Grilles
About Grilles
Car grilles are among the best-designed parts of a car. They serve a vital function of providing air to the radiator and also serve as the main design element of a car. There is also a slew of reasons to customise these grilles.
When you look at a car, what is the first thing that you would notice? The answer is probably the grilles and the area around them. It is this portion that gives a car its identity. That does not mean that other parts don’t vary between models, but brands use grilles to create their signature look. You can tell the make of the car just by looking at the grille. That’s why the grilles have become the main component of customising the car. This article gives you a basic introduction to car grilles and how to customise them. And will help you make the right decisions when you customise your car.
A basic introduction to car grilles
When Walt Disney made the Cars movie, they animated the front of the car (the portion that houses the headlights, radiator grille, and front bumper) as the face. And in this rendition, the grille was the mouth. Sometimes, even when car manufacturers design the grilles, they give a smile to it. They also use the grille design to make the car look aggressive and sporty. But whatever it is, there is no doubt that the grille impacts the style of the car to a great extent. So, read on and find out how to give your car a perfect smile… or grille. In this article, you will find some awesome articles that you can follow while shopping for custom grilles online.
How grilles came into being
Grills were not a part of the very first cars. When the cars first came out, the engine was at the rear end and was very much open. When the automobile technology advanced, the engine was moved to the front of the car and was concealed inside the bonnet. Although a very good upgrade, this presented a new problem. Car engines needed air to run. A lot of it. The solution was to cut a hole in the front of the car and cover it such that the airflow is not blocked. As time went by, car manufacturers came up with creative designs and made car grilles (or radiator grilles) to be a statement piece of the cars.
Grills can improve the performance
Changing the grille is not just about customising the appearance. In fact, some grilles can improve the performance of the car by improving the airflow to the engine and the overall aerodynamics of the car. Sometimes, turning the engine even necessitates the changing of the grille to compensate for the added heat output. Some grilles even have adaptive technology that alters the grille depending on the speed of the car. This helps in minimising the drag cars experience at higher speeds to an extent. But these types of grilles can be quite expensive.
Bumper grilles
These are the grills that go together with the front bumper of the car. For most cars, the bumper grille is for nothing other than aesthetics. In some cases, they are not even real grilles. But high-end car brands that take the design and authenticity of the car very seriously, bumper grilles serve as functional parts. Grilles can increase the airflow to the underside of the car and help in the cooling of the engine. They also reduce the resistance to the air and improve the drag. When you are changing the radiator grille of the car, installing a bumper grille that blends well together is a good idea.
Custom truck grilles
Truck grilles are a whole another league of their own. For larger vehicles that use diesel engines instead of petrol engines, grills should cater to the higher level of heat that comes out of the diesel engine. That’s these trucks and large and more open grill design. By customising them, you can add a touch of class or strength to the aesthetics. Some custom truck grilles have LED lights on them. This is a handy feature for those who go offroading with their trucks. Because it is illegal to add any lights to the vehicle in some places, you should be careful before installing them.
Tips on how to buy Car Grilles Online
When you look for radiator grilles, there are a few features you have to consider. Although a comprehensive list is beyond the scope of this article, this article will help you decide on the most basic factors to consider when you go shopping for car grilles. Using these tips, you will be better able to choose the right custom grille for your car.
- Choose the material of the grille – You can buy car grilles made of Aluminium, stainless steel, ABS plastic, or carbon fibre. Carbon fibre grilles are the most expensive of all. They are also weightless and durable. If you are on a tight budget, going for ABS plastic is a good idea.
- Choose the right type of mesh – The type of mesh is the most important thing that affects the overall look of the car grille. There are a few different mesh types that you can choose from. They are Mesh grilles, Billet grilles and CNC grilles. Among these Mesh grilles are the most expensive ones.
- You customise them even more with grille covers – Grille covers go on top of the car grille. Although they are called covers, they are just design elements. You can customise the already customised grille using different types of grille covers. The benefit is that you can apply your own creativity to this.
- Choose your car grille badges – The manufacturer brand logo sits on top of the stock grilles. When you install a custom car grille, you can either go with the same badge or choose to have a different one. There are custom grille badges that help you create your own style.
Apart from these four points, you should also consider the colour of the grill. The most common colours used for car grilles are chrome and black. Also, do you want your car to look sporty or classy? Do you want grilles that are designed for offroading? How robust do you want it to be? Deciding all these beforehand is important. Finally, don’t forget to check out all the other amazing products in the car supplies category. Here on our product search engine , you can have access to a large collection of custom car parts from brands like BMW, Audi, Mercedes, Dodge, Honda, and Maserati.
Question & Answer
How to change a car grille?
Changing the car grille cannot be more straightforward. The first step to replacing the car grille, as you have already guessed, is removing the existing one. To access the screws of the grille, you have to lift the bonnet of the car. Locate the screws, unfasten them, and carefully take off the grilles. Before taking the grille off, you have to make sure that you have removed all the screws. Then place the new grille into the slot. After this, you can do the reverse of what you did the first time. To make sure that everything is working fine, take your car for a test drive. If the grille is not fixed right, you will hear a rattling sound.
How to install car grille badges?
Badges come in two types. Some of them have a nut and bolt installation. These have long nuts behind them that can reach the other side of the grill. You will be able to install these badges by lifting the bonnet and accessing the rear side of the grille in most cases. Make sure that the car is cooled down before doing this. Other kinds of grille badges make use of adhesives. They might not come with adhesives on them though. In that case, you can use an off-the-shelf car adhesive. Brands like 3M produce good quality car adhesives that last long even in harsh weather.
Are car grilles expensive?
There are different types of car grilles. There are plastic grilles that are mould pressed, and there are alloy grills that have handwoven mesh grills. The plastic ones are substantially cheaper than the latter. But the quality also differs from the price. Plastic ones are more prone to damage from pebbles and stones. If you hit your car grille on a curb, don’t expect the plastic ones to hold up. On the other hand, alloy grilles are more durable and quite expensive. They can cost three or four times more than the stock grill on your car. So, the answer is, yes. Even the most affordable auto-tuning parts do cost more than what anyone would consider cheap.