grampi50

I see a lot pics of C5s having some type of mesh in the front end openings. Is this factory, or something aftermarket that's added by the owner? Either way, I like it...it looks sharp!

JEH03Vette

They were stock on a Z06, owner added on a coupe or vert.

leadfoot4

That was my second "mod".......the first was a Hurst shifter.

digi2t

Little tip for those thinking on installing powder coated mesh in the brake ducts; before you put your long nose pliers to them to get them into place, wrap the tips of the pliers, where you will be grabbing the mesh, with three or four layers of electrical tape. This will prevent the pliers from chipping the powder coat off.

~Josh

I've seen two different types of aftermarket front meshes.

None of them are as stiff/tough as the factory Zo6 pieces. Creases and sagging can occur with aftermarket. Go factory, which cost more $.

99mike

Try Racemesh from racemeshgrilles.com. Very well made and offer more options than stock Z06 screens.

Mike

Vetteman Jack

Bingo. I have them on mine and think they look great on the non-Z06 cars.

David Shiel

is very high quality.
Dave

Bob in Elliot Lake

Wouldn't these screens interfere with air flow? I'm a hvac, refrigeration mechanic, and even a really open grill on a duct can significantly reduce air flow. Just curious. I like the look

leadfoot4

I'm sure that if they do, the factory wouldn't have installed them.....BUT....you have to note something. The "regular" C-5s actually had "closed off" grill openings. They're "bottom feeders". The Z-06s, which came with the screens as OE, if I recall correctly, had their grill openings actually "open", for greater airflow to the different air inlet, hence the grills, to keep trash out.

David Shiel

If installed on base cars, the airflow issue is moot. Some of us, but clearly not all, think they enhance the appearance of the base cars. I also like the brake duct screens on mine. I do not drive at the limits, so I believe that the brakes get plenty of cooling air flow even with the slight air flow restriction. The pic here was taken before screens.
Dave

jjc508520

I thought I saw a kit that lets you take the blocked-off grill openings and make them functional. I was thinking about doing this in conjunction with a shave on the air dam...

David Shiel

Yes, there is a kit.

Velocity_Vette

Initially the Z06 could have the screens because they are not equipped with fog lamps. It was at one point assumed that base cars with the fog lamp option would see less light output with the Z06-type screens installed but it has been shown that they do not see noticeably less light output, especially considering even in the past 15 years lighting technology has increased dramatically. Some vendors also offer screens with cutouts for the lamps if you want the look.

There are also a few vendors that offer cut-out fascia openings that would work well behind the screens (similar to the Vararam product). You could easily make this setup yourself by removing the fascia, the fascia inlet blocks, masking and using a Dremel.

Remember that the C5 is largely a bottom feeder. Some air for the air intake comes in through the fascia but you're not likely to see any major detrimental effects with screens.

Witmer

There are some cheaply made aftermarket mesh screens sold out there. The products from Racemeshgrilles.com are very high quality.

My coupe did not come from the factory with screens. It came with foglights and a pair of plastic shrouds that prevented air from entering the engine compartment. I removed the plastic shrouds in order to install a vararam cold air intake. The vararam gets its air through those outlets instead of breathing the air under the hood. I could see some of the meltal bolts/screws of the vararam after install so I wanted to get screens to hide that. Plus, the screens help to keep debris out of my air filter.

The racemesh screens have a very solid frame. I used Velcro to hold the screen frames in place in the openings. This allows me to remove the racemesh if I need to service the fog lights. The screens probably do make the output of the fog lights less crisp. If you are disappointed with the light output, you can upgrade the fogs to an HID kit from RadioFlyer.

I added matching screens for the brake ducts. These are a compression fit. The brake duct is pushing the screen forward against the fascia to hold it in place. The air from these ducts don't actually get to the brakes, so any reduction in flow from the screens should be a moot point. If you road race and need brake cooling, you can install a DRM brake duct kit and take the brake duct screens off for race day.

Vendors do not have racemesh in stock. Racemesh is made to order. It can take over 30 days to get your order. You can also buy from many of the popular corvette stores (i.e. west coast corvettes). When I was buying, pricing was the same on all sites. But you can take advantage of site-specific promos such as $10 off of $100 or free shipping over $100.

Here are some photos:






With RadioFlyer bi-xenon HID headlights lighting up the night, the light output of the foglamps are a moot point.

leadfoot4

The "kit" is basically a pair of the OE grill opening "filler panels", with most of the concave area cut away. I have them on my car, but don't remember who I bought them from. Probably Mid-America or Ecklers.