kimo
It doesn't have to be fancy as long as it protects the radiator.

 

OMG ... that is (Fit) freakin' hilarious!

Is your hood latch popped in that picture?

 

Yes it is.

 

Just how large were the birds? I guess you live rural. My radiator has plastic protection that came with the car and I haven't any problems with either my lowered Accord or my Fit.

 

Their not big birds, about the size of a Sparrow. And yes I live in the Country (a.k.a. the sticks). It doesn't take much to bend radiator fins.
Size: 20-23 cm (7.5-9 in)
Wingspan: 25-31 cm (9-12 in)
Weight: 40-48 g (1.40-1.69 ounces)


Imagine taking about 1.5 ounces of something (a paper bag of sugar for example) and throwing it into your radiator fins at 70mph + the speed the bird is flying at.

 

I admire the combination of practicality and creativity -- I'm all thumbs, so I have to stick with what I've got. Just wondered if any types of mods violate the warranty (?)

 

The only time a mod is going to have any effect on the warranty is if the mod can be proven to cause a problem, and leads to a problem or failure. In other words if the mod is the CAUSE of an issue which would otherwise be covered under warranty then it may be a problem.

These are just simple mods which are to help PREVENT damage which would be more likely to happen if left stock. Just like the birds flying into my radiator. Now they can't so I've IMPROVED the radiators protection without any significant reduction in the air flow to the radiator so the warranty is uneffected.

This CANNOT void the warranty. Think of it like putting a bra on your car to protect the paint. The bra doesn't void the warranty.

 

2hot6ft2

This is all Japanese but see if you can pick out the Fit among these cars.
When you do, click on it. The one I saw has a new grille insert. Maybe they
saw ours? LOL

http://www.honda.co.jp/auto/

And check out the new one in the lower left corner, a Mini Fit?

 

Too funny. The yellow one, right ? It's sure a lot like our mod but they made it with plastic and I want the front bumper. Wonder if they plan on paying me for the idea ?

The mini is called "Life". Don't care much for the tail lights but it looks cute. Wonder what size engine it has. The Life Diva has a better looking front and it has the grill mesh too.

Thanks for the post. That's very interesting. Wish I could read Japanese.


I seriously doubt those will make it to the U.S.

 

I couldn't find a eavestrough cover like 2hot6ft2's, so I used a piece of 3/8" mesh fence, sprayed flat black on the outside.



I took the bumper off (easy, and I was doing it anyway for my block heater plug) and attached it using a combination of screws (vertical arrows) and cable ties (horizontal arrows).



The result -- excuse the glare from the plate, as I had to bump the brightness to make the mesh visible --



Sorry, no teeth.

 

Nice job. Don't know why you took the bumper off to do the block heater plug but it made for a good reason to protect the radiator. Looks like that will do the trick and help keep some trash, large insects and birds out.

We can't all have teeth otherwise mine wouldn't be as unique as it is.

One of these days I may find a reason to take my bumper off and I'll make it a little neater like you did.

By the way I don't see the block heater plug but I haven't been back to that thread yet so it may be there.

 

While I had the bumper off to install the AC inlet for the block heater I figured it was a good time to clean up the install. So here's what I came up with.

First here is what it looked like with the cable ties and clips from the original install. This time with the bumper off.


I think the pic speaks for itself as to why I wanted to clean it up. It also gives the opportunity to see just what the birds did to the radiator.


After removing all the cable ties and the clips that were attached to the wire mesh I walked on it to make it flat as possable. Then I laid it where it was going and found I could trim away about 1 more inch from the end (again with the wire cutters).


Once I had it trimmed I figured out where to bend it and did so (I used a masons level since it was handy). This makes it fit great and covers the top of the opening.

Then I used my hot glue gun (If you don't have one I suggest getting one. Man it sure comes in handy and their less than $10 USD) and starting from the middle bottom and working my way outward secured it in place.


Now that looks a hell of a lot better than it did when I started.

Here is a pic for anyone that is curious about what the Fit looks like with the front bumper removed.


The cord that is hanging down is for my block heater which is why I had the bumper off and I'll be posting more in that thread next.

 

odd how birds tend to fly low...i have had some close calls

 

Yours is a lot more evenly done where mine looks like it was shot with buckshot. I actually wish I had done it more like yours.

Thanks, I think it looks a lot better.

The glue dries semi solid. It's still flexable enough that you can still take it off with a little effort. Closest thing I can think of is silicone, just a little bit less flexable. It's NOT solid or brittle.

It can be used on a very wide variety of materials and I went with the 2 temp. gun so I can get the full use of it's abilities. You'll find it in the arts and crafts section of most any department store.


Yes it is, the screen also helps keep trash and large insects from getting in to the radiator as well. It's amazing how much stuff it has stopped already. Definately a good mod. The new models have a similar plastic mesh there so I guess Honda stole my idea.

 

Anybody tried using this material in the lower grill? Mesh grille, Universal 33.75"x16" black ABS: Electrodyne, Quality Motoring Accessories
I think it might make a decent match to the upper grill in the 09 Fit.

 

Just did this on Saturday :-)
it looks great! thanks for posting this it was extremely useful!