Mesh grill @ front, replace or repair?

[rxboy]

First of all, thanx for the replies all.
Ruchi: can you please explain exactly how you remove the existing grill? I have the facelifted bumper, but I assume that this will pose no problem. Is the new grill firmly attached?

[ruchi]

I have a '95 GPX, with the original face / bumper. It had 4 screws and 6 spring clips holding the grill in place. It was just a matter of squeezing my hand in from on top, or underneath. As I said, you need some dexterity to get to some of the screws / clips.

As for the new or face-lifted models, I can't shed any light on them, but I would have though it would be similar.

[rxboy]

Actually, I'm now pretty sure that the grill on the post-facelift FTO is larger and harder to get to. Will probably have to take the whole bumper off

[rxboy]

Does anyone know the approximate size of the mesh grill on the facelift FTO?

Both aluminium grills sold at Super Cheap Auto and Autobarn are 1000mm X 300mm. I assume these will fit cos the one they sell at Type F products is 850mm X 200mm.

However both of these cheap grills are weak and easily damaged if some nutjob comes along and decides to kick it or reverse into it with a tow bar.

I would rather prefer to order in a sheet of woven mesh from Metal Mesh in Braeside, hence I need the exact measurements. Are the measurements from Type F products accurate?

[Breza]

The measurements from Type F are spot on................well they were for pre-facelift.

I ordered a few sheets pre-cut from metal mesh for a few people in Queensland when I did mine as you have to buy SS mesh by the metre from them.

There is another member of the QLD Club who has a couple of sheets of SS mesh for sale at the moment for around $40 a pop already cut to size if anyone is interested.


Cheers

Chris
blk_fto

[rxboy]

Which SS mesh did you get from them Breza? Is it the one with 22.4mm aperture size for the greatest percentage of airflow (woven st/st market grade 304)?

I've been quoted $85 for a 500mm X 1220mm sheet which is more than enough to make 2 grills. Anyone else interested in Victoria?

[ruchi]

rxboy, I've already done a lot of research, and if you're looking at buying it from MetalMesh we should look at getting some interest from others, as the sheets will either be 1800x1200 or 2400x1200 and will cost between $150-$280 depening upon the metal and design chosen.

With a 2400 sheet we could get around 10 pieces from it, which would work out even cheaper than the ones from Autobarn and SuperCheap Auto. But there would be a small additional charge to get them to cut it up to the lengths required.

The big issue with the grills from Autobarn is that the metal is too thin and the aperture is too big, meaning that you only notice it being silver when you are up close and primarily looking down on it. The further away you get, it gets darker and you just see straight through it. Given that one of the main reasons for going to a silver coloured grill is for asthetics, it is better if the grill has thicker metal and an average size aperture.

If you've spoken to MetalMesh, they generally recomend the woven stainless steel, as this is what they used on the recent Falcon. But if you look at it on the Falcon, it suffers the same issues (i.e. you only notice it when up close), as the woven mesh is just too thin. They also cut it on a 45 degree angle, so unfortunately, you only end up with one, as the sheet is not big enough for two at a 45 degree angle.. If you put it in straight it looks ugly as it is squares as opposed to diamonds when at a 45 degree angle.

Personally, I reckon you are far better off with the expanded metal range, as it has a much nicer appearance than woven mesh, and it is available in a better range of metal sizes and apertures. It is also available in aluminium which makes it easier to deal with and also keeps the weight down.

I'll have to find the product book I have from them, but I had narrowed it down to 2 or 3 different items, and I was going to finalise this visually by viewing their samples. The product was the expanded aluminium, and it had a nice thickness to it, a smaller aperture, so you saw lots of the shiny silver metal, but it still let more than enough air through to keep the engine cool (around 60-70% airflow).

[rxboy]

Keep me updated on this Ruchi as I'm very interested in replacing my mesh. I wasn't expecting the woven st/st mesh to be almost invisible from a distance.

Have you seen the Monza Performance Grill they sell in Autobarn? I think the aperture size is smaller than the brand they sell at Super Cheap Auto.

I'll go visit MetalMesh in Braeside sometime soon and will have a look at their samples.

[ruchi]

The stainless steel woven mesh they used on the Falcon has a 7mm aperture and the wire is only 1.6mm thick, the open area (the amount of air that can get through) is 66%

Next time you see one of these Falcons have a look. When you are close you can notice it, and it looks nice on the diagnol cut, but as you move away it gets duller very quickly, until eventually you cannot notice any shiny metal at all.

Same thing happens with both the SuperCheap Auto & Autobarn grills, which are both of a very similar construction. Within 1-2 meters you can notice the shiny grill, from around 4 meters away, you can hardly notice it and it appears virtually black.

The ones that I have narrowed it down to are expanded metal (which personally I prefer the design of) and is aluminium, so it is lighter, cheaper and easier to deal with with. The thickness varies between 4mm-7mm (around 3-4 times thicker than the woven mesh) and its open area is around 60-78% (depending upon design). It's also about 1/3 the weight of the stainless steel equivilant.

In case people are wondering what the meshes look like, here you go:

Woven Metal


Expanded Metal