Custom-made Sport Grill: S402 Replica Walkthrough ('05-'07 Legacy)

Second new grill showed up tonight so I have 2 in my possesion now. Neither have emblems but I'm getting going on them tonight. Ordering honeycomb on Friday, I won't need it till further along anyways. Stay tuned.

I want photos of the Outback grill you are doing please

I want photos of the Outback grill you are doing please

 

Will do once I get one.

 

.:Catalyst:. - Got your grill tonight, just opened it. I'll keep ya posted.

Got the grill I bought from you yesterday, I'm not home when post office stops by so that's why it took an extra 3 days to get it.

 

The quality of this grill is outstanding. Did you rattle can spray this? If so, this is the best rattle can paint job I think I've seen. The pics you posted do not do this grill justice.

 

Can't wait to see your new project.

I did rattle can it yeah. Thanks, I'm glad you like it. I was wondering since I hadn't heard yet. New honeycomb mesh should be in mid-next week.

I have been checking this thread every day since it started, trying every day to convince myself that I don't need to spend money on a grill, but here I am again! lol

 

I would like the flush look of the honeycomb S402 style grill without a lip or chrome or badge. Just a shell filled with honeycomb. When you get that honeycomb in and get a grill completed with it I am sure I will be drooling over the pics.

 

I have a feeling that I'm going to break down any day now and send you my grill....

 

 

My OE blacked out grill as it stands now:

Edited March 17, 2013 by YourConfused

PMed

These look really nice!

I was looking at pictures of S402s and noticed that they all have the taller USDM 08-09 style grill. This means with a USDM 05-07 shell it will look a bit different since it wont have the same honeycomb surface area from top to bottom. The arc will be at a slightly different angle as well.

 

I'm thinking I could make the 08-09 versions of them though, They're just a couple inches taller, same deal otherwise.

 

I have 05-07 ones in progress and going for the S402 look and will post up pictures, but I wanted to note that they will look a bit different.

These look really nice!

 

Thanks

Crappy cell phone pic but here's how I just set my grill up. Thanks to scoobydoobie for the free GT emblems he tossed into a sale.

Crappy cell phone pic but here's how I just set my grill up. Thanks to scoobydoobie for the free GT emblems he tossed into a sale.

 

You're welcome! Glad you could put them to good use. Keeping an eye on this thread, may get an S204 style grill from you down the road.

looks like your grill is back on your car wrong nospmoht04. The bottom section doesn't look like it hooked under the bumpers lip. You have to slide it on with pressure on the bottom to get it to hook up first or you get that gap in the middle section between the grill and bumper. Try taking it off then slide it on and make sure the bottom hooks then put the clips in the grill and screw it on.

 

Looking good!

Ah true yeah there is a gap there. Thanks didn't notice I did that.

most people don't notice it. They usually attach the grill from just setting in on from above but in reality you have to slide it from the bottom first .

Yeah it definitely makes sense since it has the two clips on the bottom.

Subscribing... very interested for my '05 Outback.

Good call ministi. I fixed it after work yesterday and it looks way better. Nice and clean and smooth. The top of my bumper was sagging down a bit and its perfect now. Not much of a lip to grab there, they don't make it too noticeable.

I have three grills in progress, in my posession (1 is Catalyst's), with a 4th on the way that I purchased last night. I've still got a list and will be working my way down it, prioritizing based on who's contacted me or at least mentioned they were interested.

 

So far, so long as they are interested when they see a finished product, the 3 extras aside from Catalysts would go to:

 

12sechatch

SBT

JJr

 

The list goes much longer than this and I'll continue to get more grills as I go and I'll post up who's next. There's no reason I can't be making Outback and 08/09 style grills too. As I mentioned a few posts ago, the 08/09 style will come closer to the S402 look since its a couple inches taller than an 05-07 grill.

 

I can make recessed with normal mesh, recessed with honeycomb, and S402 flush look with honeycomb for each of the grill styles I mentioned. Like I said before the S402 style is going to take a lot more work and I'll be spending more on materials and undoubedly more time fine tuning the attachment of the aluminum honeycomb so I'll write out a breakdown of pricing and all the materials when it's done. I already ordered 1 grill's worth of lipping for the S402 that goes around the grill inside the outside edges and that was $7. I think the lipping will be pretty important as it'll hide the transition from the aluminum honeycomb to the plastic grill. I think that's why it came factory like that and it would look different without it. Another thing was the Subaru emblem mounted in the middle. I can't cover their cost as you all know they can be a little pricey. If you want to find one on your own and send it to me to mount on your grill I can do that, or you can add one yourself when I ship you the grill. I can also look for some in the meantime. If you aren't digging the added costs that's totally fine and I can add only the things you want but I will post pictures of the final product and you can decide for yourselves. I know I'm repeating myself with a lot of this but I wanted to reiterate all of it in one spot for everyone to see or people just starting to follow the thread.

 

I'm starting to see why a replica of the S402 grill hasn't been done yet in numbers because of how time consuming each one will be and how much hands on fine tuning it'll take. This is fun for me though and I don't mind doing it. It's looking like in a few of weeks I won't be working 85 hour weeks like I've been getting recently and may also be having 3 days off a week coming at the end of April. I'll have shop access on my off days and only be working 4-5 days a week opposed to working 6-7 days a week so I can really put some time into these. It's been slow going the past couple weeks because I haven't had much free time at all. Working from 6am to 8pm on some nights and doing a little work on grills at 9pm doesn't leave much time.

 

Again, pictures of the final product will be posted upon completion, along with a materials list including pricing. Thanks to everyone, and I'll update soon.

 

Here's a shot again of the lipping I was talking about:

Edited March 19, 2013 by nospmoht04

Something else I noticed was that the front face of the honeycomb has a glimmer to it. I don't know if that's just a lighting glare from a glossy finish or if its actually a metallic color. I was thinking after I paint it all a glossy black I can run over the top of the honeycomb with fine, high grit sandpaper to expose the aluminum slightly and give it that look. Aluminum being non-ferrous and having high corrosion resistance would last and look fine in the elements. I'd clearcoat or polish it anyway. Just another idea to add but I think it'd look awesome.

 

If someone knows for sure what the stock S402 grill looks like in that sense let me know.

Edited March 19, 2013 by nospmoht04

Very interested in the final product for the 05-06 s402 looking grill.

If your taking names, put me on the "05-07 S402 style" list.

 

Whether it be my Crown Vic mesh or your mesh, either way.

 

PM if necessary.

Thanks for the update Steve,

 

With the newfound pricing discoveries, does this mean the previous prices you had posted are not valid anymore? IE the below that I sorta gathered:

 

assuming we send you our grille

1. Recessed grill with "regular mesh" - $120

2. Recessed grill with honeycomb Al 3003 mesh - $134

3. S402-style with "regular mesh" - $170

4. S402-style with honeycomb Al 3003 mesh - $184

 

assuming I DON'T send you a grille:

1. Recessed grill with "regular mesh" - $175

2. Recessed grill with honeycomb Al 3003 mesh - $189

3. S402-style with "regular mesh" - $225

4. S402-style with honeycomb Al 3003 mesh - $239

The only difference between what you just posted would be that instead of the honeycomb being an extra $14 per grill it'll be $19 per grill. Then there's $7 for the lipping per grill. S402 style would increase in price by a total of $12 across the board. So just an even $250 is what I was thinking. That is also with me eating the shipping on the materials which they quoted me $7 shipping for the honeycomb and it ended up being $21+. That's fine though.

 

So for the S402 you're looking at the price of the regular which was $175 plus $19 and $7 totaling in $201 then the remaining amount would be for extra time spent over the easier attachment of the simpler mesh. Plus on all styles there's the cost of the bleach, bondo, adhesive, primer, paint and sandpaper.

 

I wanted to get one completed and make judgment on an overall price then but it wouldn't be higher than $250 and may be lower.

 

Then to add I don't think the regular mesh will work with the flush look since its too thin to be durable at a bow like that. Just the honeycomb for the S402.

Edited March 20, 2013 by nospmoht04

The "honeycomb mesh" showed up and it was junk. It was too thin and won't work. Whatta ya gonna do? I sent it back and I need to find something somewhere else. I have a meeting set up for Monday with a water jet company one town over so I'd avoid shipping costs. I talked to him on the phone today and had him look at the exact pattern of the S402 grills. He said he'll bring me out on the floor and show me his shop and can have his engineer write up a program for the pattern and hit it near exact. It'd be near spot on and it'd be made of aluminum which is better than plastic in my opinion, but it's going to cost quite a bit to do. Plastic in this pattern sold in sheets its pricey anyways, plus I'll have to pay shipping and I can't mold it to bow out. I'll find out more Monday after work and let you guys know. Edited March 22, 2013 by nospmoht04