We’ve been excited about replacing our sagging plastic Defender grill for a while and we finally got it done!

With 16-gauge expanded wire mesh cut to just under 71cm x 31cm, we asked Don Fernando, a San Miguel metalworker, to make a border out of 1/2-inch flattened steel and to weld the wire mesh to the steel border.

The project, which took about 3 hours, cost 45 US dollars. The steps are outlined in the photos and text below.

There is a slight curve to the front of the vehicle, from top to bottom of the grill, and the grill’s border needs to follow that same curve. The mounting looks something like this:

Here is what the grill looks like painted and installed:

Up Next:
Years of Winter driving in Massachusetts has eaten away at La Poderosa’s rear cross member so I’ll ask Don Fernando to see what he can do about replacing portions of our existing cross member.

A new cross member costs about US$300-400, and by the time we get it to Mexico and through Mexican customs, it would cost 20% more. So Don Fernando may be the right guy for the job.

Also coming soon: a good injector cleaning to see how many we have to replace before departing for Central America.