Grilles Gone Wild
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8,995
Likes: 2
From: Spring Texas
St. Jude Donor '08
Grilles Gone Wild
Upon buying my vararam, I purchased a set of grilles from Corvette Specialty of California for the foglight area for the purpose of protecting the intake from flying crap and hiding the intake from view.
http://www.corvettespecialty.com/cor...roducts_id=174
They Look very cool, but from a functional standpoint, their design makes them impractical. There are reinforcements about every inch or so between every bar making airflow significantly disrupted and my foglights had roughly 50% of their light blocked. Also the mounts (which are simple 90 degree aluminum brackets with double sided tape) don't look very good IMO.
In an attempt to solve this problem, I used a dremel cut off wheel to remove the reinforcements except the ones on the very edges. I used 3M mounting tape to hold them in place.
....well apparently that wasn't good enough. Upon walking to my car from the sunday starbucks break, I saw that one of my grilles had fallen off. I was amazed to later find it just a few blocks from my house on the side of the road. The Grille itself is destoryed and I will be getting ZO6 style screens (which I should have bought in the first place)
Conclusion: The CSC grilles are the perfect choice if you don't have or use fog lights and a Vararam intake.
http://www.corvettespecialty.com/cor...roducts_id=174
They Look very cool, but from a functional standpoint, their design makes them impractical. There are reinforcements about every inch or so between every bar making airflow significantly disrupted and my foglights had roughly 50% of their light blocked. Also the mounts (which are simple 90 degree aluminum brackets with double sided tape) don't look very good IMO.
In an attempt to solve this problem, I used a dremel cut off wheel to remove the reinforcements except the ones on the very edges. I used 3M mounting tape to hold them in place.
....well apparently that wasn't good enough. Upon walking to my car from the sunday starbucks break, I saw that one of my grilles had fallen off. I was amazed to later find it just a few blocks from my house on the side of the road. The Grille itself is destoryed and I will be getting ZO6 style screens (which I should have bought in the first place)
Conclusion: The CSC grilles are the perfect choice if you don't have or use fog lights and a Vararam intake.
Racer
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 352
Likes: 0
From: Copperas Cove Texas
Upon buying my vararam, I purchased a set of grilles from Corvette Specialty of California for the foglight area for the purpose of protecting the intake from flying crap and hiding the intake from view.
http://www.corvettespecialty.com/cor...roducts_id=174
They Look very cool, but from a functional standpoint, their design makes them impractical. There are reinforcements about every inch or so between every bar making airflow significantly disrupted and my foglights had roughly 50% of their light blocked. Also the mounts (which are simple 90 degree aluminum brackets with double sided tape) don't look very good IMO.
In an attempt to solve this problem, I used a dremel cut off wheel to remove the reinforcements except the ones on the very edges. I used 3M mounting tape to hold them in place.
....well apparently that wasn't good enough. Upon walking to my car from the sunday starbucks break, I saw that one of my grilles had fallen off. I was amazed to later find it just a few blocks from my house on the side of the road. The Grille itself is destoryed and I will be getting ZO6 style screens (which I should have bought in the first place)
Conclusion: The CSC grilles are the perfect choice if you don't have or use fog lights and a Vararam intake.
http://www.corvettespecialty.com/cor...roducts_id=174
They Look very cool, but from a functional standpoint, their design makes them impractical. There are reinforcements about every inch or so between every bar making airflow significantly disrupted and my foglights had roughly 50% of their light blocked. Also the mounts (which are simple 90 degree aluminum brackets with double sided tape) don't look very good IMO.
In an attempt to solve this problem, I used a dremel cut off wheel to remove the reinforcements except the ones on the very edges. I used 3M mounting tape to hold them in place.
....well apparently that wasn't good enough. Upon walking to my car from the sunday starbucks break, I saw that one of my grilles had fallen off. I was amazed to later find it just a few blocks from my house on the side of the road. The Grille itself is destoryed and I will be getting ZO6 style screens (which I should have bought in the first place)
Conclusion: The CSC grilles are the perfect choice if you don't have or use fog lights and a Vararam intake.
I grew uo in good ole Spring, Texas... Spring High Class of 82!! My parents still live there!!
Nice to see my "home town" on your avtar!!
Did you check out the Long Horn Rod Run??
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Horncastle Lincolnshire, England
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Thats a shame because they really looked good on your Vette
Good post as it may save someone from making an expensive experiment.
Good post as it may save someone from making an expensive experiment.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2006
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From: Arizona
Pro
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: United Kingdom England
The do look good black. Why don't you buy a cheap mesh grill set off Ebay and spray them black with a rattle can! I paid about $45 for these and one of mine fell out(fording a flooded road) so when I got some replacements I used clear silicone around the outside edge so I don't lose another!
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You'll be pleased with the OEM grills - works just fine and not one problem with them falling off in over 6 years.
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From: Converse TX
Thread Starter
Former Vendor
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 8,995
Likes: 2
From: Spring Texas
St. Jude Donor '08
97vetteman: That's the plan. I have a little extra duplicolor paint from a previous project. I'm Orderign a set from RPI designs (the have a special going on)
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Assault is a behavior, not a device! Cypress TX
St. Jude Donor '11
I ordered and received my set of Z06 screens from RPI Designs. I am impressed with the quality. They are sent with double sided tape for mounting but I plan to install mine with velcro. I also intend to paint mine black to match the black powder coated screens that I've already have installed in all the other vents. I picked up a can of black bumper paint from the auto parts to give them a dull black finish to match the powder coat finish. We'll see how they work out.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 10,030
Likes: 10
From: Prescott AZ
St. Jude Donor '04
I ordered and received my set of Z06 screens from RPI Designs. I am impressed with the quality. They are sent with double sided tape for mounting but I plan to install mine with velcro. I also intend to paint mine black to match the black powder coated screens that I've already have installed in all the other vents. I picked up a can of black bumper paint from the auto parts to give them a dull black finish to match the powder coat finish. We'll see how they work out.
I used there double sided tape and added velco. I went on a very spirited drive on Satuday probley around 200 miles. They were rock solid and aren't going anyware. Someday I'll pull the front bumper off and install they like a real Z06.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 10,030
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From: Prescott AZ
St. Jude Donor '04
With the Velcro you get a better hold. Unless you can get in from the bottom when you do the screens you can't really press the double sided tape on very well. With the Velcro you can really get on there tight and then do the screen also and slide it into place. Seems to work the best besides removing the bumper and bolting them in.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Assault is a behavior, not a device! Cypress TX
St. Jude Donor '11
I was told that with the velcro you can also remove the screen for cleaning, touch up or access if necessary. Slide thin pieces of cardboard between each velcro point and then the screen can be removed. It made sense to me so I thought it couln't hurt to try it.
