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Swapping Standard Engine Cover Grill for black GTS grill
Easy peasy. Took me 12 minutes last night, once I had my tools laid out. And those tools weren't much: 1/4" nut driver with T25 bit, two pairs of needle-nose pliers (overkill -- I only needed one), small flat-blade screwdriver (overkill, didn't need it), towels to cover exposed engine bay in case I dropped anything (I didn't, but that's only because I had the towels down. )
Pics in a minute when I run out to the parking lot and take them. Warning: it's been raining, the car is dirty, the sun's not out, etc. In other words, the pics won't be works of art.
In the view below I see why they nix the grill with the Ducktail. It looks unfinished, like something's wrong, if viewed from the side without the brakelight. Maybe it looks the same with the light installed -- probably does. But the missing fin seems like... like an accident, or like it's not finished. With the 3-fin regular grill, all the fins are the same, and there's just a blanking plate hanging underneath a fin in the black space. With this one, one of the fins is actully cut away. Jury's still out for me. From the rear it looks fine, for some reason.
[Note: if you're not understanding why I did this when I already have a GTS, it's because if you add ducktail, the 3rd brake light goes in the duck itself. A blanking plate is added to the grill rather than manufacture a different grill without 3rd BL mounting. I mean, for the low, low price of $1800 MSRP, how could they be expected to make a different plastic grill that actually works without the BL? (Street price at Suncoast was $1495, iirc.)
Nice. I have the sport design package on my GTS so it deletes the black grill in place of the painted sport design, not sure why. I want to do the same swap.
Nice. I have the sport design package on my GTS so it deletes the black grill in place of the painted sport design, not sure why. I want to do the same swap.
I sorta explained above, but my take is they realized the black grill without brake light just looks weird, like "why'd they cut that fin out???" The silver grill without brake light is completely unnoticeable.
Funny how when he GTS came out, there was so much flak about the black cover grill - how it did not flow, looked cheap, destroyed the look, yada yada, yada. Now owners are buying them and putting them on.
I sorta explained above, but my take is they realized the black grill without brake light just looks weird, like "why'd they cut that fin out???" The silver grill without brake light is completely unnoticeable.
Got it. Thanks. I replied too soon. Looks good but I see what you mean about the brake light.
Nice. I have the sport design package on my GTS so it deletes the black grill in place of the painted sport design, not sure why. I want to do the same swap.
Same here. I presume same grill would fit with the aerokit cup spoiler. The blanking plate may be less obvious with the bigger spoiler.
Looks good NaGa. From 10feet with a bit of dirt, it will be hard to notice the blanking plate.
Problem is you're not really seeing the blanking plate. It's the missing/cut fin above the plate that's a little disconcerting. I'm going to live with it a few weeks and See if I bond a little better with it.
Just looked at my grill and notice that the opening is directly above the engine bay inlet so it seems functional. I don't care for it either but at least i can understand why it's there now.
02-25-2016, 11:45 AM
Swapping Standard Engine Cover Grill for black GTS grill
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