DIY Mesh Upper Grill EK
This is my version of the DIY ctr upper grill for 96-98 civic, (i've been told that it WILL and WILL NOT work the same for 99-00) so I guess it depends on how good of a DIYer you are..
Purchased a 16x30in sheet of 1/2in expanded metal at ACE hardware store for $15.
First I took a rough measurement of the opening...25"x5"...I then cut a piece this big. After you remove the bumper, there should be 4-5 screws that hold the upper grill to the bumper and 2 clips on each end near the top. When the entire upper grill is removed from the bumper, unscrew the "nine" tiny phillips head screw that attach the oem black to the outer painted frame. Then use a dremel to cut away the middle plastic, (making sure to leave the holes for the screws) so that you can re-attach it to the painted piece.
After the middle is gone, re-attach what's left of the black plastic to the painted trim piece. Lay the grill face down so that you can lay the 25"x5" expanded metal piece over the top. You will now need to mark where you want to cut it so that it looks like this.
Apply 3-4 heavy coats of black paint and some clear coat.
I used zip ties to secure the expanded metal to the grill plastic...drill some holes in the black part of the grill, (not the painted/front part) the back part that you cut from. Use the smallest black zipties you can find. This method will allow you to pull the grill/metal snug against the plastic. After that, you need to mount the upper grill back onto the bumper. Use the existing U-clips for the top sides and use two more zipties for the bottom part. The yellow circles indicate ziptie placement...squint real hard and you should be able to see.
This is my version of the DIY ctr upper grill for 96-98 civic, (i've been told that it WILL and WILL NOT work the same for 99-00) so I guess it depends on how good of a DIYer you are..
Purchased a 16x30in sheet of 1/2in expanded metal at ACE hardware store for $15.
First I took a rough measurement of the opening...25"x5"...I then cut a piece this big. After you remove the bumper, there should be 4-5 screws that hold the upper grill to the bumper and 2 clips on each end near the top. When the entire upper grill is removed from the bumper, unscrew the "nine" tiny phillips head screw that attach the oem black to the outer painted frame. Then use a dremel to cut away the middle plastic, (making sure to leave the holes for the screws) so that you can re-attach it to the painted piece.
After the middle is gone, re-attach what's left of the black plastic to the painted trim piece. Lay the grill face down so that you can lay the 25"x5" expanded metal piece over the top. You will now need to mark where you want to cut it so that it looks like this.
Apply 3-4 heavy coats of black paint and some clear coat.
I used zip ties to secure the expanded metal to the grill plastic...drill some holes in the black part of the grill, (not the painted/front part) the back part that you cut from. Use the smallest black zipties you can find. This method will allow you to pull the grill/metal snug against the plastic. After that, you need to mount the upper grill back onto the bumper. Use the existing U-clips for the top sides and use two more zipties for the bottom part. The yellow circles indicate ziptie placement...squint real hard and you should be able to see.
