Carter103's 2018+ Build Thread

Update:

So I had a fun little weekend project. Decided to attempt the fully mesh grille and also wiring in some LED amber lights. Not too bad of a project if you have some basic knowledge of wiring and some saws laying around.

First thing I did was remove the front bumper. It's actually a lot easier than it looks, there was a video on YouTube I watched to help me out. Couple of clips and some 10mm bolts and it pretty much just pulls off. Don't forget to disconnect the fog lights if you have them. Then once you get that off you need to remove the plastic grille. Theres a bunch of screws holding it to inside of the bumper. Take all those off and then start peeling the grille off, you'll encounter some clips also holding the grille on, these can be released with a flat head screwdriver. Once you get everything taken off you should end up with something that looks like this.

Next I took the old grille and cut out the hexagonal pattern and the large black bar. The grille is in 2 pieces so you can remove the bottom section of the grille so it's easier to cut. Again its pretty easy to remove this piece just some clips that hold the 2 together. I used a cut off wheel to cut out the old grille, you could probably use a jigsaw or a some sort of other little saw. The smaller the better, especially in the corners. When you're cutting the grille you need to be careful of the holes for the clips on the bumper. Just cut the grille where the hexagons end, don't go any further or you will mess up the connection point. I outlined the holes in the picture. After cutting I had some rough edges so I just took some sandpaper and sanded down what was left of the grille and then sprayed it was some black paint. Once you finish all that you should be left with something that looks like this.

Next step was to put the grille frame back into the bumper, don't screw anything in but make sure its clipped in and in place. I then took my piece of 24x48 mesh (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007JD4QSS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and cut it roughly to size with a cut off wheel. It doesn't have to be exact just make sure not to cut it too short. I then laid the cut piece over the back of the grille and just did a light test fit to make sure the size was correct. I had to trim it a little along where the fog lights sit and then I also made some relief cuts just that it would sit better when securing it. Next I started putting back in the screws that hold the grille to bumper. Some of these I was actually able to use to secure the mesh. But I did buy additional screws because just the stock screws alone would not be enough for a tight fit. Just keep checking the front of the bumper when you are securing the mesh for proper fitment and to see where there are any gaps you may need to close. Reinstall the fog lights and the rest of the grille screws. And you're pretty much done with that part of it.

If you also wanted to do the lights it's pretty simple. I got 3 of these (https://www.oznium.com/led-bolts-prewired-leds/led-bolt) the amber color, 11mm with the black housing. Just drill some holes in the mesh, pop the lights in. They came with backing nuts so they are held on securely. I wired mine all together so you end up with a single positive and negative. I was able to tap into the running lights so they will come on when those lights are on. They work with all the light mode options and turn off when the running lights are off.

Overall not too bad of a project, biggest thing is to take your time, especially since you're dealing with the front of your car haha. Here are some pics, I'll have better quality ones on the future.