Functional grilles?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 101
Likes: 12
From: New Hampshire
Functional grilles?
I’ve seen a lot of people replace the license plate cover with an intake, but has anyone actually ever turned the stock “grilles” functional? I’ve looked and haven’t been able to find anyone do it. Also, I live in a state where front plates are mandatory so I’m unable to do the intake mod. It just seems weird to me that nobody’s made the things that are clearly supposed to resemble a grille function like a grille and instead turned to the place where a license plate goes.
Edit: This is what I want.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...unctional.html
Edit: This is what I want.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...unctional.html
Last edited by Dean-O; Mar 29, 2025 at 11:23 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 1,144
From: Sleepy Hollow- NJ
What "grill" on a C5 are you referring to? Not sure where you've searched that you aren't finding the information you're looking for. The Vararam VRB2 uses the front inlets where the fog lights are housed. And the Vararam has been available for 2 decades.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 101
Likes: 12
From: New Hampshire
While I admit that I didn’t know that existed, that’s not exactly what I’m looking for. I’m not looking for an intake, I’m looking for the air to flow through the fog light inlets and into the radiator. You know, like how a grill works.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 1,144
From: Sleepy Hollow- NJ
In that case you can either remove the foglight surround bezels and replace them with bezels that are vented or you can use a dremel and hollow them out in 5 minutes. I did this in 2003.
The Z06 doesn't have the foglight bezels that are blocked off. They came from the factory with those hole open and screen mesh inlays to block out leafs and debris. Just do the same if you go that route.
The Z06 doesn't have the foglight bezels that are blocked off. They came from the factory with those hole open and screen mesh inlays to block out leafs and debris. Just do the same if you go that route.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 101
Likes: 12
From: New Hampshire
In that case you can either remove the foglight surround bezels and replace them with bezels that are vented or you can use a dremel and hollow them out in 5 minutes. I did this in 2003.
The Z06 doesn't have the foglight bezels that are blocked off. They came from the factory with those hole open and screen mesh inlays to block out leafs and debris. Just do the same if you go that route.
The Z06 doesn't have the foglight bezels that are blocked off. They came from the factory with those hole open and screen mesh inlays to block out leafs and debris. Just do the same if you go that route.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 101
Likes: 12
From: New Hampshire
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 1,144
From: Sleepy Hollow- NJ
AMAZON, eBay, Wescoast Corvettes sell them for about $160
Total waste of money in my opinion when you can just carve the centers out or drill holes in the existing plastic blockoff.
In fact, I wasted my money on them back when they were even more expensive. I ended up using a dremel on my original block-offs then I sold the ones I purchased to a forum member for like $75 with shipping.
Once you put the mesh screens on the front you can't see them anyway. So, my recommendation is the dremmel route. Then spend your $160 on something else for the car.
Total waste of money in my opinion when you can just carve the centers out or drill holes in the existing plastic blockoff.
In fact, I wasted my money on them back when they were even more expensive. I ended up using a dremel on my original block-offs then I sold the ones I purchased to a forum member for like $75 with shipping.
Once you put the mesh screens on the front you can't see them anyway. So, my recommendation is the dremmel route. Then spend your $160 on something else for the car.
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 101
Likes: 12
From: New Hampshire
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...unctional.html
This guy did exactly what I want. Is there a place where I could buy something like it?
This guy did exactly what I want. Is there a place where I could buy something like it?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 101
Likes: 12
From: New Hampshire
I think the person in the thread I linked completely removed the fog light and shroud and added a piece that guides the air to the radiator. So not the same.
Le Mans Master
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From: Florida
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The ones from West Coast Corvette have screens, that’s what I have. They are great for venting the engine bay to keep heat soak down, but this will not run air to the radiator.
I just saw a post around here about a duct kit that goes from the vents through the shroud into the radiator area. If I can find the link I’ll come back and post it.
Well that didn’t take long! Here is the link:
https://www.highwaygameindustries.co...ling-air-ducts
I just saw a post around here about a duct kit that goes from the vents through the shroud into the radiator area. If I can find the link I’ll come back and post it.
Well that didn’t take long! Here is the link:
https://www.highwaygameindustries.co...ling-air-ducts
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 1,144
From: Sleepy Hollow- NJ
If you think that other design does anything different or better for directing air into the radiator you are sadly mistaken. There is absolutely zero benefit to be gained one over the other.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 1,144
From: Sleepy Hollow- NJ
The ones from West Coast Corvette have screens, that’s what I have. They are great for venting the engine bay to keep heat soak down, but this will not run air to the radiator.
I just saw a post around here about a duct kit that goes from the vents through the shroud into the radiator area. If I can find the link I’ll come back and post it.
Well that didn’t take long! Here is the link:
https://www.highwaygameindustries.co...ling-air-ducts
I just saw a post around here about a duct kit that goes from the vents through the shroud into the radiator area. If I can find the link I’ll come back and post it.
Well that didn’t take long! Here is the link:
https://www.highwaygameindustries.co...ling-air-ducts
Nice find Vette4fl. OP this is more what you are looking for.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 101
Likes: 12
From: New Hampshire
The ones from West Coast Corvette have screens, that’s what I have. They are great for venting the engine bay to keep heat soak down, but this will not run air to the radiator.
I just saw a post around here about a duct kit that goes from the vents through the shroud into the radiator area. If I can find the link I’ll come back and post it.
Well that didn’t take long! Here is the link:
https://www.highwaygameindustries.co...ling-air-ducts
I just saw a post around here about a duct kit that goes from the vents through the shroud into the radiator area. If I can find the link I’ll come back and post it.
Well that didn’t take long! Here is the link:
https://www.highwaygameindustries.co...ling-air-ducts
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,246
Likes: 1,092
From: Dyer, IN
Seriously? Two words was enough to trigger you? ....and you have some sort of forum seniority being a member for less than a month?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 101
Likes: 12
From: New Hampshire
I was nicely asking a question and he got passive aggressive with me. Even worse, it was his first ever post and his first day on the forum. Also, I never said I had “some sort of forum seniority”. I’m new like him, so I was just trying to let a fellow newbie know that people are gonna hate him if he’s an *** to everyone. It’s that simple.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 19,246
Likes: 1,092
From: Dyer, IN
I was nicely asking a question and he got passive aggressive with me. Even worse, it was his first ever post and his first day on the forum. Also, I never said I had “some sort of forum seniority”. I’m new like him, so I was just trying to let a fellow newbie know that people are gonna hate him if he’s an *** to everyone. It’s that simple.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 101
Likes: 12
From: New Hampshire
