$5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

I've been wanting to try this mod for quite a while and haven't been able to get around to it until now. This is the easiest way to dress up your stock grille without costing you an arm and a leg. I'm very happy with the results of mine and its SOOOO easy even a caveman can do it. Here's what you will need:

$5 worth of chrome door edging (door ding protector strips that go in the door jambs, I just used a big spool of it)
a set of cutters or dikes
maybe a flat blade screwdriver if you need to take it off to readjust
patience

Take your stock grille off the front of the truck. It's just held on by five or six push clips so giving it a gentle tug should pull them out of their holes. Then, once it's out, start sliding the door edging onto the horizontal bars on your stock grill. Make sure you get the door edging all the way to the edge of the grille so that you get an accurate length. It may take a little bit to get the edging started onto the bars as it wasn't really meant to fit on there, but it will fit very snugly when you're done. Continue applying the edging until you get to the end of the bar on the other side of the grille. Cut the edging (be careful not to cut too short!!) where you think it should end at the other side and finish applying it. MAKE SURE TO SUPPORT THE BACK OF THE BARS WITH ONE HAND. You can break the stock grille when applying this stuff because it does require a bit of pressure to get it to go on. My grille was already broken so I had to be extra careful. Just make sure you support the bar your working on with one hand and press on the edging with the other hand. Repeat for every bar, wipe the finger prints off, and you're done! Here's some pictures for comparison.

BEFORE
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b7...t/IMG_2416.jpg

AFTER
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b7...t/IMG_2419.jpg
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b7...t/IMG_2420.jpg

RE: $5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

That actually looks pretty darn good! Nice job!

RE: $5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

Wow, I'm surprised dude, that does look pretty darn good!!

RE: $5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

Wow, that looks amazing, never thought of that before. I think I might have to try it. where did you buy a roll of that stuff cause all I have found is the pre cut strips for more than $5?

Great Job!

-Lenny

RE: $5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

Yea, looks real nice! Im impressed!

RE: $5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

Beautiful looking grille dude.....heck I would love to do that but mine is diamond shaped...

RE: $5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

Advance Auto Parts is the place. It's in the section with the pre-cut strips but it's in a bigger plastic package and in a circular spool. Cost may be a bit more than $5 depending on location and taxes.

I would have never tried it before if I hadn't seen it on another car. I used to work at a Nissan dealership and a guy with a 350Z did that to make the front grille stand out. I thought it was pretty trick and thought I'd try it on mine.

Thanks for the nice comments!

RE: $5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

Yeah, I might try it, I looked a little closer at my grille and it looks like I might not be able to do it, darn cause it would look awesome, there are mounting/spacing brackets for the actual grille to close to the edge, I think. I'll probably buy a little and try it, if it don't work I'll see what condition it is and try to return it. Thanks for the info.

-Lenny

RE: $5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

It's great and so freaking easy !! done in 5 mins, and use only one roll for $6.-, also I got some new tires, they are Michelin, and got them on sale for $450.00 total, I always wanted the black walls so, finally, got them. This is a little update on my Jimmy.

http://s168.photobucket.com/albums/u...h_IMG_0849.jpghttp://s168.photobucket.com/albums/u...h_IMG_0848.jpghttp://s168.photobucket.com/albums/u...h_IMG_0847.jpghttp://s168.photobucket.com/albums/u...h_IMG_0846.jpg

RE: $5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

Well I got some strips of door edging and it works but they are too short, luckily I didn't screw them up so I will return those and get a roll. It seems like if I work it a little it will work out in the end. I am hapy now. I'll post pics once I get it done.

-Lenny

RE: $5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

Glad to hear that someone else had good luck with it too!! Enjoy the new "bling"

I got some new tires awhile back too. Mine are General Grabber AT2's. Rated better in every way than compared to the Bridestone Duelers, which I was really wanting in the first place. Its actually a pretty aggressive tire and should be good for the winter here and anything that I throw at it. I opted for the LT (light truck) tires instead of the Passenger tires. It gives it a bit firmer sidewall and higher load capacity for a small compromise in ride stiffness.

RE: $5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

yeah, thanks a lot man, I have been trying to buy the chrome grille for a long time, but since it is like $80 dlls just to get the normal stock looking chrome grille (I didn't wanted the "custom" one, i want to keep it clean), so this $6 dlls mod, did the trick, the only thing that I did different and I would recomend, even though that you may have already thrown away the stuff, but I also put some of the chrome on the top of the "M" rigth between that, I notice that you didn't, just an observation....

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...p/IMG_0849.jpg

RE: $5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

That does look good!

I couldn't have done it though, I have the crisscross grille. I bought my grille for 50 bucks so its all good.

I may have to do it on my mom's envoy, if the bars aren't too big.

RE: $5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

Let's try to keep this thread on topic here. We have a Tire section if you want to show off your new skins! :D

RE: $5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

yeah they are definatly too close, i had to cut notches in mine, and it looks decent i suppose...you can tell theres notches if you look close.

RE: $5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

It was working for me, but I need to get a roll of it since the strips u can buy are about 6 inches short. Only problem is I am in Houghton, MI "Da UP, eh" and they don't have any rolls so I have to wait till I go home in Appleton, WI. I'll post pics once I get it done, but not sure how long it will take. Post up some pics if you can.

-Lenny

RE: $5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

yeah i will once its done, i need to get more tho, so it might be a day or 2 depending on when i go get some.

RE: $5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

I actually just tried this today on my 98 Jimmy.. Works great.. glad someone was smarter than me and figured this out :D

RE: $5 "Billet Grille" for Jimmys and Sonomas
 

looks good wish there was cheap way for me to do something like that