Making own mesh, what to do between lights?

002 · #1 (**permalink**) 01-10-2007, 12:01 AM

I am currently working on making some grilles on my father's 74 GTV to convert to the older style mesh and heart. So far what I have done is taken a brand new OEM early Berlina heart, cut the bottom to match the GTV body and attached a GTV clip onto the bottom to attach to the body. I have also used a special bolt to hold the top part to the body, which has worked a charm. I have begun to fabricate (with some help from my father) a mesh since all of the ones I have found new are outrageously overpriced. What I have done with the mesh is taken brass pieces that look like this: [_] and with his help shaped them into the area between the high beam and the heart. One side is completely finished and tomorrow the other one should be as well.

Now to the point of this thread: what do you guys think would be the best way of attaching the mesh that goes between the low and the high beams would be? I don't think I could use that same brass for a border because it would be too large for the small area. Do you think that using the hexagonal mesh that I have used will look good without the edge around it that I have put on the inner mesh? I will post some pictures once I am able to have the finished product, minus the outside mesh of course, on the car tomorrow or the next day. Thanks for reading this far!

MCMAIN0121 · #2 (**permalink**) 01-10-2007, 03:22 PM

This sounds intertesting, and sounds like it could look pretty good. I wouldnt be concerned with only posting the finished product, if it were me, I would post up at couple photos of what I had so far. You never know, you might get some good input in which you may want to tweak your design to some extent. Just a suggestion...

002 · #3 (**permalink**) 01-10-2007, 05:06 PM

I so far have the frame for the second one done and separate from the mesh and I will take some pics of it tomorrow, both the finished right side one and the frame of the unfinished one. So far it looks very nice since I have used a technique to attach the ends very similar to some stepnose grilles that I have to look at.

CMSPer · #4 (**permalink**) 01-11-2007, 06:52 AM

Semi-OT I just got some very nice stainless steel mesh from Racer Parts Wholesale, about $30 for a 2'x3' piece. I was going to use this both for radiator protection and to fabricate mesh covers for the small oblong holes below the grill.

Dave Anderson · #5 (**permalink**) 01-11-2007, 08:37 PM

I did a GTA style frame and mesh by having thin aluminum bent into a narrow channel and inserting the 1/2 inch stainless steel mesh into it.
On a 4 headlight car the small space between the adjacent lights is covered with a black plastic with a mesh shape cast in for visual effect. It would be best to find a pair of them from a 69-71 GTV.

See photo below:

Alleggerita · #6 (**permalink**) 01-12-2007, 11:12 PM

For between the lights on a 4 headlight car, just make a cardboard template and then take a piece of aluminum sheet and cut it to the correct shape and paint it flat black. BTW, Alfa did a similar thing for the outer pieces of the GTA grille except that those were black anodized.

Alex · #7 (**permalink**) 01-12-2007, 11:34 PM

This is definitely not 'originale' but I had to come up with some solution to the gaping aperture while pondering the question of how to restore my car's original slatted grilles, so I came up with this - it's only temporary, though.

My dad had some wire mesh sitting around that he'd had made for his Grifo and there was plenty left over so, after making cardboard templates, I cut two frames out of thin gauge mild steel (I chose not to go for the single-section piece like the GTA has), tack-welded the mesh to the back of the frames, blasted and painted in satin black. The side plates are also mild steel, painted in AR501 that I had mixed up and put in a spray can. I also made up some slim rectangular spreader plates behind the aperture instead of using regular washers, so that they would not be so visible, and mounted the grilles to the bodywork using stainless fasteners and little pads made out of sheet rubber just to cushion them nicely.

Alex.

002 · #8 (**permalink**) 01-13-2007, 12:16 AM

I would have pics by now, but my boss hasn't emailed them to me. Thanks for all the suggestions on the parts between the lights, I might do either a sheet of black paint metal or just mesh. I have painted the part behind the grills a semi-gloss black and it makes me want to put the mesh stuff just so I can see it!