I purchased and installed the M7 Ultimate Grill this weekend. My stock grill was demolished by some road debris on I-285 here in Atlanta, which is not too uncommon. I wanted to replace the stock grill with something a little more sturdy. I had been looking for a metal grill, but all the ones currently on the market look like a homemade project from Home Depot. The quality has either not looked so good, or the grill was a snap on to the existing stock grill.

I have been following the thread over here:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...c=19424&35

And I really liked the look of the new grill from M7, so I took the plunge. When I received it on Friday I was pleasantly suprised at the quality of the grill. While the pictures do look great from MISFITOY, it looked even better in real life. This grill without a doubt is the best steel grill on the market. None of the other compare to it. Great construction, solid feel, and the powdercoating looked great. I couldn't find any blemishes on the grill. I received an older grill that did not have the most current instructions in the box. I decided to try giving a call to Peter on Saturday hoping there was a chance he would be around. Well to my suprise, Peter answered the phone, and apologized about the instructions. In less than 5 minutes I had the new instructions e-mailed to me with color photos. The installation was quite easy. The entire process took about 1 hour doing it myself. Most of the time was spent lining up the grill to make sure it was centered. It was hard to do with two hands, but if another person was around it would have taken about 35 minutes off the time. I am a perfectionist, so it was taking me a little bit longer.

The kit does not snap in like the stock grill. The front bumper must have the top bolts taken out to swing the bumper down. The installation does require drilling three small holes into the front bumper assembly behind the grill. The holes are small and perfectly hidden behind the grill. The grill attaches with screws through these three holes. The grill is screwed in by one screw on each side and one in the bottom. I would have liked to have seen one more screw securing the top of the grill. The grill appears to be extremely secure and I don't expect any problems, the wish is just more of a personal wish for one extra attachment point. The M7 grill also does not sit as far back as the stock grill. The grill sits more at an angle. The top part of the grill is flush with the bumper while the bottom of the grill sits almost in the stock position. It does not look bad, but does look different.

Overall, I like the look of it and the quality construction. Some on the post above stated that it looked rice. But I think most of that was in the way the pictures were taken. Overall, you can't see much more behind the grill than the stock, unless you are laying on your belly and looking straight into the grill. The grill also appears to have better airflow. Also, the stock temperature sensor (which originally was attached to a clip that was integrated into the stock grill) must be attached by another means. I attached mine with a small tie clip, which will hold it securely without being seen. The cost is a little high, but in my opinion it was worth it for the quality. I would totally recommend this grill to anyone, and Peter's customer service ranks right up there with the best.

Pros:
Quality construction
Great Look
Easy installation
Great Customer Service

Cons:
Price
Integrated temp holder (although this would increase the price as well)
No precut opening for Tow hook

Sure would like to see photo's!

You can see pics in the link in my post. It has not stopped raining/sleeting here since I installed it, so I don't have any photos yet.

Yes photos please! I saw this grill on a MCS and it looked sweet :smile:

Here are some images from my install for everyone to evaluate:

http://www.szweda.com/mini/M7_Grill1.jpg
http://www.szweda.com/mini/M7_Grill2.jpg
http://www.szweda.com/mini/M7_Grill3.jpg

I like the look but, concerned about the lack of access for the tow hook.
What was the cost?

Looks really nice. I would be more interested if there was a pre-cut hole for the tow hook. How difficult would if be to come with one I wonder? Or to cut one yourself and have it look good..Pete @ M7 ...you listening?..

The possibility of a group buy is mentioned here, with a price.M7 Grill group buy

:grin:

>>Pros:
>> Quality construction
>> Great Look
>> Easy installation
>> Great Customer Service
>>
>>Cons:
>> Price
>> Integrated temp holder (although this would increase the price as well)
>> No precut opening for Tow hook


I wonder if Peter is going to address the Integrated temp holder and the No precut opening for Tow hook in a updated future release of his grill. I like what he has done on this Grill!

Cheers

do I understand it correctly that the new grill attaches to the aluminum bumper support rather than the painted valance, and is that what requires the attention to centering ?

It attaches to the valence. The center trouble, dealt with the fact that the grill does not snap into place, it is "free floating" until it is screwed into place. It does rest snuggly against the open, it is just that it can shift around while you are trying to center it and mark the spots for screws. It isn't that bad and the problem is nonexistent with two sets of hands. It is not impossible with one set of hands, just makes it harder holding it in front, while trying to mark behind the grill.

MISFITOY did cut out the grill for the tow hook. He has some pics which look good. In my opinion it is the best grill out there, but if M7 could make a spot for the tow hook and the temp probe, it would really be the Ultimate grill.

By having it free floating you can mount the grill to your liking. I mounted mine near the friont of the opening . If desired you can mount it anywhere from flush to the front of the bumperopening to deeply recessed to the very back. It is about a hr install at most and it is helpfull to have someone assist when it comes time to set the three mounting screws.http://www.maxmini.net/images/newpic...tegrillweb.jpghttp://www.maxmini.net/images/newpics2/grill3a.jpg[img]

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