Mustangworld Aluminum Grille Insert

Mustangworld Grille Insert Install
94 - 98 Stangs

MW Aluminum Grille Insert

This part was designed by Don Smith exclusively for Mustangworld. The on the street response was very great from the public so we decided to make it available in the MW Speedshop.

Not chicken wire :-)
This is not a "chicken wire" or "mesh" type insert, it's thicker and machined / punched from aluminum and should easily last the life of your stang. People report good results in keeping ugly bug splatters and road debris out of the radiator.

Can be painted. Example in Black above.

Can be mounted "as is" or Painted to match
The unit ships unpainted in a shiny aluminum ready for mounting.The insert can also be painted to match your stang. For painting, a base primer coat of the insert is recommended before the final color you want is applied.

Note that for installation on '96 models requires removal of the factory plastic insert. It's easy to do, but we'll have more info about that posted soon. This is an install on a 97. More notes about 94 models way below.

1.) Pop your hood and locate the four plastic screw rivets that hold the radiator cover on the car. (shown below) These can be tricky to remove without harming them so be careful and patient. Use a small Phillips head screwdriver and only apply enough pressure while turning to keep the blades from popping out of the slots. Since this rivet is made of plastic, the threads have a tendency to strip out instead of unscrewing. If they will not back out then you should be able to help by reaching through the grille opening and pushing up on the bottom of the screw to help it back out while unscrewing it. Once you back the screw all the way out then you should be able to easily pull the rivet up and out of the hole.
2.) After removing the screw rivets you can lift off the radiator cover and expose the area behind the grille opening and in front of the radiator. This is the space (shown) in which you will lower the grille insert carefully into place. Also shown are the two holes which will be used to mount the grille insert to the car.
3.) Take the grille insert in your hands with the tabs and the curve facing you. This is how it will be in the car with the curve forward to match the contour of the grille opening. Now standing facing the front of the car with the grille insert still in hand , let go with your right hand and let the grille insert swing down to a vertical position hanging from you left hand. Now lower the grille insert down through the biggest opening in the area in front of the radiator on the passenger side of the car.
4.) Lower the grille insert down into the open area until the tab on the the left end of the grille insert is about flush with the top of the grille opening. (Shown) This tab doesn't have to go any farther. Now swing the right side of the grille insert up into place. It goes in front of the hood latch mechanism.
5.) The tab on the right end of the grille insert is a bit difficult to get into place. You will need to get the right end grille tab into this position (inside the grille opening, shown) before attempting to pry it up into place.
6.) You will have to slide the grille insert as far to the driver's side as possible and bend the grille insert back a little to pop the tab up and over the grille opening. NOTE: Avoid bending the little tab at the top, bend the whole insert itself back if needed, but keep the little tab at it's natural right angle bend. Once that is done just position the holes in the two tabs over the holes that mount the radiator cover.
7.) Now you are ready to reinstall the cover over the radiator. Lay the cover back in position while making sure that the holes in the grille insert underneath are still lined up also. Once it is sandwiched in place reinsert the four screw rivets to hold everything in place. The two front rivets are all that hold the grille insert in place.
8.) You will want to be careful when washing the car so as not to run you hand through the grille insert to hard. If you push on it too hard you can bend it out of position and then you will have to remove it and bend it back into place and reinstall.
Job complete. Insert shown is painted black.

94 Model year install notes (hood release latch):
On the 94 model, the hood release latch become hard to reach. You pop your hood from inside the stang, then to lift up on the hood, you push the actual latch back by hand. This should allow you to lift the hood from the front. (- thanks Bob).

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