Mesh grills
#16
Burning Brakes
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Washington, DC
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OK, I didn't have time to do the DIY yet but here are the basics.
Part numbers:
Left 996.505.323.91 $140.20
Right 996.505.324.91 $140.20
Center 996.505.321.92 $96.70
Available from Porsche Motorsports NA. You can also get them from Gert but his prices are the same amount but in Euro plus shipping and customs, so getting them from PMNA will save about 25%. Here's what they look like, not much to them, huh?
No special tools are needed other than a #20 and #30 Torx and if you don't already have an assortment of Torx drivers you have no business attempting this
Remove the front bumper cover. If you need a DIY for this, Loren has a good one on his site as part of the center radiator DIY. I found it easier to just remove the wheel well plastic covers instead of tying it back as Loren did. The fasteners are all philips head, torx, or plastic pop rivets.
Loren's 3rd radiator DIY
Once you remove the bumper cover, turn it nose down on a blanket and remove the long black plastic insert that is inside the air vents. Start at one end and begin releasing the clips that hold it in. These snap out easily with a small flat blade screw driver. You can discard this piece or sell it on eBay because you won't need it again after you install the screens.
The bumper cover has a series of slots in the frame below and above each of the 3 air vents. Each of the screens has a matching set of tabs that fit into these slots. If your screens are like mine, the tabs don't line up perfectly with the slots, so it requires some tweaking to get them to align. I found it easiest to start at one end and get one tab above and one below into their respective slots. Then I secured them with small 4" black tie wraps to keep them from popping out again. I then worked my way along doing another top and bottom tab together and then tie wrapping them. Not too hard but this step requires some patience. Here's what they look like installed in the bumper cover.
When you have all the screens installed and tie-wrapped down, you may want to run a bead of silcon sealer or epoxy along the edge. I didn't and so far the screens have held up well with just the tie wraps. It will be easy to remove them if I ever want to go back to stock or need to replace them.
Then just reinstall the bumper cover and you're done. Here's a couple of pix of the finished product.
BTW, in talking to guys with Cup cars, they still need to get in and clean out the radiators once a season, so while the screens will keep out most debris, you still need to keep an eye on your radiators and will probably need to drop the bumper cover every once in a while to thoroughly clean them out.
Let me know if you have any questions. I'll post more pictures on my web site as soon as I can.
Karl
Part numbers:
Left 996.505.323.91 $140.20
Right 996.505.324.91 $140.20
Center 996.505.321.92 $96.70
Available from Porsche Motorsports NA. You can also get them from Gert but his prices are the same amount but in Euro plus shipping and customs, so getting them from PMNA will save about 25%. Here's what they look like, not much to them, huh?
No special tools are needed other than a #20 and #30 Torx and if you don't already have an assortment of Torx drivers you have no business attempting this
Remove the front bumper cover. If you need a DIY for this, Loren has a good one on his site as part of the center radiator DIY. I found it easier to just remove the wheel well plastic covers instead of tying it back as Loren did. The fasteners are all philips head, torx, or plastic pop rivets.
Loren's 3rd radiator DIY
Once you remove the bumper cover, turn it nose down on a blanket and remove the long black plastic insert that is inside the air vents. Start at one end and begin releasing the clips that hold it in. These snap out easily with a small flat blade screw driver. You can discard this piece or sell it on eBay because you won't need it again after you install the screens.
The bumper cover has a series of slots in the frame below and above each of the 3 air vents. Each of the screens has a matching set of tabs that fit into these slots. If your screens are like mine, the tabs don't line up perfectly with the slots, so it requires some tweaking to get them to align. I found it easiest to start at one end and get one tab above and one below into their respective slots. Then I secured them with small 4" black tie wraps to keep them from popping out again. I then worked my way along doing another top and bottom tab together and then tie wrapping them. Not too hard but this step requires some patience. Here's what they look like installed in the bumper cover.
When you have all the screens installed and tie-wrapped down, you may want to run a bead of silcon sealer or epoxy along the edge. I didn't and so far the screens have held up well with just the tie wraps. It will be easy to remove them if I ever want to go back to stock or need to replace them.
Then just reinstall the bumper cover and you're done. Here's a couple of pix of the finished product.
BTW, in talking to guys with Cup cars, they still need to get in and clean out the radiators once a season, so while the screens will keep out most debris, you still need to keep an eye on your radiators and will probably need to drop the bumper cover every once in a while to thoroughly clean them out.
Let me know if you have any questions. I'll post more pictures on my web site as soon as I can.
Karl
#18
Rennlist Member
Karl - are the grills black or silver? They look black in most of the pictures but then there are a couple that make them look silver. Hard to tell with shadows, etc.
Thanks /bob
Thanks /bob
#20
I received my grills today from Gert. I believe that they are made from steel. The mesh is expanded sheet, and the width of the matrix members is so thin that I don't think it could be aluminum: it would not only deform but would tear apart if hit by gravel. FWIW.
#21
Rennlist Member
From the looks of things, I'd recommend the Motorsports grills over the cargraphics. I have the cargraphics for the old GT3 which I fitted to my car over the weekend (took some slight modifications). The mesh is a lot tighter on the cargraphics than the Motorsports grills judging from Karl's picture above. You can look at the pictures that Rockit posted for a comparison. I'll be ordering the Motorsports grills and replacing mine.
Oh, and Karl's right - dropping the bumper was very easy - I had mine off in about 15 minutes.
Oh, and Karl's right - dropping the bumper was very easy - I had mine off in about 15 minutes.
#22
Advanced
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
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Mesh Grilles
FYI- Within the last 10 months, I purchased a Top Vented GT3 front bumper cover complete with mesh grilles and radiator deflectors for less than $900.00, delivered from PMNA. Bolts right on to a 1999 C2 with no problem. I covered & filled the tow hook slot then drilled a hole for the factory street tow bolt and used the standard tow hole cover. It looks great and was very reasonable in cost.
#23
Rennlist Member
Were these used parts? PMNA quoted me about $1400 for the bumper alone IIRC. granted, it's a slightly different part but that's a huge differential in price.
Did you put in a third radiator? I'm wondering if there's an internal deflector used in the center or if you just leave it open and it vents out the top?
Did you put in a third radiator? I'm wondering if there's an internal deflector used in the center or if you just leave it open and it vents out the top?
#24
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Location: Atlanta, Georgia
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Bob,
I guess I got a good deal. The bumper cover was a brand new GT3 Cup unit with radiator deflectors on the sides but no deflector in the center, and mesh grilles installed top, bottom and on the sides. I have not added the third radiator just yet but I probably will soon.
I guess I got a good deal. The bumper cover was a brand new GT3 Cup unit with radiator deflectors on the sides but no deflector in the center, and mesh grilles installed top, bottom and on the sides. I have not added the third radiator just yet but I probably will soon.
#25
My mesh grills are installed now. Fit of parts is not good - using cable ties is a good way to attach them. Minor cosmetic issue: the black trim that is removed covers the slots in the bumoer cover for the tabs on the trim and the mesh grills, so those slots, tabs, and the ties are visible. Low angle of the photos above largely hides this, but standing height makes it clearly visible.
#26
Rennlist Member
You answered my question Mark - mine has the same problem. I wasn't sure if the Porsche motorsport grills would fix this or not. If I decide to keep them I might hack up the black trim piece that I removed from the inside so I can use it to cover those holes. and make it all look a little cleaner
#27
Burning Brakes
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Washington, DC
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Mark,
You're right about the tabs showing through. There are two things you can do to mimize the visual impact. One, I used thin tie wraps that I got at an electronics store. They are really not too obvious. I was also careful about where I positioned the tie wrap lock, so that it is not visible.
Second, most of my tabs were black but some were left tan color. I noticed the tan tabs were more noticeable, so I touched them all up with a little flat black paint. Not invisible but less noticeable.
BTW, if you look at the bumper cover on a Cup car, you see the tabs as well.
Karl
You're right about the tabs showing through. There are two things you can do to mimize the visual impact. One, I used thin tie wraps that I got at an electronics store. They are really not too obvious. I was also careful about where I positioned the tie wrap lock, so that it is not visible.
Second, most of my tabs were black but some were left tan color. I noticed the tan tabs were more noticeable, so I touched them all up with a little flat black paint. Not invisible but less noticeable.
BTW, if you look at the bumper cover on a Cup car, you see the tabs as well.
Karl