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Old 07-19-2009, 11:22 AM   #1
thrasher
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 40579
Join Date: Jul 2003
Chapter/Region: MAIC
Location: Elizabethtown, PA
Vehicle:
2002 WRX Stage 2+
Tuned by IA Performance

Question I Need NASIOC's Input on DIY Grille - Opinions/Advice Welcome

SEE POST #49 FOR THE FINISHED PRODUCT

I've been running an Outback Sport grille on my bugeye for a couple years now, and I'd like to have another grille so I can change things up once in a while. I've always loved the UK Prodrive STi Edition front end, and I thought I might try to modify my OEM grille to that style.

Here is the look I'm attempting to reproduce:


Here is my progress so far:

OEM honeycomb grill


Starting to remove honeycomb with hacksaw blade and crappy Harbor Freight "dremel" tool


Honeycomb removed - still a long way to go


Here is a close up of the spots where the honeycomb formerly connected with the outside portion of the grill - rough sanded only for now


This is the point I'm at now - tabs in lower corners need to remain so the lower clips still connect




And here is a test fit just to help determine next course of action


My thought was to use some sort of body filler to complete the lower pedestal below the badge, sand everything well, prime, and paint it WRB. Then I would use black GutterGuard to create the mesh in the back. The only issue with that is that the actual Prodrive Edition grille has the badge flush with the front and lower, and the OEM grille has the badge slightly recessed, tilted back, and centered.

My questions are:
1) What is the best/easiest material to use to complete the pedestal beneath the badge? I am no auto body specialist, so I'd like to work with something fairly straightforward.

2) Should I bother trying to move the badge forward and down, or just leave as is and see how it turns out?

Thanks in advance for your comments/advice.

J
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Last edited by thrasher; 08-08-2009 at 04:46 PM. Reason: took some better pics outside
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