Fit DIY: Repair & MaintenanceThreads discussing repairs and maintenance you can do yourself
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Thanks for the compliments on the DIY- glad to help. I used the screen method for a few weeks but was not happy with the fine mesh size. When I found the aluminum billet grill on eBay, I replaced the screen with the grill. A few weeks after that, I totaled the car.
I will pick up my new '09 replacement Sport Fit tomorrow, and will use the JC Whitney expanded aluminum grill material on the new car. In fact, I will use the remaining half of macbuddy's grill material described in Post #15.
All of the new Hondas seem to be designed to keep dealers busy replacing a/c condensers. The prevention is so cheap and simple, it's pretty silly not to do it.
I ordered one package for less than $30, and looks like I'll be able to service 4 Fits with this. This screen material only ships in bare aluminum, you would have to paint it if you wanted any other color. I'll let you know how it compares to the JCWhitney offering. Just thought that I'd make an update to your thread.
-macbuddy-
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I ordered one package for less than $30, and looks like I'll be able to service 4 Fits with this. This screen material only ships in bare aluminum, you would have to paint it if you wanted any other color. I'll let you know how it compares to the JCWhitney offering. Just thought that I'd make an update to your thread.
-macbuddy-
Hi Mike,
No, I have not installed your nice sheet of red anodized aluminum grill material yet. I have been waiting for my replacement horn to arrive so that I can do everything behind the grill at one time. The Wolo horn is finally here, so I will have to get busy soon. With the extreme cold and rain that is predicted over the weekend and into next week, I may put this off a while longer.
Your Amazon stuff looks great, and the price is even better than the Whitney stuff. But here is a smallwarning- the Whitney anodized material is better because it is anodized. Raw aluminum will oxidize, turn dull, and eventually turn white. Because of its tendency to oxidize, paint won't stick very well to untreated aluminum. The anodizing process is electrochemical color oxidation. The color oxidation layer prevents further oxidation of the substrate material. If a rock hit breaks away a tiny area of anodized finish, you will eventually see the exposed area get dull instead of shiny, and eventually turn white.
There is a specialized paint that is made for use on aluminum, but I have forgotten its name- used to be used on aluminum Paintball guns.
I was looking forward to seeing the red anodized aluminum diamond mesh on your SSM GD3, but I will try to live with my disappointment. I know that your red mesh that you gave me will look at least interesting, maybe great, on my BBP GE8. Thanks a LOT for the red diamond mesh sheet!!!!!!!
I have actually used the black plastic gutter guard mesh. It holds up better than just about anything. You pop it on with black zipties to holes drilled behind the OEM grille, and it looks pretty much the same as before, except it blocks anything bigger than really small stuff.
I need to do it to the fit, simply the worst grille and fog setup. Never have had a car get so much wear and tear in 10 months. The a/c is bent to shit already and have gone through 3 fog lights. The front bumper is just weaksauce on the fit.
theres a really strong thin billet one on ebay right now, it looks good, but its 96 bux. And I would get it powdercoated Gunmetal or Flat Black. I really need somethin down there.
Anyone found a more OEM lookin one than that for a better price for the 08, please let me know
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Last edited by Shaggs2Dope; 04-02-2009 at 01:18 AM.
Hi Guys
I ordered the billet grill off e-bay from Mr grill for $96 + shipping and had it done in black,it's not powder coat but a baked paint type product a little stronger than paint.I like the look and the protection it provides.Will post again after install
Jimrb66
thats the same one I ordered last week, still waiting for it to arrive, it was like 109 shipped for upper and lower grilles in black!
Can't wait for it to come, especially since I just fixed the fogs again, and have new lights everywhere up front. Should look really clean on My silver, what color is your car JIM? I prefer the black, as I am the anti bling.
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Aww, they love each other, but are jealous of who gets my attention
Hi Shaggs I'm driven a 08 SSM sport and it looks just like yours except I got lite smoke weathertech vent visors front and back,clear shield bra.but they would look real good sitting next to one another.??? but they are. one on the east coast and and one on the west coast.!!
Jimrb66
Sweet, I have the Mugen Style visors, and now Black housing Yellow lens fogs. Good to have an evil twin on the "other" coast, since West Coast is the Best Coast, since it's Sunny Cali!
How long did it take you to get your black grille? I ordered mine over a week ago and have gotten no communication from the seller, or shipping tracking, or anything. Everything else I bought that day came already like days ago. I WANT MY GRILLE, dammit.
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Aww, they love each other, but are jealous of who gets my attention
Hi ShaggsI ordered my grill on 4/04 have asked the seller for a shipping date and same as you, no answer.I'm thinking you will receive yours first cause you live where the seller is.Have you figured out how to mount yours ??? I'm hoping I don't have to remove the bumper,the pics one guy posted with the top grill off looks do-able.Let me know whats your plan.As far as west coast topping east,I think thay are both shot.NJ is the hightest taxing state in the union and Cal. is broke.I thinks it's time to take this old ass and start looking down south ,like maybe S.C.
Jimrb66
Cal has weed money keeping it afloat, and one of the worlds largest economy's(even tho its shrinking). it probably also has the most COPS per state, and the most ****ed up crumbling roads in the nation, and shitty gun laws. I really wish I knew when I was gettin my grille, I am gettin ancy, and I only have sundays and mondays to mod the fit. If it requires pulling the bumper it takes all of 5 minutes to pull a honda bumper on any car(except rear bumper on my 00 coupe, what a bitch). Even if it doesn't require removing the bumper, I am gonna pull it because it is easier to do detail work off the car.
I did my fogs and airbox mod without the car even being with me, I just had the parts, and measurements and shit. My girl always has my fit because I bought it for us to commute in, and then I lost my job due to shitty economy, but I saved up 20+k in the last couple years as a buffer, instead of buying more cars and bikes(other than the fit). So if it doesn't arrive by tommorrow I will have to wait til next weekend to put the grille in. I already have some overlapping projects I am working on, and they all are on pause at the moment, which is ****ing me up becuase I need workspace. Everything has something limiting my progress, which is a major bitch. I like to bang a job out start to finish.
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Aww, they love each other, but are jealous of who gets my attention
sorry to be off topic, but: if the car is still within warranty, do y'all think i should bring the car back to dealer to check on the AC? is AC even on warranty? the button is on(green light), but no cold air, wonder if they'll fix it up for me.
I need to do it to the fit, simply the worst grille and fog setup. Never have had a car get so much wear and tear in 10 months. The a/c is bent to shit already and have gone through 3 fog lights. The front bumper is just weaksauce on the fit.
I think I found a good way to protect the fog lights. It is quite effective. Check out my thread: Fog Light Protection
think this is a must do for anyone who drives on the highway and cares about money in their pocket.
i used $5 chicken wire from lowes and some black anti rust car paint. can hardly even tell its there, but will definitely provide protection against anything big enough to do damage.
i looked at gutter guard but i didn't trust putting plastic down there, metal just seems more reliable.
I just used some metal gutter guard. It's expanded steel and looks pretty much the same as most of those bonafide aftermarket grilles. It came in a bag of 6 pieces for $1.50 on sale at Lowes (normally $8 or so). Each piece was just the right height for the grill and maybe 6 inches longer, so one piece was enough for my one car. It's gutter guard, intended to be outside and exposed to the elements, so I would assume it wouldn't rust or otherwise corrode too easily or quickly.
For a cheap solution, gutter guard can't be beat.
Never have had a car get so much wear and tear in 10 months. The a/c is bent to shit already and have gone through 3 fog lights....
Let me guess: since the copolymer gutter guard is non-abrasive plastic, you simply cut it to fit the fog light openings, and jammed it in. If not, how did you protect the fog lights?
I actually put on 3000k Yellow LaminX on the cracked foglights, and they have held together fine since then and painted the housing with Vehicle Sound Deadener and Rubberized Undercoating. Way more durable than stock now
And I didn't run the DIY gutter guard. I put in a black coated billet grille that has very fine slits. Car doesn't run any hotter, and it looks nice, plus it prevents damage as it is SUPER stiff.
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Aww, they love each other, but are jealous of who gets my attention
A rock is the reason why I lost my A/C on my previous car. So when I bought my Yaris, the first thing I did was put on some heavy duty plastic mesh over the lower grill to protect the condenser. It's held up quite nicely without any holes/rips, and it's been like two years.
My Videos of:
How do I get the bumper off to do this? I don't have ramps.
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