Satoshi Grill Mod - 5th Gen

[Sundog7121]

If everyone followed the rules, what would we need you for :yo:

[MENTION=90395]Sundog7121[/MENTION] I think I might've said this before, but just wanted to say it again, real good job on the grille mod, absolutely the most appealing rendition I've seen to date. I especially like the way you fabricated the mount for the TOYOTA letters, very clever!

Thank you, sir. And a huge thank you to all for the most kind and generous comments. I have to say that the finished product even surprised me - you can tell by the first backing plate attempt that I'm no machinist.

:usa2:

 

[Hbryanlopez]

I just saw this now, I was wondering why this thread came back up a acouple of days ago. I must say wow! Sundog that is a great job. Thank you for sharing.

 

[coversion]

2. I cut out the stock diamond pattern using a flush cutting plier. I cut it as flush as possible, then I spent a couple of hours cleaning out ALL of the diamond pattern from the all of the surfaces. It was important to get it all out, and all of the surfaces clean and flush.

[MENTION=90395]Sundog7121[/MENTION] Can you provide some detail into your process of cleaning out and fitment of the new mesh? I am at this step using the same material and wanted to see if you had any tips or remember any stumbling moments to avoid.

I have most of the surround cleaned out using a Dremel cutting wheel and sander. There are a couple of nooks & crannies in there I'm hoping some better attachments will help with.

Second, what was your process & product used to attach the new mesh into the surround? Right now i have some black 3M weather seal.

Lastly, did you attach your metal frame to the mesh and then lay the whole thing in, or did you go mesh then frame?

Anyone else who has worked with the ABS mesh, feel free to chime in. Thanks in advance!

 

[Sundog7121]

[MENTION=90395]Sundog7121[/MENTION] Can you provide some detail into your process of cleaning out and fitment of the new mesh? I am at this step using the same material and wanted to see if you had any tips or remember any stumbling moments to avoid.

I have most of the surround cleaned out using a Dremel cutting wheel and sander. There are a couple of nooks & crannies in there I'm hoping some better attachments will help with.

Second, what was your process & product used to attach the new mesh into the surround? Right now i have some black 3M weather seal.

Lastly, did you attach your metal frame to the mesh and then lay the whole thing in, or did you go mesh then frame?

Anyone else who has worked with the ABS mesh, feel free to chime in. Thanks in advance!

I used a Dremel, and also an air operated file that I borrowed. This worked best. I'll find out exactly what it was and post info later. It took quite a while to make the inside surface of the grille smooth - to me this was critical to achieve the end result. Work carefully on the two lower corners to get all the extra plastic removed.

I got "Q Bond Ultra Strong Adhesive & Filling Powders" And glued the whole thing to the grille. Basically it's fine black power (no idea what it is) and super glue. Put the powder around the mesh where it touches the frame and then put on the super glue.

Hooked mesh to frame with the Q Bond glue, and reinforced with some 2-56 screws in areas where they wouldn't be seen.

 

[AU4runner]

fun quick project. finished mine last night.

 

[Randyman...]

Does anyone make a grille with the same pattern as the stock grille, but would accept the old-school "TOYOTA" emblem? Just curious if it's possible to keep the stock "look" but swap TOYOTA emblems.

Bump - After completing my rear garnish swap, I'm ready to tackle the front emblem swap on my '13 SR5.

I'm still curious if I can use my existing STOCK GRILLE with the Land Cruiser "T-O-Y-O-T-A" emblem? Or does the stock Chrome sombrero logo with wings leave holes behind that the Land Cruiser TOYOTA emblem wouldn't cover? I appreciate the Satoshi grilles and all, but kind of like the stock grille TBH...

Thanks for any clarifications!

 

[kenski]

If you remove the chrome, there's still some plastic back there. But it's not mesh. You'll be left with a UFO shaped mold with some mesh on the top and bottom. The LC emblem won't be able to cover that up. You'll need to remove what's there and start with a clean sheet of mesh.

 

[Randyman...]

If you remove the chrome, there's still some plastic back there. But it's not mesh. You'll be left with a UFO shaped mold with some mesh on the top and bottom. The LC emblem won't be able to cover that up. You'll need to remove what's there and start with a clean sheet of mesh.

Well pooh! Was hoping to avoid the grille swap (both upper and lower). At least they make the replacement mesh "pre-sized/pre-cut" now, correct?

I'll have to ponder swapping the whole enchilada vs. painting the stock wings black (leave the "T" sombrero logo chrome).

I already have the T-O-Y-O-T-A emblem on order (was hoping it would work on the stock grille) - so that might sway me towards the entire grille swap...

Thanks for the clarification regardless

 

[Randyman...]

I ordered this today. The TE conversion is on hold until my wife crushes my dream of adding a Scion FR-S to the garage, so the satoshi and blacking out the chrome is what I'll be doing in the mean time.

I saw on Ebay that they are selling the stock style grills made to be cut.
PLASTIC ABS UNIVERSAL BLACK SPORT MESH GRILL GRILLE CAR STOCK OE STYLE 9"X42" C | eBay

PLASTIC ABS UNIVERSAL BLACK SPORT MESH GRILL GRILLE CAR STOCK R STYLE 10"X41" C | eBay

Got my plastic mesh material today. Comparison photo from the OEM and the aftermarket.



I think my plan of attack will be sawing the standard grille out as close as possible to the perimeter. Using the sawed out portion as a template, I'll cut the aftermarket material to be just a bit larger and sand/cut as needed to get a snug fit. I'll have to figure out a way to attach it (epoxy?) and then attach something to clean it up around the perimeter.

Can you specify which one of those you purchased? The OE STYLE 9"X42" C or the R STYLE 10"X41" C ? Looks like the OE STYLE 9"X42" C, but I'm guessing

I'd much prefer this stuff to the thin metal Satoshi ones (I like the additional depth - hides the stuff behind the grille like the stock grille does) - and I wouldn't have to mess with the bottom grille either

Have you made any progress with yours? Would you recommend the pre-cut flat metal type material instead (from www.customcargrills.com )?

THANKS!

 

[Sundog7121]

Although not addressed to me, I'll pipe up and say that I got the 9X42 version Plastic ABS Universal Black Sport Mesh Grill Grille Car Stock OE Style 9"x42" C | eBay because it looked to better match the shape of the original grille. It's a great match, although the diamonds are smaller.

BTW I have the piece that I cut out of my original grille, with the black horizontal trim and the chrome Toyota logo available for just the cost of shipping. Probably about $10. via US Mail. PM me.



:usa2:

 

[Randyman...]

Although not addressed to me, I'll pipe up and say that I got the 9X42 version Plastic ABS Universal Black Sport Mesh Grill Grille Car Stock OE Style 9"x42" C | eBay because it looked to better match the shape of the original grille. It's a great match, although the diamonds are smaller.

:usa2:

So you did the swap using this material? Any tips or tricks vs the metal grille everyone else is using? It seems Quentin didn't get his installed (at least never posted any install pics) - just wondering how much more hassle this one is compared to the pre-cut CustomCarGrilles.com ones. I could see the edges being a bit rough looking if not addressed properly...

Does anyone also have the Toyota part # for the stock grille handy (so I can work on that one before I rip it off the truck). Not sure what all parts are needed TBH - but I'd prefer to perform the grille mod "offline", and leave the stock piece untouched (and swap them out once the offline mod is done)....

Thanks for your reply! :rapture:

 

[Quentin]

I got the 9" one, IIRC. Still haven't installed it. I haven't had a free-ish weekend since May. I'm half tempted to have a local shop do the work for me.

 

[Sundog7121]

So you did the swap using this material? Any tips or tricks vs the metal grille everyone else is using? It seems Quentin didn't get his installed (at least never posted any install pics) - just wondering how much more hassle this one is compared to the pre-cut CustomCarGrilles.com ones. I could see the edges being a bit rough looking if not addressed properly...

Does anyone also have the Toyota part # for the stock grille handy (so I can work on that one before I rip it off the truck). Not sure what all parts are needed TBH - but I'd prefer to perform the grille mod "offline", and leave the stock piece untouched (and swap them out once the offline mod is done)....

Thanks for your reply! :rapture:

I did the swap using that specific material. Just check earlier in this thread for all of the photos that I have available. The part number is available in the Stickies under Quick Links, and is here https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-uFCSwgiDuUMDJmOWY1ZjItODQyOS00ZjBkLWJkZmEtMDMyOGU4NWZkOTU4/edit?pli=1&hl=en. The part number is 53101-35060-xx where the "xx" is a number that refers to the color of the trim piece. I drove around without grille and trim piece for a couple of weeks.

If you buy the grille you'll get the little triangle brace piece that goes between the radiator and the back of the grille. I need that piece and will buy it from you.

:usa2:

 

[coversion]

just wondering how much more hassle this one is compared to the pre-cut CustomCarGrilles.com ones. I could see the edges being a bit rough looking if not addressed properly...

I am several hours into this method, and I will share some thoughts on where this project stands. Not to discourage you, as I do plan to proudly share some pictures when I complete this (and i WILL complete this).

1) Getting your new mesh to the correct shape is a challenge. Unlike the Grillcraft sheets (or similar), the ABS mesh has to fit almost perfectly, as snug as possible because of the thickness for it to sit properly into (not just on top of) what you cut out.

2) Attaching your new mesh to the frame is difficult to do cleanly. While it is very close to vertical, it does sit at a slight angle - adding another wrinkle to the thicker mesh fitting.

3) You will most likely want to also build a frame of some sort (see [MENTION=90395]Sundog7121[/MENTION]) to hide any blemishes around the edges and give it a stock look. I'm not sure if that's why Sundog did it, but it's why I'm doing it.

All that being said, I am by no means an expert at modding or fabbing, but I am relatively creative with a Dremel. I'm sure many T4R members could knock what I am doing out in a quarter of the time. I bought a replacement stock grill from a member so I could take my time getting this right and I still have my original if I don't like the result.

 

[Sundog7121]

I am several hours into this method, and I will share some thoughts on where this project stands. Not to discourage you, as I do plan to proudly share some pictures when I complete this (and i WILL complete this).

1) Getting your new mesh to the correct shape is a challenge. Unlike the Grillcraft sheets (or similar), the ABS mesh has to fit almost perfectly, as snug as possible because of the thickness for it to sit properly into (not just on top of) what you cut out.

2) Attaching your new mesh to the frame is difficult to do cleanly. While it is very close to vertical, it does sit at a slight angle - adding another wrinkle to the thicker mesh fitting.

3) You will most likely want to also build a frame of some sort (see [MENTION=90395]Sundog7121[/MENTION]) to hide any blemishes around the edges and give it a stock look. I'm not sure if that's why Sundog did it, but it's why I'm doing it.

All that being said, I am by no means an expert at modding or fabbing, but I am relatively creative with a Dremel. I'm sure many T4R members could knock what I am doing out in a quarter of the time. I bought a replacement stock grill from a member so I could take my time getting this right and I still have my original if I don't like the result.

1. True. I made a template out of card stock, got it perfect shape and used it to cut the mesh.

2. True. And it's also curved side to side. Take your time.

3. I studied all the photos on this thread, and decided that the frame was necessary to hide the rough edges.

If you are going to buy a grille, I should have a brand new one for sale later this week - when I did mine I drove around for a few weeks with no grille or trim piece.


:usa2:

 

[Randyman...]

Thanks for all of the awesome responses. I'm looking for Sundog7121's pics now...

If you are going to buy a grille, I should have a brand new one for sale later this week - when I did mine I drove around for a few weeks with no grille or trim piece.

:usa2:

So, I'm not 100% what I need to purchase to complete this entire mod OFFLINE w/o touching my truck until I get the grille and T-O-Y-O-T-A emblem mounted just how I like it. Looks like I don't need the grille insert itself, but will need the entire grill assembly that includes the insert (53101-35060-CO for Black as mentioned)?

Do you / will you have the entire assembly available (Black SR5)? Looks like these will run around $130-$140 discounted online. I'll gladly pay that to get this done on my own time w/o making my truck look like crap for a month (and I'd have the factory part to swap back on should I need it).

Is my understanding correct? Will I need any other Toyota parts to get the mod done w/o touching my truck until the modded grille is ready to swap and mount? I know I'll have to deal with the DIY aesthetic details on my own - but would like to order all required Toyota parts at the same time. I already have the LC TOYOTA emblem on the way...

Now I must ponder: Stock Grille and black out the chrome "Wings" on the front emblem, or bust out the cash and time and attempt the full mod (that's really what I want)...

Rock on!

 

[Antman]

Now I must ponder: Stock Grille and black out the chrome "Wings" on the front emblem, or bust out the cash and time and attempt the full mod (that's really what I want)...

Rock on!

Do both!

It only takes a few minutes and 2 screws to remove the wings and paint it. Just sayin'.

 

[Randyman...]

Do both!

It only takes a few minutes and 2 screws to remove the wings and paint it. Just sayin'.

Understood Antman - But I'd want to buy a new emblem and mod that one if I go that route. I want to retain the chrome sombrero logo, but black-out the side wings (I like chrome - just the right amount though). I'd probably want to physically strip the chrome as much as possible to avoid the black paint chipping off and revealing the chrome behind it - and I'm 100% positive I'll screw something up in the process (never fails ).

Do any of the 4Runners have the BLACK front wings from the factory (like the way the SR5 & Limited has the chrome REAR garnish, but the Trail's REAR garnish is BLACK)? I'd much prefer if the piece is color-matched in the plastic itself to avoid ugly rock chips, etc.

That "chrome wing black-out mod" is just different enough to be worthwhile IMO, but swapping to the TOYOTA LC emblem is really where I'd like to invest any time spent on this project...

Can you confirm what all Toyota parts I would need to do the entire grille swap "offline"? Is it just the 53101-35060-CO part? My own wits are not of much use until I have the pieces apart in my grubby hands (that's the only way I truly understand things) - and I'm hoping not to remove the parts from my truck until my replacement grille is all modded and ready to swap on...


Thanks all!

 

[Sundog7121]

[MENTION=10638]randyman[/MENTION]..

I should get my new grille Wednesday. I'll take photos and post here to show exactly what it is.

If you want it after you see the photos I know that we can make a deal.

I still have the grill wings and logo from my original stock TE grille, with black wings.

If that will help your project you can have it too, for cost of shipping.


:usa2:

 

[Sundog7121]

Do both!

It only takes a few minutes and 2 screws to remove the wings and paint it. Just sayin'.

And if you have two complete but different grilles, just think! You can change them out depending on your mood. It only takes a few minutes.

:clap2:



:usa2: