Mesh radiator guard

How to fit a mesh radiator guard
by Terry Jacobs

THIS IS PROVIDED AS A GUIDE AND I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING YOU DO TO YOUR CAR.

Thanks to http://www.dan9.net for the original guide which I started to use to install my mesh. I however did things differently in the end.

Firstly you need to make a template for the mesh. I used an old cardboard box and placed it up to the front of the grill, adjusting the size bit-by-bit till I felt it was accurate. You should remember to make it slightly bigger than you need. Mine was 112cm by 17cm (this is on a coupe with no fog lights.

Dan9 recommends going in from the top. You can do this if you like but I recommend my way below (so skip this paragraph unless you want to do it from the top). You need to remove the radiator guard and clamps. Removing the plastic pins/screws on the radiator guard/cover plastic is a nightmare. Most were already rounded off and almost all were by the time I finished with it. I always wondered why manufacturer's used these stupid plastic screws that just fall apart. Removing the radiator clips can be tricky as they are often rusted, however a little (or a lot) of WD40 will sort this easily.

I bought my mesh from B&Q. It was '4.62 for 260cm x 60cm I believe. So it was very big! I cut the mesh into a rectangle shape. I didn't need to trim much after the install. Fitting the mesh into a coupe must be harder than I would expect on a fog light MR2. This is because you need to get the mesh all the way to the edge whereas fog light cars won't need this. I then primed it with standard cellulose primer and used aluminium paint to prevent it rusting.

Okay, here is my best finding. Removing the top is actually unnecessary. You can remove two plastic panels from underneath the front of the car. These unscrew really easily and leave you with full access to the place where you will put the mesh. I would say there are about 6 bolts to remove from the front and middle of the two plates. I found it much easier to fit the mesh up at this angle. However bear in mind that it's VERY low here. I managed to just crawl under the car, though my car is in a slight dip in the drive. I would suggest a trolley jack or ramp (using the cars jack wouldn't be advisable for safety in my opinion).

The hardest part was "wedging" the mesh into place. I also left a few slightly tatty edges on my mesh as I tried to cut round things to fit my mesh into place. However it looks fine and is only noticeable from close (not that bad in my opinion).

Finally I used cable ties to clip the mesh to the struts that go along the grill vertically and also some metal holes that were part of the car at the top of my grill.

All in all it should take you a couple of hours in total. Make sure you take time and don't rush it or you will have some tatty edges and maybe scratch the paintwork.

Picture enclosed below.

: Sun Jun 05, 2005 5:09 pm

For those who dont or can't get on their back to get the underneath shields off, I found it easier to remove the plastic top cover above the rad, then remove one of the radiator mounts on the top (left) and you can get your arms right down to locate the mesh guard, this method took about 40 mins to complete the job.

: Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:14 pm

I just fitted one of these tonight - a couple of hints if your MR2 has A/C:

1) There really is no point attempting it from the top. The A/C condenser leaves you with a tiny gap that you won't be able to get your hand into.

2) If you're using a metal mesh, it makes sense to cut it in half. The restricted access means flexing it to get it in isn't an option. The join can be easily hidden behind one of the vertical supports.

: Fri May 19, 2006 6:34 am

Makes you wonder why The MR2 was designed without the mesh in place [Think]