GrillesInstallation

She needs air!
And like the look too.

You may have seen that there are two blocked slot in the C5 front bumper. The Z06 has grilles or screen that allows more air into the air filter area. The more air that gets in, the more air needs to go out. You may have also noticed that the side vents are also blocked. This is why in combination to the front Z06 front grilles, the side vents needs to be installed. Also, some peoples have a reported that the hood has a tendency to raise at high speed due the air pressure in the engine bay. So, only the brake duck and rear grilles are purely esthetical.

I got the Z06 fog light screen, brake duck, side vent and rear vents. I started to install the screen kit. First, I sandblasted the chrome screen and painted them black. I have not painted the fog light yet. I wait and see if I will keep them chrome. Then I remove the fog panel. There are two bots closed to the center of the bumper. They are difficult to access. I’m redoing the front corner light black-out at the same time. I will post some pictures when I will have completed.

I did not paint the plastic trip. I taped it. I sandblasted the grilles, the applied primer and used a spray paint I bought at local hardware store. After a few thousand miles, the paint starts to go off on brake duct and front Z06 grilles. I have to paint them again, but this time I will not use the same cheap paint. I’m not quite sure what I will use, but I will get some resistant paint; maybe power coated. Side vent and rear grilles are still perfect.

Rear is not too bad. Cleaning is the longer. I used brake cleaner. It took maybe 20 minutes.

What was the longest part for the fog light was to remove the original panel to make the grilles functional.

Here with the cornering light and fog light removed.

You need to remove this fog panel.

Here is a test I made. I did not like the chrome fog grilles. So I removed them and painted them. They are not installed at that stage. They were still drying.

Ok, after painting the grilles in black, I installed them.

I combine both pictures for an easier comparison.

A closer look.

My biggest surprise was the side vent. I was not expecting a lot, but the look is very nice. I kept the original panel because I did not want the PCM and TAC to be exposed to the element more than with the standard set up. I removed the panel on the driver side to exit the air from the engine bay.

The picture does not give full credit because the flash makes reflect on the screen.

That panel needs to be removed to have access to the side.

The side vents are more complex. For two reasons.

1- We need to remove the wheel and the panel.
2- The grilles need to be bent. And mine required some cutting.
3- I also added some tape on the fender side. See circle in green on picture below. Some guys used black silcone adheasive called 4-40.

It took more than 1 hour for the side vent.

Rear Grilles installed

Here is are the parts: