djct_watt

First and foremost. . . most ebay stuff is sheer utter garbage. 99.999% of the time, the ad is written by a non-english speaker, and you get statements like, "fit super great JDM tC grille go go fast super OEM fit! No modification need!" But hey, I'll take broken English over ads with "dis" and "dat" in it.

Whatever you read on their postings, take it with a grain of salt. I wanted a badgeless grille and I was too lazy to drill holes, dremel and fit a DIY lower -> upper grille mod, nor did I want to pay some extraordinate amount of money for $0.50 worth of plastic. . . so I bought the eBay grille with the intent to throw it away if it was crap.

When the grille arrived, I was quite surprised. It is built fairly well, and doesn't feel cheap at all. I eagerly ripped off my stock grille (I painted the badge, but the paint kept chipping off since I speed a lot) and tried to snap on the new grille... for some reason it would get 80% of the way on and wouldn't budge. It turns out that it is not a direct fit, like everyone else has said.

Here's a pic of the areas that needs to be cut (I circled them in red for you):





You could, of course, cut the the area on receiving end of the grill, but you'd need a dremel or saw for that. I was too lazy, and I've cut bumpers before without problem. You could probably cut these bumpers with a butter knife if you really wanted to, but I used my utility razor/knife. What's nice is that if I revert back to OEM, the OEM grille will cover up that little nub.

Here are the rest of the pics I took:












Not bad, huh, for a cheap POS eBay grille? The mis-match in grille patterns is not going to win any shows, but this isn't supposed to be a show car either. I just hate that big hulking badge on the front. And guess what? Many cars have mismatched upper and lower grilles. In fact, the 08's come that way, with pretty little tapioca bubbles in the grille. . . eck!

This is a nice cheap and easy alternative to the 08 grilles for those who really hate it (good for you if you actually like it). . . or for those who don't feel like spending $100-$200 on some plastic and wire mesh.

And finally, here's a pic of the HORRIBLE fittiment of this thing. . . I circled it in blue. I bet you didn't even notice on the pics from afar, but you can notice it up close.



And if you're completely clueless as to the install, it grille is held in entirely by clips. But if you can't figure that out, I don't recommend cutting any parts!!!


I hope this helps out any of you guys considering this grille and/or wanted more info.

djct_watt

Also, for any car other than black, your latch support bracket is painted body color. . . and is highly visible through any aftermarket grille (except the stick on billet grilles). I recommend using some good black tape to tape up the column so that it's not visible through the grille.

tc913

iTrader: (2)

How come you didn't just get the VRD grille since it is a direct fit?? I was debating myself to get those ebay grilles but I didn't trust the description and was afraid it wouldn't be a direct fit.

ExpresScion

iTrader: (2)

That would drive me nuts. I think I'd rather spend the money on a grill that actually fits. Hope you can get it worked out though.

PAL20G

yea im going crazy just looking at it..but he said he didnt want to spend a lot of $$$ for the grille---VRD over $100---ebay grille under $40 lol..... looks ok would make me go crazy to

davedavetC

iTrader: (4)

well you get what you paid for, id rather spend more on a good grill instead of one that looks like its gonna fall out if you blow on it.

Need4Bass05

iTrader: (3)

^ I'm with you, I'd rather spend alittle money and have it done right the first time with no hassle.

tweetertc

at least some of you here are like that.... i deal with people EVERY SINGLE DAY that are completely the opposite... they want the cheapest **** they can get and think its going to last them forever... i have to explain to customers that you get what you pay for and no one seems to understand... some people just want stuff done and dont care of the outcome...

i can see why he went with the under 40 bucks grill... as apposed to newly risen price of the VRD grill .... i remember it being like 100-110 bucks, now with shipping its like 150... although a great product... kinda pricey concidering they are more then likely making like 100 bucks on each grill...

djct_watt

I'm not here to debate which grill is better. That was not the intent of the thread/post. You DO get what you pay for, that's a given. I'm just not car crazy enough to spend that much money on a grill.

If we were talking about parts that were vital to the engine/suspension/safety, it would be a different matter. This grill is not going to break any sooner than the OEM grille, nor is it going to fall off. The gaps are annoying, but at any distance greater than 3 feet, you can't see it. Given the huge gap we have from the hood to the bumper, this tiny gap is liveable... And the pic is an extreeme close up.

If the VRD grill was closer to $60, I would have bought it.

djct_watt

If anything, I'd be happy if people change their mind and NOT but this grill. I posted this as info for those who are considering it. It's better to make an informed decision right?

superemu

the bottom half looks like it doesn't seat properly. I wouldn't mind buying the thing and just cut up grill to make it fit. would be cheaper and less of a pain than getting a OEM bottom grill and trying to make that fit.

wicked06tc

Is the VRD Grill a Direct Bolt on? I bought that POS grill from ebay and dont really want to start hacking away to make it fit

ExpresScion

iTrader: (2)

Yes, the VRD grill mounts using all the factory mounting points. It almost fits better than stock.

Need4Bass05

iTrader: (3)

How can it fit better than stock?

Katoes

That's a good question? I would like to know.

BZinn1

i am shocked that a cheap Ebay grille could actually fit so bad...........seriously.....that is bad .........

Yes the VRD grille fits perfectly......looks great and does almost fit better than stock.........

I think it was a bit spendy but it is OEM fittment like it says........and both grills match.......I have an 08 so for me it was first on the list to do.........

brian9v

the vrd one almost fits better than the oem one because the stock one is flimsy as hell. the vrd one is stiffer/thicker so once its in place it feels sturdier.

djct_watt

I never looked at these pics from my home computer (Pics taken and posted from my blackberry), but yeah. The extreme close up really exaggerates things, but the fact of the matter is that the fit is nowhere near good. . . but at any distance more than 5 ft, you can't really notice.

Fortunately this will hold me over for a few months until I get the VRD.