The Lair

I liked "perfect from afar". That's how my grill is. I did the satoshi myself, but after I started I realized I didnt have the model that I just cut out the inner surround piece a little bit and attach. Ended up sanding and dreaming it all down and fiberglassing a new skinny lip from scratch. Now my outer piece and inner piece are one. Well, during that process I fucked up the paint on the surround. So I sanded it all down removing the paint. And painted in this order all with adhesive and base coats first:
1. Duplicolor paint match.
2. Couple runs, repeated step 1 after sanding all down to nothing by hand.
3. Few runs so sandedall down again, bought a compressor, paint gun, and made a booth. Then got went to a paint shop with the toyota paint code.
4. Repeated step 3 because I put on one more coat then I should have.Sanded down to nothing, again, got it pretty damn good, and then clear coated.

It is almost a perfect match, definitely perfect from afar, but I still can barely notice a difference. The magnetic colors are a bitch unless you are a water based (professional booth, fans, etc).

Funny thing is that started my whole build. Once I was dremeling my grill I was all in.


Now with the black hybrid bumper and homemade satoshi, I'm thinking of just wrapping the grill in a black that matches my bumper, sliders, etc and bringing it up on the hood a bit (I'll try to mock it up for you) and doing the hood scoop glare too. Then my whole front would be black and blend into the hood.

 

Lol my grille is a fucking mess too. It was hard to get this stuff to lay down evenly with all the contours. I’m curious what you come up with for your grille.

 

Here are some photos

Perfect from afar

Skinny lip I made from scratch with fiberglass after completely cutting out the inner surround piece, only leaving the tabs that clipped into the outer surround. Built the lip on top of those and all the way around. Lots of sanding, adding another layer, etc.


Now it is one complete piece. No taking inner and outer apart. Bondo and fiberglassed.

 

I think you and I have different ideas of “far from perfect” because that looks great.

 

Now I'm considering wrapping the grill surround, the trim pieces below the headlights, and two "trianglish horns" contoured to the hood lines, and the scoop all black.


This the part that would connect to the grill and "blend" into the hood, the triangle horns fit to the contours of the hood. You can see the contours in the photo.

 

And No the "R" is not for Randy on the hood. That is from an idiot move of jacking up my truck in the garage with my hood open and it contacting and scraping an R from the garage door opener metal hanger.

 

Hell that looks good

 

So basically the appearance of one big ass black stripe going from bottom of grille up to skewp/windshield

 

Not really, see my description above and use this shitty phone mockup that doesnt do it justice.

 

Ok I’m tracking. I thought the hood vinyl would be that whole width. I think thatd be cool

 

I cant draw for shit on a phone, but this outline gives a better idea of what I'm thinking.

 

Yeah I get exactly what you’re saying. I dig it. Could do it yourself with that vinyl razor tape stuff

 

Love me a good body cam clip. This ones got it all, including helicopter footage. Fucked his ass up at the end.

@08TRDOFFROAD

https://youtu.be/NV51tdV3wJE

 

Also also we’re having a baby. I posted in the local thread but thought I would share here too. Now to come up with a truck announcement for Instagram.

 

Totally did not expect the one officer in the end.

 

What do you mean? Maybe I missed something.


Edit: shooting through the windshield? Seems to be the new norm

 

Didn't want to spoil it for anyone, but the officer shooting through the windshield.

 

Damn you’re too fast for my edit. Seems to be the new norm.

 

Heh. It would never have crossed my mind to shoot through the windshield when I was a cop. That and I don't think I could've drawn.

 

You were a cop too in a past life? Same with @Rome604