So we never got to find out what the top secret component of this grill is???? Oh well.....

 

You will. I didn't work on it last year, but I'll be picking it up again soon.

 

It's probably too late now, but any marine supply store will sell all sorts of fillers you could mix in with your ABS cement to make it more like the filler you'd need. Anything from plastic beads to chopped fiberglass in quart cans. Maybe for the next one.....

 

I actually went to an auto body supply store to see what they had. Most of it was fiberglass based and I didn't think any of those products were suitable for the fine detail and shallow fills I knew I'd be doing. The Loctite stuff is easy to work with and bonds really well to the ABS.

I joined a fledgling hackerspace a few months ago, which is actually being hosted by a performance shop a couple of the members run (700+ HP supercharged LS1 in a 4th gen Camaro that can break the tires loose at up to 100 MPH). They have plans for producing some custom parts, from intake manifolds to standalone ECU's. Of course we have a 3d printer, and soon we'll be looking for where to get automotive grade ABS pellets.

I will have my other main HHR project done in a month or two, which is smartphone controlled LEDs in my lower grille. I went to Wendy's today with the LED strip running in my passenger seat, and the kid at the drive thru window actually thought the seat was on fire... that's what they're supposed to look like.

 

I just read this entire post since I spotted the "3 Bar" grille on a search for an SS grille frame. I can't wait to see what the result is when this is finished.

Thanks for the step by step, this is turning out to be quite interesting.

 

welcome SalemHHRLover. You are close you should join the NW group.

Hey took a new photo of my 3 bar today, 30,000 miles later.......

 

Looking forward to seeing the finished product here, but sheesh, I hope for your sake it's worth all the time and effort you have put in. Definitely a labor of love going on here!