Interior/Exterior "Flow-Thru" Rear Bumper Grilles
#1
"Flow-Thru" Rear Bumper Grilles
I was experimenting today to see what it would take to make the stock rear bumper grilles an actual grille, instead of a solid piece of plastic.
I wanted to use the stock ones because they are designed for the rear bumper cover and just snap right in, but I hate having fake/simulated grilles... so after about an hour on the belt sander which included cleaning up/trimming each opening with an x-acto knife, I ended up with this...
...I did remove a lot of plastic and the grille itself turns out being much thinner, but once you snap it into place, it's fine.
The stock solid "grille"...
...this one will meet the belt sander soon, just didn't have time today.
I wanted to use the stock ones because they are designed for the rear bumper cover and just snap right in, but I hate having fake/simulated grilles... so after about an hour on the belt sander which included cleaning up/trimming each opening with an x-acto knife, I ended up with this...
...I did remove a lot of plastic and the grille itself turns out being much thinner, but once you snap it into place, it's fine.
The stock solid "grille"...
...this one will meet the belt sander soon, just didn't have time today.
Last edited by Partsman; 07-20-2009 at 07:14 PM.
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I was experimenting today to see what it would take to make the stock rear bumper grilles an actual grille, instead of a solid piece of plastic.
I wanted to use the stock ones because they are designed for the rear bumper cover and just snap right in, but I hate having fake/simulated grilles... so after about an hour on the belt sander which included cleaning up/trimming each opening with an x-acto knife, I ended up with this......this one will meet the belt sander soon, just didn't have time today.
I wanted to use the stock ones because they are designed for the rear bumper cover and just snap right in, but I hate having fake/simulated grilles... so after about an hour on the belt sander which included cleaning up/trimming each opening with an x-acto knife, I ended up with this......this one will meet the belt sander soon, just didn't have time today.
Yea, whats the belt sander for?
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Thanks guys...I think it came out pretty good, considering I was just experimenting.
I'm not sure the belt sander is the best way to do this, because you also remove some of the tabs in the process, but the grille still snaps in like it should. I think i'll try a hand held grinder on the other one.
Being totally honest...I thought about the M7 ones more than once while I was doing it. But then I said, if it was easy...then everybody would have them.
And yes...the heat shielding was removed when I did the straight exhaust.
The belt sander is what I used to remove the plastic from the back of the grille. I just got it thin enough to where I could pop the plastic out of the hole, then clean it up with the x-acto.
Like howsoonisnow said...it is very tedious.
I'm not sure the belt sander is the best way to do this, because you also remove some of the tabs in the process, but the grille still snaps in like it should. I think i'll try a hand held grinder on the other one.
And yes...the heat shielding was removed when I did the straight exhaust.
Originally Posted by JIMINNI
Yea, whats the belt sander for?
Like howsoonisnow said...it is very tedious.
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No, you get at them from the backside--hence the comment about the heat shield. If that has been removed (usually due to the battery relocate/straight exhaust mod) then you have easy access to these panels.
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Thats whatI gathered, figured I'd ask. All of these "easy" mods turn out not being so easy afterall. Is the heat shield mechanically necessary? Will things melt if I take it off and leave it off?
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As I stated above...i'm not sure the belt sander is the best way to do this. It definitely works, but is a harsh way to treat plastic.
I just talked to my friend at Nutmeg Tool, and we are thinking of trying to mill the other one on the Bridgeport. That should be a lot easier and cleaner.
cLuTcH...DrPhil's right, they have to come out from inside the bumper.
You could possibly trim the heat shielding expose the grilles, then do the mod.
EDIT: I tried a Dremel on one a long time ago, it doesn't work very well.
Last edited by Partsman; 07-21-2009 at 01:04 PM.
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I'll have a look-see under there when I get home and see whats what.
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