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!!

 

[Sevenevez]

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

View attachment 189759 View attachment 189760 View attachment 189761

haha, nice! it came out pretty close to the concepts. but now, im lookin at those painted wheel faces on the renders. i guess i still have plenty of things to mess with on her.

 

[Bombsquad85]

One day I'll get those headlights.... one day

 

[Sevenevez]

One day I'll get those headlights.... one day

haha, i know. that was a hard trigger for me to pull too. but it really changed the whole face of the truck. i dont regret that purchase

 

[Bombsquad85]

haha, i know. that was a hard trigger for me to pull too. but it really changed the whole face of the truck. i dont regret that purchase

Yea once I do the suspension a d interior I'll move to stuff like that

 

[dubyagee01]

You need to try the dirty ice mod. Ballin

 

[Sevenevez]

You need to try the dirty ice mod. Ballin

haha oh my god. man i do NOT miss that weather. i spent 24 years in Wisconsin.

i bet its fun to drive AWD in some snowy parking lots though

 

[Sevenevez]

Bought another one of these.

My favorite chamois by far.
My last one got overspray on it from the paint job so i had to throw it away.

I guess everybody has their own preference on drying their vehicle. But i have tried almost everything and this Griot microfiber waffle does it the best.

Let's have a Chamois Shootout

1.) My Old School Chamois

2.) The Absorber

3.) Tanner's Select 3.5 sq ft Sheepskin Chamois

4.) Griot's Garage Microfiber Drying Cloth

As much as i wash my cars i always wish i could dry them faster and more efficiently. I have tried many different things over the years. Seems they all have a downfall.

#1 - (unknown brand)
i got this at a flea market in like 1997. It's real sheepskin and has ALWAYS been my "go-to" chamois. But it has become riddled with rips and tears and now starting to leave a little bit of a haze. She has served her time and i wouldnt know where to get the same one.

#2 - "The Absorber"
It does what it says and really soaks up the heavy water left on your car. But once you try to get the car completely dry with it, seems to leave a thin layer of water streaks.

#3 - Tanner's Select Sheepskin Chamois
bought this one the other day (sheepskin) thinking it would be a new replacement for my old school. Not the case. Doesn't soak as well as the absorber and still leaves water streaks

#4 - Griot's Garage Microfiber Drying Cloth
i read a lot of reviews and as much as i love my Griot's orbital i tried this one. I didnt think microfiber could ever be as effective as a chamois. But holz sh!z. This is my favorite. You can dry whole car without even ringing it out once. Left no residue or water streaks at all.


*** Winner: Griot's Garage Microfiber Drying Cloth ***

Another thing i used to use was a leaf blower to get the bulk of heavy water off the top flat surfaces.

Feel free to voice whatever you use that might be better

 

[Sevenevez]

Whoever owned this Denali in its past did some major hacking on these door panels. When you shut the drivers door it has a bad loose noise and this piece has slowly worked its way out. It started coming out like this every time i shut the door. The heavy plastic guts that once held it in dont even exist.

So i got some extreme 3M heavy duty double tape (claims it holds up to like 65lbs) to hold it in place.

I found one on eBay but they wanted like $40 for that little piece of plastic. Screw that. Not to mention i think the problem is the door panel and all the plastic that they cut out and hacked. Anyways, it has been holding for a couple days now. Temporary wack fix

 

[Tonyrodz]

Whoever owned this Denali in its past did some major hacking on these door panels. When you shut the drivers door it has a bad loose noise and this piece has slowly worked its way out. It started coming out like this every time i shut the door. The heavy plastic guts that once held it in dont even exist.

So i got some extreme 3M heavy duty double tape (claims it holds up to like 65lbs) to hold it in place.

I found one on eBay but they wanted like $40 for that little piece of plastic. Screw that. Not to mention i think the problem is the door panel and all the plastic that they cut out and hacked. Anyways, it has been holding for a couple days now. Temporary wack fix

I have the same issue. There's a tab that's connected to the inner front of the door armrest that the bezel(what the window switches are in)hooks into. They break, then that bezel just swings in the breeze. I got so frustrated with mine I used silicone. Works great until you gotta get back in there.

 

[Sevenevez]

I have the same issue. There's a tab that's connected to the inner front of the door armrest that the bezel(what the window switches are in)hooks into. They break, then that bezel just swings in the breeze. I got so frustrated with mine I used silicone. Works great until you gotta get back in there.

yup. exactly! hopefully i wont have to take it off until i do a stereo upgrade