SteveP66

Bring it on over - I'll be out in the drive around 8.........LOL. Oh stop and get me a coffee on your way.....cream - no sugar. If you leave MD now you might make it to RI by morning......LOL

I thought about doing a Brett (NME) but chrome on ASM ( ??? ) - eh maybe not.

brettallica

Hey Steve, if and when you're getting ready/serious to do your grill mod, keep in mind that the hood trim molding on my car is off a TL-S, so it's a tad darker than the rest of my chrome. As you may suspect, it is in immaculate condition, and I'm going to be selling it. As of right now I am having the chromers do up a standard 2006 OEM hood trim molding for me so I can take that TL-S piece off, since it is a slight mismatch to the other chrome pieces, which were done by them. I'm not sure if I just explained that well enough, but to make a long story short: I'll sell you the TL-S hood trim molding for cheap if you want it.

brettallica

I'm a walking conundrum, that's how!

...and yes, the chrome I had done was about $335 or something like that. I've actually forgotten the exact amount, but it was in that ballpark. You could actually say that I paid more than that to have it done because I had all the work done on new OEM pieces so that I could always reverse it if I wanted to. Same goes for the upper grill, which was painted. The only parts for which I didn't get backups were the lower grills, which I will do at some point. Not high on the priority list at the moment, though.

SteveP66

Now now my Dark friend - game over..........We all know you don't really have an NBP TL. Time to fess up......


I snapped this of you on your way to work this morning.....

SteveP66

Oh I'm totally doing something - just haven't made up my mind yet. The more I spend now the less I have for those Aspec rims...... Brett PM me with what you feel is fair for it....... depending upon that I may just take it off your hands.

darksom1

Nah, I would never wear a cape!

Midnight_TL

dj pensive

scooters are cool just don't let your friends catch you drvin em'

:shakehead

SteveP66

Off topic for a moment - check out what I did today - used Zaino for the first time --- not bad ......nice reflections.

Here is the official thread boys..........

https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=150997







I was almost tempted to take the bumper off Dark/Brett and get going on the grill - but as it was I spent 8 hours outside - wax on - wax off - wax on - wax off .......

darksom1

Verrii niiiccee! I knew I should've came over! Yeah right as far as the grille! You know you weren't going anywhere near that grille.

Is it raining over there Steve? It's raining here.

SteveP66

I got as far as taking off the engine covers and looking for a way to do it with the bumper on .......LOL.

No rain....no, no, no, no.......it just can't!!!!


Oh what am I saying - it's only the NBP TL's that run from the rain - the rest of us will still look hot when it's all over......LOL


(no rain....and no mention of it so far)

darksom1

Actually, rain might help as I have some bird appreciation on my roof!

SteveP66

LOL.......Bird poop and NBP .... not a good combination.

I wanted to put my Aspec lip on today so bad.............

darksom1

You know, I've been thinking of some new grille ideas. Well, trying to anyway, and I think we should do that. Since other people are too chicken to, we can do it ourselves. What do you think? Not apply it, just think of the ideas. Kinda hard to tweak our grilles though (OEM).

SteveP66

I like Bretts idea about painting them Aspec gray - I'm just not sure if after time they would chip - flake and end up looking like shit.

Brett - did you "spray can" you grill or have it professionaly done?
How is it holding up?

SteveP66

Yup I'm chicken - well at the moment. Pretty undecided what to do too.........maybe paint them Anthracite? Good match to the Aspec kit trims?

PPLAPW

Steve, I believe Brett had his profesionaly done...

Also I painted my grill accents aspec gray, but I used a spray can and the color isn't exactly the same.... and it does chip a little..... Within a month (I hope) I plan on having my grill accents profesionaly painted and color matched to the aspec gray....

brettallica

I think you need some TL-S -- dark chrome -- accents to slicken up that front end. When I get back to work on Monday, which is where my original invoice is, I'll PM you a price for that hood trim molding.

brettallica

Yes, like PPLAPW said, I had them (upper and lower grills) professionally done. They are as good as the day they came out of the shop. There is no chipping or anything, as it is "real" paint and not spray paint, or do-it-yourself of any kind.

darksom1

After the accident (which I benefitted from), my upper grille was repainted, with a much better coat than last time! It has a clearcoat on it as well, so it should be just as fine as the rest of my car! Very impressive paintwork! Like PPLAPW told me before, it's a much better job if you get it done professionally! Plus, the paintwork is warrantied for the life of the car since it was redone with the accident paintwork! So no flaking concerns here! I lucked up on that one!

darksom1

You think so? I think he should be the one to go with the sick all chromed look. Not black chrome, just shined up chrome! It would look sick with some blacked out headlights!

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Hey Darksom,
Your grill inspired me to get off my rear and do my lower grills...

Ignore the blurry glob in the photos... My camera phone has something wrong with it, and Cingular is sending a replacement.







The mesh is a nice polished aluminum. I got it off ebay for like $12. It's light, cuts easy with snips, and will never rust or chip. If you're not married to "black mesh" search for aluminum mesh and definately avoid the galvanized gutter stuff.

I used a hobbysaw to cut the grills, a dremel to sand the burrs smooth, a bit of 600 grit paper to rought uo the rest of the plastic, and Duplicolor dark gray primer for paint. They look GREAT. The silver looks really good on WDP.

Not sure what I'm doing for the upper grill yet... I'll get there though. I like the big open grill without the emblem. That looks mean. Yours looks great too, but reminds me too much of the Mugen TSX grill.

These grills looks so good, this is exactly why I don't like the 2007 fog design...

darksom1

Damn! That looks nice Chris! When in the hell did you do that? Your mesh looks different from mine and PPLAPW's, a tighter look, but they are all aluminum. I had mine painted black to keep with the theme! Very nice look on the WDP and I was just telling someone that earlier in the thread! (especially after I saw Accuratein's car - which a pic of is in the thread a couple pages back). I wish you would do the same thing to your upper grille, though I don't know if the tight looking mesh will look ok up there. Using different mesh is a bad look. I don't know, maybe you might like it. I think that small-holed mesh in the "big" space looks more like truck stuff. Looks nice in those lower holes though! It really blends well with the paint! Damn good mod man! Welcome aboard! Different enough too, so it doesn't look cookie-cutter!

Hey Chris, that's funny as hell - "my" mod inspired your mod! Damn, I have come a long way! Hahahahahahahaha!!!

darksom1

Hey Kennedy, here is (Accuratein's car) what I was talking about with the WDP look up top in the middle grille. What do you think?:

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Yep, Accuratein and PPALW have me interested, but I don't think I'm ready to hack up that support bar and do the body filler route.

I'm thinking I may pull the front bumper cover and dremel the existing stock mesh out, and use the leftover mesh and jb weld it in BEHIND the opening. That way it will maintain uniformity across the mesh, will fill the "tighter mesh in a smaller hole" as you describe... and won't cost much more than time.

Most folks do the mesh in front of the stock grill, and that looks sketchy.

I got the mesh here, for those interested:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...5482488&rd=1,1

ililillilillilil

^that Looks Perfect^

darksom1

Like Nike, just do it! If you think about it too long, then you will talk yourself out of the "surgery". LOL! I'm trying to visualize your alternative method. It definitely will be in a smaller area so that will defeat that trucker look I was talking about. Plus, if you do it, and don't like it, you can just paint it black and it will be virtually unseen like the black mesh that's there now. Right?

However, my thing is, with the outside grille pieces having that satin finish on the trim and the bar, will that contrast well with the mesh you are using? That's the part I am trying to visualize.

darksom1

Gotta go wash my car...be back!

SteveP66

The possibilties are endless!!!!!

SteveP66

Looks great Chris - no wonder I haven't seen you around here lately..........

brettallica

I think if he's going to do the blacked out headlights, then the darker chrome would be necessary. If he's going with standard cleared out headlights, then perhaps standard chrome would be best. If he's doing neither of those (which I think is the case, but correct me if I'm wrong), I think the dark chrome might look best because of the color of the car. Both would look sweet, though.

SteveP66

Again...????? Didn't you just wash it yesterday and the day before and the day before that........?

That will teach ya to go buy a NBP.....LOL

brettallica

I like this. I'm trying to visualize it on my own car with my current setup, and I think it'll work. The A-spec kit definitely helps this mod, too.

SteveP66

Oh I'm not sure I want to go playing around with the headlights........Then I would feel compelled to do the side markers.


I like the black chrome look so I might focus on trying to see where I can get that done.

I might just do some other stuff first - like installing my Aspec kit and then getting some tints.

darksom1

I thought we secretly agreed that you would do the standard chrome look? LOL!

Definitely do the a-spec first, as it will give you more of a "view" as far as planning your options/mods.

Well, that and it just makes the car look better, whether you tweak your grille or not!

SteveP66

Yeah I really want to put that on. I had it shipped to a friends house last December (he has a garage) - it's been sitting there in the box untouched ever since.

Funny - everytime I feel compelled to go visit my kit and say hello to all the pieces.....LOL

SteveP66

Oh Ray - btw Happy Birthday buddy

darksom1

I don't feel a day overrrrrrr...yesterday! Thanks buddy!

SteveP66

LOL !!! Stopped counting huh......me 2

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Hi guys,

Steve... I've been a busy beaver, out of work on new baby leave for the last 3 weeks. New baby girl is home, 2 daughters now... . During naps I did a LOT of mod work. Tein SS suspension with EDFC and Greddy bar, mediagate, Ipod, and PS2 install (It's A/V overload), lower grills, blue leds in the footwells, Illuminated doorsills, wired in remote V1, front and rear sidemarker blinker modules, Infinity 63.7s and JL 8W3v2/JLe1200 and lots of Dynamat s in the back deck and Volk Racing 19" GT7s .
Lots of Pics to follow... I'm back to work now, and need a weekend to finish a few details and clean it up for the photoshoot. It's nice to feel like it's almost "finished". The last 3 projects...
- Supercharger that's sitting int he garage floor with AEM UEGO A/F gauge
- Cleared headlights
- Custom Grill
- Maybe custom tails. If I could get a set of used 2007 tails cheap, I'll do it for sure.

I'm definatle gonna clear the headlights, but I plan to do the "1/2 cleared" style... I believe Darksom did his like these as well. They look like this.



I prefer this look as it's not a toal blackout, the reflector remains functional, and you get a cool black chrome contrast going on.

Darksom,
My upper grill would look very similar to this:


This guy just cut inserts to fit and slid them into the front of the grill. Up close, that's gonna look like poop as you can see the edges. If you cut that square mesh stuff out, make the mesh cut bigger than the hole, then glue it in from the back, it'll look 10X better.

I like the big gaping hole best, but it's almost too much. Looks great on Accuratein's car, but he's got a look going that a bit over the top for me. Truth be told, I'd probably try it out, but the I already invest the time and energy into these mesh grilles, I really don't want to have to make a second set using a larger mesh just so I can do the big upper hole to match the mesh.

I probably do this upper grill mod now, then if I still want the big hole, I can make another set of lower grilles over the fall, and get ready to do the big hole.