Tow hook removal
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: United Kingdom England
Tow hook removal
I have a European model Vette and it has a tow hook in where I want to put ZO6 fog light screens.
Has anyone removed one of these?
I'm just gonna cut the sucker off with a hacksaw or dremel.
You can see it in this pic in the lefthand fog light opening.
I have one on the rear also which hides my chrome exhaust plate! :bang:
I've had the car jacked up and had a close look and it is welded on!
I had a suggestion to remove the front bumper and grind it off from another forum.
How easy or hard is it to remove the front bumper?
Has anyone removed one of these?
I'm just gonna cut the sucker off with a hacksaw or dremel.
You can see it in this pic in the lefthand fog light opening.
I have one on the rear also which hides my chrome exhaust plate! :bang:
I've had the car jacked up and had a close look and it is welded on!
I had a suggestion to remove the front bumper and grind it off from another forum.
How easy or hard is it to remove the front bumper?
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 515
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From: United Kingdom England
I went for the hacksaw blade! Its was like trying to breakout of jail it took about a hour each side of the hook to saw through with just a hacksaw blade.
So I then fitted the ZO6 fog light screens and the brake duct grills.
I like the new look it's look much better now I don't have that hidiuos hook sticking out the front. It was so crude welded on there. Why didn't the just do a screw in one which I can store in the trunk!
I did the rear facia with grills also.
So I then fitted the ZO6 fog light screens and the brake duct grills.
I like the new look it's look much better now I don't have that hidiuos hook sticking out the front. It was so crude welded on there. Why didn't the just do a screw in one which I can store in the trunk!
I did the rear facia with grills also.
Vettaholic
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 183
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From: Wherever I drive my vette
I had the very same issue, wanting to install the mesh screens and that tow hook sticking out.
Turned out I needed to remove the front bumper, so I basically took a metal angle grinder and actually removed the whole thing including the welded elements connecting the tow hook to the underside of the front bar.
The angle grinder produces a large amount of sparks (actually tiny bits of molten metal) so I had generously covered the front of the car, radiator etc with blankets in order not to have any particles in the engine or more. Afterwards I cleaned the area with generous amounts of antirust, painted black, and its much nicer and neat.
Could not believe also how heavy that piece of metal is !
Turned out I needed to remove the front bumper, so I basically took a metal angle grinder and actually removed the whole thing including the welded elements connecting the tow hook to the underside of the front bar.
The angle grinder produces a large amount of sparks (actually tiny bits of molten metal) so I had generously covered the front of the car, radiator etc with blankets in order not to have any particles in the engine or more. Afterwards I cleaned the area with generous amounts of antirust, painted black, and its much nicer and neat.
Could not believe also how heavy that piece of metal is !
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: United Kingdom England
I was gonna fit a vararam next but I won't be able to unless I do what you just did and remove the rest of the tow hook!I don't want to start hacking a Vararam up to make it fit!
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 43,084
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From: Raleigh / Rolesville NC
I have a European model Vette and it has a tow hook in where I want to put ZO6 fog light screens.
Has anyone removed one of these?
I'm just gonna cut the sucker off with a hacksaw or dremel.
You can see it in this pic in the lefthand fog light opening.
I have one on the rear also which hides my chrome exhaust plate! :bang:
Has anyone removed one of these?
I'm just gonna cut the sucker off with a hacksaw or dremel.
You can see it in this pic in the lefthand fog light opening.
I have one on the rear also which hides my chrome exhaust plate! :bang:
Many of us have big arz tow hooks too.
Team Owner
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From: Kerrville, Texas USA Hook 'em Horns!
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It looks a lot better with the Z06 screens. I did the the z06 screens, brake duct, side and rear screens.
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Glad you got it removed. The screens look very good on the car.
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Thread Starter
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 515
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From: United Kingdom England
I'd like to Dave, but the cost would be horendous. I'd have to get the holes filled and the whole rear bumper sprayed. As much as I hate the rear fog lights I'm gonna have to live with them!
Yeh all European cars have them, but they can be more discreet. My Wife's little Ford KA you pry a little panel out from the front bumper and screw in a tow hook that clips in the trunk. For the number of times you may need a tow hook in a cars lifetime you don't need a tow hook on there thats capable of raising the Titanic! 
Thanks for all the positive replys.
I did thinks about cutting a hole but the hole idea of fitting the screens was to tidy up the look. Another bonus was it hides the little side lights the European model has. Once I put the righthand side fog light screen in and stepped back and looked I got the hacksaw blade out!
Gotta be a European Union thang, them and their "tow hooks"? The EX-wife and I had a BMW and a Volvo both bristling with "EU tow hooks", sorry fellas
Thanks for all the positive replys.
I did thinks about cutting a hole but the hole idea of fitting the screens was to tidy up the look. Another bonus was it hides the little side lights the European model has. Once I put the righthand side fog light screen in and stepped back and looked I got the hacksaw blade out!
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jan 2007
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From: United Kingdom England
Looks grate, well worth the work I bet/hope
Took some pics with my European sidelights on.
Then with fog lights on aswell.
I have side vent grills also.
I have just finished painting my brake calipers but I need the paint to dry so I can scrape it off the Corvette lettering with a razor blade.
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jan 2007
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From: United Kingdom England
The paint was dry enough on my brake calipers to remove the red paint from the Corvette lettering with a stanley knife blade.
They look deeper red in real life the pics make em look kinda orange!
I am pleased with the results, I wish the rear ones had the Corvette lettering on also cause they don't look as good as the fronts.
They look deeper red in real life the pics make em look kinda orange!
I am pleased with the results, I wish the rear ones had the Corvette lettering on also cause they don't look as good as the fronts.
Last edited by 97vetteman; Jul 6, 2007 at 06:00 AM.