I spent the better part of an hour this weekend fruitlessly spinning those 10mm nuts that hold the grill onto the bonnet. What's the trick to getting them off?

I've got a grill to black out!

 

you need to pry them gently into a new groove so that they can start to cut it the new direction. use a small flathead or other similarly shaped tool

 

Yup...I just did this today and that is the trick.

 

agreed. Be prepared to spend quite a while doing it as well. Depending on how they put them on in the factory, they may be really simple, or hard as hell. I spent an hour trying to take them off. If you plan on re-attaching the grille that you are taking off, be prepared to go and buy the black support that the chrome, and grille slats snap onto...

-Chase

 

Thanks everyone!

So it sounds like you inevitably end up destroying the black support in the process of taking the nuts off. Nice engineering.

I'll have to give the stealership a call…

 

That part is pretty cheap IIRC

 

i replaced mine with an aero grille so damaging the original was not an issue but i was still able to remove it without damaging it just take your time

 

I just bought a used one and managed t put it on with no problems. You can always put a few washers on the posts so the nuts bite in the thicker part of the shaft..You'll see how they are when you pull off a Nut..

 

It's kind of ghetto but try using a fork. After using a small flat head screwdriver to slide the nut down a little bit slide the fork underneath the bolt and use it as leverage as you screw down.

To bolt on the new one of stack a few 10 mm nuts in your socket tool and it'll press up the bolt as you screw them on to the new grill.

 

Thanks for the tip. Also nice pic. I have a Pepper White S as well.It's nice to see what the outcome will look like.
I'm also thinking of blacking out the chrome surround as well as the blades.

I wonder if small zip ties would hold the posts if the nuts get completely stripped.

 

Ghetto engineering rules & the fork is a great idea. I never would have thought of it. I was in there with a flat head but really worried about slipping & scratching the paint. The fork idea is brilliant.

 

... and zip-tie it in place!!

OK, OK, I know it's not the best way, but it sure saved a lot of frustration!! and I like the Ultimate grille look (not for everybody, I know).

 

Use a knife or paint scraper under the nut ... and just help it off when un screwing

I have done many and once you get the feel it is no issue....

 

I dig the look of the Ultimate but I dig the horizontal blades of the stock grill more. I just don't like the chrome surround & body color blades.

To bad there aren't any CF replacements!

 

You don't have to take the grill off to cover them with black vinyl... I did both of my cars' grilles right on the car. Or are you painting?

 

I want to cover the blades and chrome surround with blackout vinyl. I'll probably throw a coat or two of flat black on the black backer for good measure. I know you can do it on the car but it just looks like it would be a lot easier to trim the vinyl correctly when everything is taken apart.

Nice looking car! I really like the little grill behind the scoop. Is that steel?

 

These are the numbers for my '05 believe they are the same for all R53s

Speed nuts if you wind up going after them to save the grill: 07131509597
Upper grill base plate part number: 51131490058

 

I found the easiest way was to lightly attach a small pair of vice grips. and with some pulling action you can screw them right off...the screwdriver method wasnt working for me

 

I can't give enough thanks to everyone for all the input on methods for removing those nuts. Hopefully I can get into a garage next weekend to do it. I'd get on it this weekend but my shed got blown into my house during a wind storm so I'm gonna be tearing it down .

Looks like the previous owner never bothered to anchor it to the ground.

 

and, I'll bet this happened around 3am and just about scared the **** out of everyone.

Looks like the "tearing down" part is pretty much done. Now it's the "hauling away" and "tidying up" parts you need to tackle.

It's good that no one was between the house and the shed when it moved. At least, I hope you aren't missing a cat or anything?

 

Surprisingly it happened around 2PM but it did scare the crap out of us. It's all cleaned up & hauled away now. So now I can go out & get my vinyl.

 

Went out and got my Blackout Tape for the slats. I'm planning on using a high gloss black vinyl for the chrome surround. I think that the difference in textures will make for a cool look.