DIY Front air in take Mesh Screen for under $17.00, Pics.
03-26-2006, 05:15 PM
#1
Safety Car
Thread Starter
DIY Front air in take Mesh Screen for under $17.00, Pics.
I wanted to keep the integrity of the original grill but protect my radiator from stone hits.
The mesh is made of firm plastic. As you can see there is no air restriction at all.
I want to thank forum member "PoundF15" who gave me this idea.
These pics are in brite sun light, the mesh does not show up as much as it does in these pics.
I got the mesh screen & the pull ties at Home Depot for under $17.00.
36" X 4 1/2"
When I came out of Home Depot this Vette was parked in front of me.
The mesh is made of firm plastic. As you can see there is no air restriction at all.
I want to thank forum member "PoundF15" who gave me this idea.
These pics are in brite sun light, the mesh does not show up as much as it does in these pics.
I got the mesh screen & the pull ties at Home Depot for under $17.00.
36" X 4 1/2"
When I came out of Home Depot this Vette was parked in front of me.
Last edited by Guitarstar; 03-26-2006 at 05:58 PM.
03-26-2006, 06:07 PM
#5
Drifting
Member Since: Apr 2005
Location: Upper St. Clair PA
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St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'09
I like it, and may use the gutter guard so it matches the side screens on the BlueCoupe a la Pipedreams. 
What dimensions did you use??
What dimensions did you use??
03-26-2006, 06:10 PM
#6
Instructor
Member Since: Oct 2005
Location: Camas WA
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Originally Posted by PaBlueCoupe
I like it, and may use the gutter guard so it matches the side screens on the BlueCoupe a la Pipedreams.
What dimensions did you use??
What dimensions did you use??
03-26-2006, 06:34 PM
#8
Burning Brakes
Turn the mesh 45 degrees and then cut the piece 36" x 4 1/2"
Use the wire ties on the top of the mesh to tie into the grille verticals pieces.
You can use the grille screws that are on the bottom of the grille, they have a captured washer. That will hold the bottom of the mesh in place.
This is what I did on mine.
Use the wire ties on the top of the mesh to tie into the grille verticals pieces.
You can use the grille screws that are on the bottom of the grille, they have a captured washer. That will hold the bottom of the mesh in place.
This is what I did on mine.
03-26-2006, 07:32 PM
#10
Safety Car
Thread Starter
Just my 2 cents: Many have the 45 degree angle thats okay.
I wanted mine to be different. I noticed the mesh now starting to straighten in the sun & conform to the grill.
I wanted mine to be different. I noticed the mesh now starting to straighten in the sun & conform to the grill.
Last edited by Guitarstar; 03-26-2006 at 07:39 PM.
06-20-2006, 12:47 AM
#11
Team Owner
There is also another product in addition to the mesh screens that can be used in addition to protect your radiator as these C-6 Corvettes also take in air from the bottom. There is a protector plate that keeps items from entering or getting on your radiator from the bottom. I don't know if this items will cut off air intake or if it will really make a difference in this area but it does give extra protection where rocks and debris can still damage your radiator from coming below. Radiator protection plate is not seen.
06-20-2006, 12:58 AM
#13
Burning Brakes
Member Since: Jun 2006
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I forgot to mention that I also used some of the extra screen from my grill to craft a piece to fit the exposed portion of the radiator down there. It was definitely not worth snapping a photo but the guard allowed me to mold it really well and use the 6 bolts (3 in front, 3 in back).
On my first pass, I attempted to slide the guard under the lower panel. After messing with it for a few minutes, I gave up and just molded the piece to stretch tight between the bolts. I then ran it straight back, gave it a 90 degree bend and bolted it in the rear. It fits great.
I was a bit concerned about temps so I ran a lot of tests to verify that my coolant temps were still the same. I did not notice any difference in idle, freeway or around-town driving. The ranges still ran from 194 - 212. No change at all from before the job...
On my first pass, I attempted to slide the guard under the lower panel. After messing with it for a few minutes, I gave up and just molded the piece to stretch tight between the bolts. I then ran it straight back, gave it a 90 degree bend and bolted it in the rear. It fits great.
I was a bit concerned about temps so I ran a lot of tests to verify that my coolant temps were still the same. I did not notice any difference in idle, freeway or around-town driving. The ranges still ran from 194 - 212. No change at all from before the job...
06-25-2006, 05:01 PM
#15
Burning Brakes
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I wanted to correct my previous posting here as I found something that may explain some confusion in another thread. There are a few types of "gutter guard". The black plastic type comes in a roll (at least at my local Home Depot). There is also galvanized steel in a roll as well. Finally, there is the hinged stuff. Unfortunately, when I went to do the first job, all I saw was the roll. The problem with the roll is that the mesh is much more fragile than either the plastic or the hinged type. My mistake...
I had my car over at the shop getting some new exhaust and intake stuff installed (Callaway ). What I noticed was that it seemed like even minor pressure was bending the gutter guard.
I was all set to just leave it there when I noticed the hinged and much stronger gutter guard this weekend. I just could not leave it alone so I took some of it home ($2 per 36" x 6" section) and made new grills. All of my past messing around here was a big help. Aside from the time spent waiting for 3 coats Krylon to dry, the whole job took about an hour. The grill is MUCH stronger. It is very solid.
I also used the templates posted on another thread (thanks pipedreams
) to make my side grills. I made 2 sets - one yellow and one silver. After putting them both in the car, I found I liked the silver best. The hints on the velcro were dead-on as well. Wrapping the velcro all the way around the tabs to form an adhesive-to-adhesive bond worked great. Installation was about 20 minutes per side.
I've posted some pictures on photobucket. Here are the links:
Front Grill: http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...rontScreen.jpg
Side Screen: http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...e-PsgGrill.jpg
Front View: http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...FrontRight.jpg
I had my car over at the shop getting some new exhaust and intake stuff installed (Callaway
). What I noticed was that it seemed like even minor pressure was bending the gutter guard. I was all set to just leave it there when I noticed the hinged and much stronger gutter guard this weekend. I just could not leave it alone so I took some of it home ($2 per 36" x 6" section) and made new grills. All of my past messing around here was a big help. Aside from the time spent waiting for 3 coats Krylon to dry, the whole job took about an hour. The grill is MUCH stronger. It is very solid.
I also used the templates posted on another thread (thanks pipedreams
) to make my side grills. I made 2 sets - one yellow and one silver. After putting them both in the car, I found I liked the silver best. The hints on the velcro were dead-on as well. Wrapping the velcro all the way around the tabs to form an adhesive-to-adhesive bond worked great. Installation was about 20 minutes per side. I've posted some pictures on photobucket. Here are the links:
Front Grill: http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...rontScreen.jpg
Side Screen: http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...e-PsgGrill.jpg
Front View: http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i1...FrontRight.jpg
