My non-satoshi 2014 grill

Well when I started this project I full intentions of going full bore and trying to replicate homers grill. Well, that didn’t happen. After I finished cutting out my grill, I realized I was in over my head. And once I saw john_r1's thread here http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/303197-satoshi-help-epoxy-resin.html I knew I didn’t have the patients or skill to pull that off. So I went a little easier route. taking full inspiration from homertacos grill. Cut everything out and formed my grill to fit. once I get my color matched grill surround mounted up I will get some more pics.

I am happy with it. Not having the correct tools to bend the metal or cut it for that matter I think it turned out ok. I also ended up cutting too much plastic out. Oh well. Should look good mounted up on the truck.

So here is the back side of the grill separated from the surround.



Here is the center section cut out





Here is my cardboard template


Here is my grill mesh as it arrived to me from Custom Car Grills



Here is the front side without the exterior grill cap (don’t know what else to call It. the chrome or color matched part)








And here is the back. I have some cleaning up to do before final mounting.






And here is the gap around the edge. I ended up cutting way too much plastic off.

 

Pretty cool...

My DIY mesh kit is very similar to what you've got there.

 

thanks. i did have to take some ques from you. i had full intentions of trying out a raptor grill. but yeeaaah. i realized once i got into it there was no way i could manage that. so i pretty much butchered my grill and the mesh to get it to where it is now. thanks for your help and advice. i should have just waited until your kit was out but got a little impatient. i truly understand now the work that you put into the 2012.

 

Looks nice.

That is a similar material to what Toyota used on the 1st Gen Tundra IS grilles.

 

Nice work

 

Looking good!

 

I'm impress. Nothing like a DIY project with pictures to share with TW

 

thanks everyone. here it is mounted up on the truck with my old Hella Blackmagic spots behind it. the spots are mounted there because the drivers side light wouldn't clear the trans cooler aimed the way i have it. they are pointed to that extreme because i need them aimed as far to the sides to light up tight turns. floods would be better for this purpose but i dont have them yet

i ordered the mesh in flat black but it came gloss. i didn't feel like messing with a return and waiting for it to get delivered. so i will paint it matte at some point.

you can really tell how poor my cutting skills with a dremel are with the last pic. way to much plastic cut out and way to wavy








with the gloss mesh something is reflecting off it in this pic. that isn't something showing through from behind. but i do need to pain the rad and the supports.

 

Nice work, looks good!

 

thanks. i appreciate it.

 

Looks good man. I like that mesh you got there.

 

thanks. i am going to take a tip from your build thread and paint the mesh and the black surround with that matte black stripe paint. i really want it to match the lower valance. and yours matched real good

 

That would look really good I think. Look forward to seeing the pictures

 

Looks good! I really like the look of that mesh on your truck.
What did you cut the metal mesh with? And do you have a sheet metal bender to make your bends?


I'm trying to plan how I'm going to do mine soon.

 

Thanks. I used tin snips to cut it and used my hand, pliers, rubber mallet, and the corner of my work bench to bend it. I do not recommend my methods. The bends aren't even but you can't really tell. Good luck. Don't cut too much plastic. It's easy to cut too much.

 

Considering you had the guts to cut on your new truck you did an amazing job. I'd like to do something like that, but not sure if I could handle it if I screw it up.
E

 

Fortunately I had 2 grills. But it was nerve racking to think of ruining either of them

 

LOL! Same here.
I spent the $200 to buy a white colormatched grille that I did the Satoshi on.

 

It's great. I don't know how the pre 12s are but the fact that the main structure of the grill separates from the colored overlay made it real nice. Worked on it for a while and when it was done just swapped out the chrome part for the white.

 

First of all, good job ! And thanks for being inspired by me... It's somewhat humbling.

Second, may I recommend trying to attach a rubber/plastic edging* around the lip of the grill surround (the part you cut "too much"). This may hide some of the gap.

* GrillCraft uses it around the edge of their grills, the really tiny stuff (9-10mm). You may have to use an adhesive.



Or you could take a pencil, outline the plastic lip around the metal grill.
Then remove the metal part & apply some thin (1/4") weatherstripping (for house doors/windows) onto the mesh around the outside of the line.
You'd have to cut the outside edge of the stripping to make the turns, otherwise it'd look more like a hack-job with joints everywhere.