Removing the '05 Grill

[Fubar]

When I took my GT to the local Ford dealership to have my Accufab SS springs installed in the cooling system... I asked them to, kindly remove the front grill while they were "up there." I picked my car up the follow day to find they did not remove the grill. Their reasoning was it would require removal of the entire front end.

True? If not, could someone give me the quick and dirty removal instructions on this?

 

[Fubar]

no it's not for sale.

 

[BlackICE]

Ed Sims had his grill removed and it did take removal of a lot of the front end!

Maybe you can take it off with a pair of cutters without removing the front end. Of course the grill would be destroyed in the process. But ths savings in labor may allow you to buy a replacement 05 grill if one could be found.

 

[Empty Pockets]

... I asked them to, kindly remove the front grill while they were "up there."

'Cooling issues?

 

[fjpikul]

Fubar, you have to remove the front pan/spoiler to get at the screws for the grill. The Service Manual gives a good description.

 

[Ed Sims]

removing the '05 front grill

No one has hands made that can remove the '05 front grill by only removing the splitter & pan. I tried. It really does take removal of the front of the car! My dealer charged me $448. It was worth it to me.

Ed

 

[PL510*Jeff]

No one has hands made that can remove the '05 front grill by only removing the splitter & pan. I tried. It really does take removal of the front of the car! My dealer charged me $448. It was worth it to me.

Ed

Ed - I had my 06 grill removed and a 05 put in last year. GT tech just removed front splitter & pan. Took about 1/2 hour. -- Not sure but I think trunk insert was out at the same time. Jeff

 

[Indy GT]

??

Hey Jeff, I'm confused......
The '05 HAD the grille
The '06 did NOT have the grille...

So what did you take out of your '06? And you had the '05 grille installed in your '06?

 

[PL510*Jeff]

Owie!

Hey Jeff, I'm confused......
The '05 HAD the grille
The '06 did NOT have the grille...

So what did you take out of your '06? And you had the '05 grille installed in your '06?

Advantage of not having to worry about about low flying rocks hitting the rad's, coolers and condensers. Plus it keeps most of the bugs out and I don't have to clean all the bug remains from rad fins.

Disadvantage - runs hotter, especially on the track.

How's the recovery going? Well I hope.

I was thinking of you Saturday morning when I slammed my little pinkie in the car door. I put my 7/16" finger in a 1/8" space. Damn did that hurt. Ugly blue color now. Throbbing is finally tolerable.

Pain disappeared every time I raced this weekend. Great therapy. Finished 7th out 42. Not bad for a 40 year old Dastun.

Your Faithful Son,
Jeff

 

[Fubar]

GT tech just removed front splitter & pan. Took about 1/2 hour. -- Not sure but I think trunk insert was out at the same time. Jeff

That sounds like a winner. Maybe he could chime in on this thread? :cheers

 

[Kingman]

The '05 has the grill. The '06 does not.

I tried purchasing an '05 grill for my '06 but there are none to be had according to three Ford dealerships (I asked three because the part doesn't show up in the '06 catalog and it required me taking a parts manager out to the showroom floor at Galpin to show him that one does exist).

I inquired around as to why the '06 doesn't have one, and as several forum members have reported, it is due to cooling issues. I did look at the '05 grill and notice that the openings are rather small.

I am concerned about damage to a rather expensive item (radiator) that will be problematic to replace (an oil change is $350, just think what the labor will come to on a radiator replacement). Therefore I have investigated the development of a grill using the interwoven wire lattice material utilized on my aftermarket Escalade grill. The wire mesh I am referring to is rather durable. The openings are small enough to protect the radiator from rocks, but large enough I believe to allow sufficient cooling and dissipation of heat.

I haven't figured out an elegant way of attaching the grill as of yet (zip ties are rather crude and may lead to rattles). I also don't want to be drilling any holes into unsupported plastic....so I will still be working on this one.

Any ideas?

 

[Gimbal]

Hi Kingman,
I also worried about rocks messing up the radiator and about over heating with a grill. I researched sheet metal with holes in it and found honeycomb to look good and allow minimum air restriction. I have 1/4 inch honeycomb blocking 19% air flow. I only have the water temp gauge to monitor. Around town on hot days all seems good. When I go on track I take it off. I screwed it to the vertical metal collums using rubber washer/metal backing. Besides the drilling of six tiny holes in the vertical collumns I'm happy with it. Cost $50

 

[Kingman]

Gimbal,

I first went with a honeycomb too. My thoughts on the cross weave wire mesh is that it would facilitate greater egress/ingress of airflow. That appears to be the rationale behind the dropping of the grill in the first place...it really isn't a matter of not enough airflow in, it's the trapping of the built up heat inside the cowl that is the problem???

RE: Attachment points.
I am looking at the vertical columns for attachment points as opposed to the edging..

So, are you saying that you drilled holes through the vertical supports? Then you have washers (rubber?) front and back of the vertical grill with bolts through the middle? That sounds sweet.

Did you fabricate a ‘frame’ of the honeycomb on the edges?

 

[PL510*Jeff]

05/06 Grill

Kingman - I was lucky and my parts guy found and '05 grill at a Ford store in N.C., if I remember correctly. It may have been the last one in the Country. April of last year, right after I bought my GT.

I spoke with Steve Millen about their grill on the race car. It was an industrial wire mesh one that they made. Looked to be about 3/8" squares and painted black. It had plenty of rock dents in it, but nothing ever broke trough when they were doing the Targa last year. You might give Stillen a call and ask either Steve or Kyle about it. I'm not sure how it was attached.

 

[Kingman]

Kingman - I was lucky and my parts guy found and '05 grill at a Ford store in N.C., if I remember correctly. It may have been the last one in the Country. April of last year, right after I bought my GT.

I spoke with Steve Millen about their grill on the race car. It was an industrial wire mesh one that they made. Looked to be about 3/8" squares and painted black. It had plenty of rock dents in it, but nothing ever broke trough when they were doing the Targa last year. You might give Stillen a call and ask either Steve or Kyle about it. I'm not sure how it was attached.

I looked that car all over several times....and never noticed the grill. Thanks for the heads up. :thumbsup

 

[PL510*Jeff]

Gimbal,

I first went with a honeycomb too. My thoughts on the cross weave wire mesh is that it would facilitate greater egress/ingress of airflow. That appears to be the rationale behind the dropping of the grill in the first place...it really isn't a matter of not enough airflow in, it's the trapping of the built up heat inside the cowl that is the problem???

RE: Attachment points.
I am looking at the vertical columns for attachment points as opposed to the edging..

So, are you saying that you drilled holes through the vertical supports? Then you have washers (rubber?) front and back of the vertical grill with bolts through the middle? That sounds sweet.

Did you fabricate a ‘frame’ of the honeycomb on the edges?

Kingman - take a look at mounting it directly to your '06 grill. Just a thought. Jeff

 

[Derry]

FWIW,
I had a Ford body shop trim and slightly modify the '05 grill to fit over the '06 and use several of the mounting points common to both. Works like a charm, easy to remove for track, looks stock either way.
Derry

 

[Gimbal]

Gimbal,

I first went with a honeycomb too. My thoughts on the cross weave wire mesh is that it would facilitate greater egress/ingress of airflow. That appears to be the rationale behind the dropping of the grill in the first place...it really isn't a matter of not enough airflow in, it's the trapping of the built up heat inside the cowl that is the problem???

RE: Attachment points.
I am looking at the vertical columns for attachment points as opposed to the edging..

So, are you saying that you drilled holes through the vertical supports? Then you have washers (rubber?) front and back of the vertical grill with bolts through the middle? That sounds sweet.

Did you fabricate a ‘frame’ of the honeycomb on the edges?

Good point about the flow being trapped instead of blocked!

I cut the grill carefully to fit just right and secured with screws and steel washers with bonded rubber. It was a quick and dirty idea that I have not done anything with since.
The exit has a shield with round holes, 1/2 inch in dameter or so. I wonder how much effect that might have on cooling. Perhaps some with heating problems might benefit with that removed. I would feel safer with the exit screen removed and front left on.

 

[Ed Sims]

front screen

There is another long thread on the front screen on the forum.

I took my 05 front screen off for airflow. It made a noticable difference on the track. Radiator after 800+ track miles is great (13,000 total miles).

Ed

 

[Gimbal]

I'm really waiting for the right person to make the perfect carbon fiber grill that snaps on to the vertical collumns and can be removed for the track.