2014 Satoshi Grill Project

In preparation to Plasti dip the entire truck this weekend (camo green). I started the Satoshi grill on my 2014 double cab. I hope to have it done by Saturday so I can plasti dip it black and put it back on for a complete job.

Here are a few pictures and descriptions of whats going on so far:


I just removed it from the truck and separated it from the chrome. The chrome will be plasti dipped flat black also.


I used the cutting wheel on the dremel tool to do a rough cut, and removed the center from the grill.


Here is an example of how i left a good lip on the first cut. This way I can go in and clean it up easier later.


And another example of the rough cut on the top part of the grill.


I made a form out of wood I had laying around and attached the grill to it. I built it so that I can lay the plastic right onto the wood and its at the depth I want. This way I can keep a nice uniform depth. You'll see what I mean in a bit.


This is the top of the grill and how I attached it to the wood form.


Here you can see how I made a template out of cardboard, and how the wood is at the depth I want the grill to be at. I will be able to lay the flat plastic edge right on the wood and the back will be nice and straight after I'm done. At least close enough to make the seams easy to work. I am not sure yet if I have made it to deep, but once I have it formed and do a dry fit I will make that call then. I can always cut the back and rework it to make that more shallow.


Here is another picture back up a bit so you can get an idea of what the corners will look like.



I left out a step of the grinding I did to smooth everything out. I will update that tonight when I get home. I also did some bending of plastic last night and will post pictures of how that is turning out, and how I did it. I basically will have four pieces. The left and right bent pieces, the top flat piece and the bottom flat piece. I will then get them all glued in, build the edge up, sand, bondo, prime, attach mesh, and plasti dip.

Please let me know if you have any ideas that could help out as I'm doing this.

 

I would mount the grill on the truck how it is right now. You may be unpleasantly surprised to find how the headlight housings actually protrude inward enough to make a straight back sidewall unfeasible for these grills. You'll have to go very shallow to make it work.

Also, are you sure you want to plasti-dip your whole truck? I've been noticing a lot of plasti-dipped cars around my area lately and that stuff does not hold up well over time, being exposed to the elements all day. It may look good at first, assuming that it is done correctly, but it seems to end up looking blotchy over time. I'd recommend saving up a bit more money and vinyl wrapping it with some nice 3m or Avery brand wrap. You'll be much happier with the state of your vehicle a few years from now.

 

About the headlights, that is actually a great point. I put it on after grinding the edge down to where I wanted it and noticed that. After seeing how much of the headlight was going to interfere (very minimal and not any important part of the headlight), I decided to just trim the headlight. It should never go into the seal of the headlight. I'm going to seal it up good after just in case.

With the plasti dip I actually have a friend who did it. His was Purple. I loved it, and it held up great. I am a painter by trade so I will be doing a very good job on it. I will be prepping it very good as well as doing minimum 7 coats. AND NOT USING RATTLE CANS. I will be using a spray gun. A lot of people mess up by going to thin on it or not prepping good enough. I also fully intend on giving it a fresh coat every year or two. It will take a half a day to tape a few thinks off and give it a fresh coat if it doesn't look good because of fade or wear and tear. I actually priced it out with the wrap. For a good 3m it can run almost 2k+. With this setup, I'm barely $350 into it. And in 2 years I can peal it off, spend $120 (all I need is 4-5 gal of plasti dip), and paint the truck whatever color I want. The truck is also only in the sun during working hours.

 

Been wanting to do a grill mod forever, can't wait to see how it turns out!

 

Sounds like you've got your bases covered! Looking forward to seeing the finished product!

 

Lookin good!Be nice to see the finished product when your done!

 

Continue with your project...
I've been wanting to do mine, but am clueless due to the difference in the grill design.