Removable grille block? Any ideas?

[Oval_Overload]

My brain feels funny...
I has an idea!!

Go to that Home Depot you love so much and buy a can of spray foam. Line the grill with plastic 'cling' kitchen wrap, and spray it full of foam. Put a layer of plastic wrap over the foam and mold it to the contour of the car while the foam is still pliable. Instant friction fit grill block.

~Jimbo

[Sean T.]

That is a very good idea Jim!!!!!!!

Also, here is a more accurate represetntation of my car's grille.

[slopemeno]

Take the grille off, and put clear laminating film over it. Apply it with a household iron and a heat gun. It's clear and chap. Reinstall your grill and you're done.

[Sean T.]

Um... my grille doesn't come off? It's just a hole in the bumper.

[Oval_Overload]

...Hence all the talk about plugging it. I thought Christ's illustration of the problem was quite accurate...

:P

[lunarhighway]

if you want a grillblock that're removable without leaving a trace, but not nessesary removable on the road, blocking from the back is always a good idea. it's not as perfect as from the front but the difference is neglectable in relation to leaving the grill open. just put some black painted coroplast or whatever behind the grill and you're done. (depending on how accesible the back is of course)
oem look, and while the outside stays factory fresh you can mess with screws and glue on the inside as much as you like so to speak.

btw more cars than you think with optical large grills have iserts from the back that drasticly reduce the phisical grill opening, bmw even has an active grill block system that closes and opens the grill with shutters in front of the radiator.

also should the need for some cooling become apparent you can still cut holes in the block without altering the look of the car or having to redesign your carfully crafted plug

[Sean T.]

Unfortunately, to get to the back of the grille, I have to take the bumper pretty much all the way off the car. IMHO, way too much effort than it's worth. I'd like something that goes on the front of the bumper that stays on while I'm on the road, but if I am going to a car show or it's really hot out that day or something I can easily remove it.

[Christ]

Velcro on the FORD logo?

I think zipties would work great for you, with some coroplast or ABS or thin lexan. There is a "bar" that runs horizontally across the upper grille opening that you can tie the block to, when you don't want it, just cut the zip ties.

[lunarhighway]

maybe velcro ties? strips of velcro with both types of velcro material, one on each side... works like the zipties mentioned above, but they're reusable and softer so there's even less chance of scratches.

if you want esthetics you can take it a step further and tie two or three loops of velcro tie around the central bar or whatever and than glue velcro patches to the back of the actual block, these patches will than interlock with the velcro ties (and perhaps the other half of the velcro stickes glued thereon) so there's not visible connection at the front. i've seen heavy duty velcro at my local diy depot, wich was inteded to attach tools like hammers etc to a wall so it should be strong enough.

if you make the grillblock a bit decent you can even leave it on at a carshow... might open some eyes.

[99LeCouch]

Lexan and toggle bolts with screws. Shape the Lexan, drill some holes for the screws, then screw the toggle bolts on a little, push it through the grille, tighten down. Then simply unscrew and pick up the dropped toggle bolt from underneath the car.