How To: Better secure your front grill

[Notifier]

This is an easy mod to help prevent your front grill from walking away unexpectedly...

Obtain two sheet metal screws - at a minimum you will need 1" long screws. I used two 1" #10 spanner type stainless steel screws. Spanner screws are nice because they are tamper resistant, most people don't carry around a spanner driver. However, for this application you could easily just use Phillips screws if you didn't want to go through the trouble of finding the screws and driver. I would also recommend spending the extra money on stainless to keep them from rusting out.

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Install one screw into one side of the front grill, next to the high beam bulb. There are two grey plastic wedged shaped supports behind that will accept the screws. See the picture below for the exact location to install the screw.

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- Remove the grill, pre-drill the location of the screw, then reinstall the grill until all the studs engage onto the clips.
- Drive the screw into the pre-drilled hole until you feel it hit the support behind.
- Back the screw out and remove the grill again.
- You should have a mark on the support bracket where the screw hit, pre-drill on this mark. Watch your drill chuck so that it does not rub against the top of the bumper and leave a mark.
- Reinstall the grill (be sure to catch all the studs) and drive the screw home! Be careful not to overtighten.
- Repeat for the other side

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Paint your screws with some flat black spray paint before you install them to make them disappear!

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This may not make your grill 100% vandal proof, but it will make it much more difficult to remove. If someone really wants it, they will probably take it. But at least this may slow them down or keep someone looking to simply pop it off from running away with it.

[billet351]

I replaced the studs with bolts, bolting the grill onto the fascia from behind, while the fascia was off
Bill

[Michael]

Nice mod, looks good too.

[Bitsyncmaster]

I replaced the studs with bolts, bolting the grill onto the fascia from behind, while the fascia was off
Bill

That would work as long as the headlight buckets are out.

[SS Spoiler]

I hide my spare key behind the grill jn a magnetic box, easy to get to.

[Silverbullet]

I hide my spare key behind the grill jn a magnetic box, easy to get to.

Where do you park your car????? Just asking.... lol

[Nicholas R]

Where do you park your car????? Just asking.... lol

Huh? Why does it matter where it's parked? lol Hidden keys are for in case you loose your keys or lock your keys in your cars (though in a DeLorean it's about impossible to lock your keys inside, lol)

Man... I still can't believe someone would steal a grill...

What if you opened the holes up a tiny bit more in the fascia and put a rivetnut in? Then you wouldn't have to rely on a screw going into plastic to hold it in place. You could use a black oxide countersunk torx bit socket head cap screw that; it would be black and flush; pretty much only see if it you were trying to find it. Plus the torx would pretty much do the same as a security bit. Probably be just as safe with a standard allen head.

[ramblinmike]

I hide my spare key behind the grill jn a magnetic box, easy to get to.

Umm...what does your magnetic box stick to on your plastic grill?

[SS Spoiler]

Behind the vertical metal support in the center.

[Shep]

Huh? Why does it matter where it's parked?

Well, if he knows where it's parked, he can take the grill off, get the key, and... you know... drive off in it? Seems pretty straightforward. (In all seriousness, I'm never condoning that; it was a joke, after all.)

What if you opened the holes up a tiny bit more in the fascia and put a rivetnut in? Then you wouldn't have to rely on a screw going into plastic to hold it in place. You could use a black oxide countersunk torx bit socket head cap screw that; it would be black and flush; pretty much only see if it you were trying to find it. Plus the torx would pretty much do the same as a security bit. Probably be just as safe with a standard allen head.

I don't know about you, but I certainly would have no problem removing a torx or allen screw from a rivnut with a flathead screwdriver. If you're going to use a rivnut and want security, do yourself a favor and go with a tri-groove screw, or at the very least a security torx. Flathead screwdrivers are useless on those.