands? are they cut to shit?
 
#22 ·
Looks good man, for all those hating on this go back to playing Tetris or Pac-Man. This is an inexpensive mod that can be done by just about anyone with a slightly steady hand and some damn patience which I don't have any of. Simply stated, it doesn't look cheap even if it was done on a fiscally responsible budget. Good job on this write up. Perhaps it will spawn other ideas out there to improve upon this.[thumb]
 
#25 ·
OOH I do like that now that I see it black....... needs a night pic though. I think you may have just altered my project a bit, again.
 
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