I looked on here quite extensively for info about swapping the front bumper grille with little results...so has anyone ever swapped the solid grilles (such as the ones I already have, seen in the following picture on my car ----> )



for some of the vented kind, seen here ---->



Any help is welcome and appreciated. I would imagine that changing grilles is extremely easy and pain free, but I would like to get some advice first.

 

They will fit.

 

It seems to me that you either need to pull the cover off or pull it out some to get at the screws or bolts on the back side ot the bumper cover. Otherwise should be a simple swap.

 

I am not sure about the solid grilles, but the vented grilles bolt in from the front with torx screws.

 

Yes it's a direct fit, but as 91phoenix said, you'll probably have to remove the bumper cover since they are screwed on the inside. The bumper mesh is in the way.

I think you should stay with the solid ones, they look way better on W62 models.

 

I agree the solid ones are sweet and I never see them around where I live.

 

Hey dudes. I appreciate all of the feedback. Definite solid info there.

However, I have to be stubborn and disagree that the solid vents look better. I want to remove the rocker and deflector extensions, on both ends, including replacement of the grilles. I'm not necessarily going for a bone-stock look here or anything, which is probably disappointing to many of you, but yet again this is my car. As ironic or contradictory or whatever it may seem, I prefer my car to look more like a base-model 1983 with snowflake wheels (I seriously hate those US Wheels I have on there now)...and potentially even painting her white or black...and then hopefully being able to find all the right stickers and everything to make her look the right way. Thats just what I want, so be it.

To make myself more clear, the closer I get my car to looking like this ---->



the happier I will be.

Whenever the time (and money) comes to where I can get everything going, I would love to sell or trade parts that I won't be using, especially as opposed to throwing them in a garbage heap somewhere or having them rot on my back porch. If anyone is interested, then I will definitely keep in touch.

 

Though many are going with the bigger wheels many have said that they like the look of the gold snowflakes. Admittedly they are expensive but they are available in 17". The picture you showed has the 15" wheels that are 7" wide. I have a set of 15X8 that I am slowly working on refinishing for my 91 w/ 85-90 ground effects. The 15" snowflake wheels are getting a little harder to find and the prices have been going up for both the 7 and 8" widths. You can find them though. 14" is still cheap.
I might be interested in the solid bumper inserts if they are in good condition when you get ready to sell them later.

 

I like the way you think dude. I actually happen to hate the bigger sizes of the snowflake wheels, not to mention how much I hate the snowflake wheels on the Year One Bandit (...but in reality I hate hate hate the Year One Bandit altogether). I think that Trans-Ams and Camaros should like as much as possible like the original production as possible.

I havent done all of my research just yet, but I have seen a lot of junkers with snowflake wheels on them sitting in peoples yards in the part of town that I live in. When I can, I am going to ask them if I can snag them. I feel the likelihood is low, but I may just get lucky.

I will keep you updated in the grille inserts the best I can.

 

I am old school. I wanted the older look of the 15" wheels and decided on the 15X8 snowflakes. Took a while and found two at a swap meet 15X7 and bought. Then on ebay found a set of 6 15X8 that I bought. I am refinishing all 8.
I gave away the set of 4 14X6 that I got with the car as spare parts.
I put the power bulge hood on it and 82-84 T/A tails that have been cleaned and polished and repainted with one of Lou's STS Units.
Like I said old school.

 

I dig it brother, and fully support those decisions.