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

Since he sold his car, you might shoot DocHolladay a PM and ask if he still wants one.

SBT - I have something set up to get the grille painted on Saturday. It'll be a black epoxy primer and will be done with a paint gun. If all looks fine after its painted it should be good to go not long after.

Sounds great man. Any way to finish coat it for longer lasting durability?

I'm going to see how it looks with just the primer at first and ask about a clearcoat or epoxy paint. When I asked my body guy orginally he looked it all over and said he would just black epoxy primer it. He said you want to keep it as thin as possible so it wouldn't chip and said you COULD paint over the primer but he would leave it as is. I'll wait for it all to dry and get a good look at how it turns out before making a decision.

 

I can post some pics and let you decide, worst case if it doesn't end up looking good with just the primer down the road, it'd be sandable and a great surface to paint on.

With the stuff being 2 part with a hardener, it's really rugged and lasts a lot longer than spray paint. I'm sure a thin coat of a satin black over the primer wouldn't hurt anything. I'll let you know where I'm at this weekend.

Correction I see my name when should I send my grill in? Edited August 21, 2014 by TeriyakiBBS

Correction I see my name when should I send my grill in?

 

 

It's probably best to let it play out for a while. I'll see once I make a few more who's in and who's out and be about to get a better idea when you're up. It'll be best to hang onto your grille and I'll send you a finished one and we can swap that way you aren't grilleless. I plan on making a few at a time and painting them together. I'll probably make 2-3 together next and once those go, I may try to do 5 together and send those out. I'll be in touch and let you know.

2 grilles are all cut out, cleaned and sanded down ready for inserts that I have already. Doing one more and going to make 3 at once.

Are you still using the crown Vic grill for the insert?

Are you still using the crown Vic grill for the insert?

 

Yes

I just painted SBT's grille. Two part epoxy primer was used in a paint gun with 4-5 very thin coats, then I put down a few thin coats of SEM Trim Black paint. It's pretty cool to see the amount of changes from the last one I made. The finish is beautiful and transitions are smooth, it looks nice with the insert set back and all that's left is clearing up a small pit on the outer lip and attaching the emblem. I'm also shaving off a little bit of the sides where the emblem mounting spot is so the emblem touches the overall insert instead of being an 1/8th of an inch or so off of it. It was enough to notice that the emblem sat off of the insert and it looks better touching it. Anyways here are a few pics I took after it was done.

 

 

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/nospmoht04/009-1.jpg

 

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/nospmoht04/006-1.jpg

 

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/nospmoht04/005-1.jpg

 

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/nospmoht04/004-2.jpg

 

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/nospmoht04/d13298ee-6f50-45d2-b863-90a2de59b459.jpg

 

 

So there's that, and I'll mail it out early next week. I show ya when the emblem is on and it's totally done.

 

 

 

Here's a couple pics of this sweet Saab that was at my father's shop. It's a 1990 Saab 9000 Airflow Turbo. It's a 4 cylinder turbo prototype of a Saab that was made and there were only 3-4 made total in the world. One to the president of Sweden, one to the president of Saab and one to this guy, the designer. Pretty cool car.

 

 

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/nospmoht04/008-1.jpg

 

 

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/nospmoht04/007-1.jpg

Put me down as #48 Looks great!

The grill looks perfect !

You did a really nice job ! Can't wait to get mine

I just threw the emblem on and this thing is ready to go. I trimmed up the edges of the mounting spot so the emblem touches the honeycomb which looks nice.

 

 

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/nospmoht04/003-1.jpg

 

 

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f178/nospmoht04/006-2.jpg

Is the emblem screwed to the face of the grille?

The emblem is attached from the top, bottom, left and right sides with epoxy and surfaces were dremeled/sanded down to get through the finish for solid adhesion. There were two holes in the back of the mounting area on the crown vic insert and I dropped more of the adhesive through and stuck it there too. It's held in place in 6 spots very well. It's normally only held on with double sided tape, so this will be way more effective.

Agreed. Hit me up on PM when you're ready.

If the list ever gets to me I'm down for one!

Sweet, I'm next in line, now I must make up my mind.

Agreed. Hit me up on PM when you're ready.

 

 

All boxed up and ready to ship. Sent you a PM.

Replied.

Sweet, I'm next in line, now I must make up my mind.

 

 

Well I'm makin 3 at once so you'll have a little bit of time.

Did you paint over the chrome?

Cause there is some bumbles in the chrome on my grill

I guess it depends on the condition of your chrome. The last one I had the chrome was in great shape so I sealed off edges that needed it with epoxy and prepped the chrome well, cleaned it with alcohol and used epoxy primer. Everything should seal fine. I have a grille on my car now that didn't get half the prep my last one did, and I also used just a rustoleum plastics primer on it. It's been on the car for over 3 years and has held up great. 2 small nicks and I touched it up with a black paint marker, can't really notice it.

 

If your chrome is bubbling up then it would need to be removed. I would not paint over that.