Alternative to Grill Insert

Alrighty. I pulled off my stock cheap nasty looking plastic grill insert today. I live in Indiana now so I don't need a front license plate and planned on buying the black insert from SLP. I don't have the money for the insert as of yet and I thought it simply looks good without an insert. With the exception of a couple things.

http://i725.photobucket.com/albums/w...3/cambondo.jpg

The little clasp insert holes annoy me. The styrofoam in the vents bother me. And I'm not sure if you're supposed to, but the last owner drilled the license plate bracket into the front bumper. You can see them if you look close, they're like this . * .

Anyways, my plan is to sand the clasp holes, and add bondo and smooth them out. I bought the paint today and already have the primer for it. About the styrofoam, I may add some sort of mesh in there, however I am very open to suggestions. I'm doing the bondo and my cats tomorrow so I'll try and post some pics of progress.

Let me know what you guys think.

It just doesnt look right on that year car, on my year car it looks ok because of the angle of the front end, Id go with the normal grill inserts.

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Originally Posted by 95camaroZNC

It just doesnt look right on that year car, on my year car it looks ok because of the angle of the front end, Id go with the normal grill inserts.

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What do you mean when you say normal grill inserts? And I definitely agree about the >97 maros.

I did the same thing when I first bought my car. I plan on filling in all the holes and then adding a mesh type grill behind the two openings.

Subscribed. Interested to see how it turns out -- almost think you need the contrast of the black insert. How about pics from just a bit further back so we can see the whole front, and then one from an angle?

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Originally Posted by pajeff02

Subscribed. Interested to see how it turns out -- almost think you need the contrast of the black insert. How about pics from just a bit further back so we can see the whole front, and then one from an angle?

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Will do tomorrow. I sort of agree, the black definitely sets off the front of the car, but perhaps I can get that with the two vents. Although it looks so much smoother without, and should look pretty sweet with the bondo added.

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Originally Posted by yyun

............and then adding a mesh type grill behind the two openings.

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I thought about doing something similiar but first cutting out the styrofoam in the two openings to create more airflow for cooling and then adding the mesh type grill.................

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Originally Posted by fxgs

I thought about doing something similiar but first cutting out the styrofoam in the two openings to create more airflow for cooling and then adding the mesh type grill.................

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If you were to cut out the styrofoam, how would you? I thought about that, too.

Seems like it dhould be pretty easy................a sharp knife should do the trick

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Originally Posted by fxgs

Seems like it dhould be pretty easy................a sharp knife should do the trick

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Hahaha. That's what I was going to do, but with the car you have I thought there would be some perfectionist way to do it. I mean that in the best of ways lol.

I took out the foam with a knife and just started braking pieces off, then sprayed the metal black so it just looks like holes, you really can't see when you look in my pics. I would definatley go for smoothing out the holes, that's what I would do you might consider painting the mouth portion black like some do when they put the billet grille on. Then again being red you might just keep it the same

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Originally Posted by fxgs

Seems like it dhould be pretty easy................a sharp knife should do the trick

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try an Olfa Blade, very sharp and long when extended then will cut thicker stuff!

I've even contemplated fabbing a "ram air" system once I cut the styrofoam out...........get some flexable tubing to run into the bottom of the air lid.............

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Originally Posted by fxgs

I've even contemplated fabbing a "ram air" system once I cut the styrofoam out...........get some flexable tubing to run into the bottom of the air lid.............

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That would be pretty sick. I'll keep that in mind today.

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Originally Posted by SS02

try an Olfa Blade, very sharp and long when extended then will cut thicker stuff!

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I'll look into this.

Alright. So I talked to two different body shops today, and a body shop supplier. They recommended that I use a plastic compound to fill in the holes. The only problem is, they don't make a filler version, more of a caulk. It's runny and hard to get to use as a filler. Plus it was expensive, too. Not only all of this bad news, but he said that after a few thousand miles, after I get it squared away, it will crack, due to vibrations. I said, well how would a body shop do it, if I paid them; he replied, they would do exactly what I'm saying, except they wouldn't tell you about the cracking. But I fucking bought it, with an idea for a change of plan.

I ended up using the plastic bond that I bought to fill in the drill holes from the license bracket, and license plate. After sanding with some 80 grit of course. It only took about 20 minutes to dry, I then sanded the spots with more 80 grit, and then worked my way all the way up sanding the entire thing from 120, to 220. After that, I spray painted it with some semi-gloss paint with little sparkly shits in it. After this I'm going to paint the inner part that says CAMARO red, with some 81U.

This isn't what I wanted to do at all, but I apparently I don't really have a choice. So far it looks pretty good though. I'll post some pictures up later, right now my computer isn't letting me.

I had the same thing. Holes drilled everywhere. Looked like crap.

I just went ahead and masked everything off... hit it with some black spray paint, threw the billet grill on and was done :D

Hope it turns out well for you.

Heh... you get enough sleep last night? ;)

Hahaha yes. I didn't end up working on my cats though...

Doing that tomorrow I guess. I'll probably finish my grill insert tomorrow, too. It's painted and drying, and I'll do the red tomorrow. I'm not thrilled about it honestly. But someone had to do it to show everyone else what NOT to do haha.

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Originally Posted by levityinc3

Hahaha yes. I didn't end up working on my cats though...

Doing that tomorrow I guess. I'll probably finish my grill insert tomorrow, too. It's painted and drying, and I'll do the red tomorrow. I'm not thrilled about it honestly. But someone had to do it to show everyone else what NOT to do haha.

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Who knows, it may turn out well. You've got the whole weekend to mess with it.

If not, get yourself a billet grill and you're done :D

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Originally Posted by KahanaReef

Who knows, it may turn out well. You've got the whole weekend to mess with it.

If not, get yourself a billet grill and you're done :D

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Wish I still working in a machine shop. I could've probably fabbed something. Want to loan me the money for the billet grill :naughtywa: lol.