New Modified OEM Front Grille for Shaggy
 

I decided after seeing the grill on Mikes thread with the upper and lower bar removed and then i added some mesh that i used on the lower grille. took me 2 hours and i still have some small things to do

but

I Love the Grille. it is a keeper

pics tomorrow on the car from day shots
here it is on my pool table and one at night
Attachment 43412

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I really like the looks of that CJ. Hopefully you will grace us with another one of your fine "How To's" Great innovation, and like you said, that's a keeper!:bow:

I did nothing but cut the grille i had on Shaggy, used 2 pieces of gutter mesh i used for the lower grille so this mod ran me $3 and my time and effort which took 2.5 hours.

My front grille has lil chips and pits so i figured i would guinea pig it. this wont be the finished product. all i had on the gutter screen was some mods left and they had been cut and need to be a little longer so i will go get 2 more.

BlackHHR gave me the idea of using the screen behind it and it was a great idea

took it off and all the posts and platic gasketing
basically cut out around the bowties first, then the sides and finally the posts in the middle it came out.

i had to cut some out on the sides to make it straight. i am going to buy a new chrome grille and the figure out a real good way to cut it w/o chance of scratchin the chrome.

to put the mesh on i had to do some trimming, bent the top about a 1/4 inch to fit the top lip. cut holes for posts in the middle and on the top and bottom. bent the bottom to match the lower lip.

cut the mesh in the middle so it didnt overlap where it could be seen on both top and bottom pieces. i just had to trim the sides and middle to make it all fit and used a real good tin snip. used some dykes to cut the mesh to fit the posts and stub on top and bottom.

put all the plastic and support posts back on and then put it on Shaggy

ill take some pics of the back tomorrow.

Thanks CJ, I guess I was asking what did you use to cut with? I am planning on buying another grille, but after seeing your handy work, I really think it looks very sharp. Always appreciate your time to answer questions CJ, thank you very much!

Again, Cj you have done another mod that gives others what they could spend hundreds of dollars on for hardly nothing. Great look, great mod and I am sure their will be many who will do this on their car. Maybe you should start a thred. Called Mods for less $

Wow what a nice mod! How is the mesh held in place? Clips, screwed, glued? Looks awesome .:thumb:

Mod of the Month ?????
 

That looks FANTABULOUS !!! :bow:
Just had an idea, how about a MOD of the MONTH type thing.
CJ you`ve got my vote.:thumb:
This will be the CJ GRILL, E-bay look out...:one:

That looks great. Nice Job!

Oh, I likey !

going to do a how yo on this love it were you worried about cutting your grill up?

CJ, you've created the best grill I've ever seen on an HHR. It makes me wanna cut mine up man!:thumb:

Looking forward to you pics, and a bit more on what is best to cut it with ( Hacksaw? Dremil type rotary cutter?), etc.
Wow, just when I thought all the cheap mods have been done....:lol: :bow:

geez that aint bad, looks great

Heh I've been wondering how that setup would look ever since I saw you use the mesh on the lower bumper. Its now a must have! Congrats CJ on yet another fine addition to the HHR looks.

Nice grille CJ.:bow: Beat me to it. I was looking into something like that, but not sure what it was going to be. Great mod and inexpensive.

here are day pics

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...e/100_1472.jpg

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http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j3...e/100_1478.jpg

Nice one, CJ :thumb:

i would use a dremel tool
it would look better on all the cuts

i had one but it died

All I can say CJ is SWEET!!!!!
you the man

Think CJ should be nominated for King of the Mods. Great look and he continually adds interest to the HHR with creativity, not just $$$. Well done, and as usual not shy about sharing tips and how to's either.

That looks really cool CJ. Clean up the cuts a bit and you'll have one of the hottest HHR grilles out there. :thumb:

Are you going to paint the mesh blue?
Me thinks it looks great just the way it is!

The day pics are even better. How did you attach the mesh to the grille? That is the best looking grille I've seen. Wonder how that would look with a satin grille?:yourock:

:thumb: :thumb: Two thumbs up. Great looking grille..Very nice mod.

That looks very nice. Excellent job.:thumb:

CJ...That's awesome :thumb: How'd ya do it...huh huh...I'm very interested but very afraid of choppin up the grill. Please enlighten me :D Curious minds wanna know :confused:

Something like this:

http://www.socalhhr.citymax.com/i/Hi..._Mod_Small.jpg

I started mine a couple of months ago, but can't seem to find the time to finish it.
We will be offering a couple different styles of bolt-on grilles, as soon as we finalize the molds.

CJ nice grill! I've not seen, or been able to come up with yet what i like, but yours is one of the better options, in my opinion. Great job :thumb:

Way to go CJ nice work!

Gotta give ya props CJ that is one of the best looking grills I've seen, including all the aftermarket crap!
:one:
You do know a bunch of us will be stealing/borrowing your idea!:D

Here's a pic of the originator of the cut-up HHR grille. Darkside had this mod (minus the mesh) early this year I believe.



http://www.hhrclub.org/galleries/hhr...rk-side_11.jpg

I hate to be a copy-cat, but that bar on my grill was damaged, and this looks like a great way to salvage it. Thanks for the idea!

CJ:

What did you do to the exposed plastic on the frame where you cut off the bar? Didn't it expose the color of the plastic that's under the chrome? Or is the color close enough to chrome that you don't notice it?

Steve

CJ,

I love it. I want it. My only problem is that I have no clue on how to do the work. I am just now learning on how to work on my cars. Is this something I could hire out? Maybe I will ask Dan on Sat. when I am there for the get-together.

Theresa

I can't 100% answer your question but I chopped up my factory grille to install my Carriage Works grille. The plastic is really bright white under the chrome. The plastic stood out quite a bit from the chrome and the copper layer beneath the chrome so I sanded at a 45 degree angle in durring the last part of my sanding so no white would be exposed or visible.

The grill is looking really cool CJ!!:thumb:

I just met CJ for lunch and got to look at it up close. Yes, the plastic is white underneath the chrome on the grill. It does show when up close on CJ's however, this was more of a draft attempt for him as his grill was pitted and he plans to order a new one to perform a little more intricate work on. I'll let CJ speak for himself when he gets home from work, but this job was done without the use of a dremel tool as his had just bit the dust. I can definitely see where when using a dremel the angles could be cut so that the white plastic doesn't show through from the front. It looks great in person! I love the design, more of an oldschool look. Oh, the catback sounds great in person too. Its got a nice low growl to it....

CBL

Sign me up! Excellent look, excellent job! Thank you!

CJ,

Would you be interested in selling the one that you just made when you make your new one?

thanks for all the posts and i had a cop today stare at it on his bike, turned around and i thought i was going to get a ticket. he pulled up and stopped at the light, motioned to talk and i rolled down the window and he said,,, that is a killer HHR. LOL. i said thanks and afraid i was getting a ticket. he said he could see the front end grille as soon as he turned the corner. was cool. i got compliments all day at schools from band director friends, even one principal.

my dremel tool was over 20 years and finally died on a mod i did a month ago. ive had it 20 years and My Dad gave it to me. Hard to throw it away since it was his. i dont know how old it was when i got it. its bigger than they are now.

i am going to dremel the angles down from the back so the white wont show as much. then the spots where the middle braces were i am going to paint it w chrome paint.

as to the mesh staying down,,, it doesnt move. i had to bend down a 1/4 inch so it hooked over the top rail. that made the mesh go over the screw post at the top and the 2 top small flat posts. the edge of the backing platstic gasket goes around the whole thing. the black bar, the 2 screws and one nut hold the middle down well also. there is 5 nuts and the only place it is a lil loose is where it bends over the edge and one could shoe goe that in place w clear shoe goo and it would never budge.

i didnt know how much i was going to have to cut in the middle so i only bent a 1/4 inch,,, i would ben a lil more now that i have done it but no more then 3/8 in to 1/2 inch. that will help stay in place.

i over lapped in the middle where the middle screw was to really hold the middle down. Loose is really not an issue.

you can cut the sides in all kinds of ways to match what you want to do. i like the idea of thin sides and really i left it wide so i can dremel it down to the right size. i started this around 10 15 last night and it was on Shaggy by 1:15.

i saw the painted blue one on the sema hhr a while back and really didnt care for it as much as the chrome. im old school and old school is chrome school and i love chrome. when they come out w stainless or chrome tail light rings, around the windows, front window and headlights. i want it all. for now the only thing out there is what i have and it will do till the real thing is made.

Seeing mikes photochopped one really got me thinking and so last night at 10 15 i said what the heck,,, its time so i pulled around back and pulled the grille, took off the bar and edge buffers and then spread out a towell and got out a new hacksaw blade, a hand held and has it where u slide the hack saw blade thru the handle and it has a nut to hold the blade in place.

i started sawing w the the bowtie first, top and bottom, then the sides of the top bar, and then the braces in the middle. then the sides of the bottom bar and then the middle braces. i used a ultra fine point Sharpie to mark the line i was going to cut.

i have decided to keep this grille for a daily driver and then i am going to make another for shows that will be perfect for shows.

they are around $100 plus tax and i have time to find another chrome one.

same mesh i used for the lower grille and that is cheap and abundant.

glad u guys like it,,, I love it big time

I really like that grill, CJ.:thumb:

Simple but really different...and It seems to "style" well with your car and its other chrome.:bow:

Question....any thoughts of doing the lower "dog scooper" grill in the same method? Outlined in chrome with a chrome screen. Looking at your second daytime post, brought up the idea.