I've been outside for the past 1/2 an hour or so getting frustradted on how to remove the stock front grill, any pointers appreciated... Thanks

 

just pull it off...

 

I actually had to cut some of the plastic clips off because the harder I pulled, the more it stressed the body underneath.

 

I just ripped mine off, no ever said anything about putting it back on. I ended up using screws to put it back on.

 

It justs pulls right off and the clips will break or unclip, but I hope you know you can't reuse or at least I can't reuse mine.

 

There are 3 clips that run along the bottom of the grill that can be popped off. You have to reach up from underneath the car and behind the grill. Just remove the 4 pushpins that run underneath the bottom of the front fascia. I had to jack the front end up a little ways to fit my body under there. If you reach in and feel around for the back of the grill, you will feel the metal retainer clips that run along the bottom. Have someone pull on the grill from the front while you manipulate the clips (after you pop the grill out at both far sides). They come out pretty easily. Unfortunately, there are also 3 plastic studs that run across the top. These have to be ripped off (these are backed with metal retainer nuts) unless you want to further dismantle the front of your car. Just hold the fascia in place at each stud point while someone pulls (slowly) until each gives. You won't hurt anything.

 

rip that biatch right off......


i had taken the front bumper off to do mine

 

just rip it off, when i tried to get my friends off, it looked like the front bumper was about to come off, but just pull really hard a couple of times.

 

exactly what JaysZ said. When I had the '01 Z28, I removed that black insert so I could cut the foam from behind the holes and help get some air up into the engine bay.

Unhook the bumper cover from underneath, reach under and work the metal clips from the bottom and then work on the top, pulling a little at a time and going from one side to the other.

It takes about 15 minutes of patience, but you can get that sucker off intact and still be able to put it back on.

Since I did not retain the upper clips (didn't remove the entire bumper cover) I hit each of the posts on the top of the insert with some black silicone and let it set, which made the posts bigger. Then I trimmed them down to get a real good friction fit on the holes and replaced the metal retainers only on the bottom.


When I totalled out that car ... the front bumper insert was still in place.