Pete's (Now Nate's) 2003 Denali Budget Build thread

[kwOH]

I bet since you've found TYF, you don't look at Tahoes and Denalis the same. I know I don't.

Back when I had my nbs tahoe, I used to get all kinds of compliments, people always interested, if I would pass a guy with a clean or modded tahoe, they would always wave or nod. I look at them all as potential.

 

[Sevenevez]

I bet since you've found TYF, you don't look at Tahoes and Denalis the same. I know I don't.

so true. i swear i was blind when i first got it. took me like a month before i noticed the lower front lights were straight on Yukons and Sierra's. But yeah, start noticing everything.

Back when I had my nbs tahoe, I used to get all kinds of compliments, people always interested, if I would pass a guy with a clean or modded tahoe, they would always wave or nod. I look at them all as potential.

Totally man. Pretty cool when you are cruising the same speed right next to a NBS sibling and you are both admiring each others ride.

I dont get many compliments on her. I think most people just see an SUV and dont even look twice.

At the border inspection station the officer was sitting there asking me all these questions about it. There was like 15 cars in line behind me and he couldnt care less. *fistbump

 

[Sevenevez]

Billet Grille: Make a Overlay into an Insert

New Years Eve and i had about 3 hours before the sunset. hmm.

So the billet grille looks a lot better than the honeycomb to me, but after a few 12 packs of beer, i started getting frustrated with how flush it was with the front end and i could see the old honeycomb through the bars in certain light. I wanted it more set inside and show the chrome surround. You can tell by this pic.



But i knew i had to get pretty creative to make this happen. Whats the worst that can happen? ruin the whole front clip? haha

To remove the honeycomb, you dont have to cut the whole thing out. Just use a grinder and grind every one of those silver nubs off and the whole honeycomb piece will just push out



Also, the overlay is actually too wide to squeeze deep into the shell. So i took a piece of chalk and drew how much i wanted to cut off all the little bars to fit in nice and snug. I actually did this a couple times until i got it to fit just right.



Almost there. But how the heck am i going to hold it in place? I had a roll of this heavy duty metal strap. Measured two pieces and then straightened them with a dead blow hammer.



Painted them black so you dont see them through the billet bars



I used the brackets that came with the grille, along with this metal strapping and then ran nuts and bolts on the top and bottom of the grille to hold it all nice and tight. Looks like crap from the back. But this is how i did it





Wa-Laa! Now we have an insert and it sits in there nice and deep. The chrome lip is more pronounced and no more honeycomb is visible through the bars.

 

[adventurenali92]

Billet Grille: Make a Overlay into an Insert

New Years Eve and i had about 3 hours before the sunset. hmm.

So the billet grille looks a lot better than the honeycomb to me, but after a few 12 packs of beer, i started getting frustrated with how flush it was with the front end and i could see the old honeycomb through the bars in certain light. I wanted it more set inside and show the chrome surround. You can tell by this pic.



But i knew i had to get pretty creative to make this happen. Whats the worst that can happen? ruin the whole front clip? haha

To remove the honeycomb, you dont have to cut the whole thing out. Just use a grinder and grind every one of those silver nubs off and the whole honeycomb piece will just push out



Also, the overlay is actually too wide to squeeze deep into the shell. So i took a piece of chalk and drew how much i wanted to cut off all the little bars to fit in nice and snug. I actually did this a couple times until i got it to fit just right.



Almost there. But how the heck am i going to hold it in place? I had a roll of this heavy duty metal strap. Measured two pieces and then straightened them with a dead blow hammer.



Painted them black so you dont see them through the billet bars



I used the brackets that came with the grille, along with this metal strapping and then ran nuts and bolts on the top and bottom of the grille to hold it all nice and tight. Looks like crap from the back. But this is how i did it





Wa-Laa! Now we have an insert and it sits in there nice and deep. The chrome lip is more pronounced and no more honeycomb is visible through the bars.

I like the end result! It’s very clean and I like that little bit of chrome coming out around the edges of the billet! Looks great! Nice work!

 

[Sevenevez]

I like the end result! It’s very clean and I like that little bit of chrome coming out around the edges of the billet! Looks great! Nice work!

thanks! me too man. details

 

[kwOH]

Billet Grille: Make a Overlay into an Insert

New Years Eve and i had about 3 hours before the sunset. hmm.

So the billet grille looks a lot better than the honeycomb to me, but after a few 12 packs of beer, i started getting frustrated with how flush it was with the front end and i could see the old honeycomb through the bars in certain light. I wanted it more set inside and show the chrome surround. You can tell by this pic.



But i knew i had to get pretty creative to make this happen. Whats the worst that can happen? ruin the whole front clip? haha

To remove the honeycomb, you dont have to cut the whole thing out. Just use a grinder and grind every one of those silver nubs off and the whole honeycomb piece will just push out



Also, the overlay is actually too wide to squeeze deep into the shell. So i took a piece of chalk and drew how much i wanted to cut off all the little bars to fit in nice and snug. I actually did this a couple times until i got it to fit just right.



Almost there. But how the heck am i going to hold it in place? I had a roll of this heavy duty metal strap. Measured two pieces and then straightened them with a dead blow hammer.



Painted them black so you dont see them through the billet bars



I used the brackets that came with the grille, along with this metal strapping and then ran nuts and bolts on the top and bottom of the grille to hold it all nice and tight. Looks like crap from the back. But this is how i did it





Wa-Laa! Now we have an insert and it sits in there nice and deep. The chrome lip is more pronounced and no more honeycomb is visible through the bars.

Now thats custom.[emoji106]

 

[Sevenevez]

Finished the grille just in time to catch the last Sunset of 2017.
and then,

i drank a LOT of beer!

 

[Fosscore]

Came across these on my laptop, dated back in late July 2017.

 

[Tonyrodz]

Came across these on my laptop, dated back in late July 2017.

View attachment 189759 View attachment 189760 View attachment 189761

Man of his word.

 

[Fosscore]

That front end looks so damn mean! Nice custom work....just before sunset...we already know what you can do with 3 days!!