Bill Hamilton Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 Depending on where you read, the no grill look on the 2013/14's is for additional cooling or aerodynamics for exceeding 200 mph. Has anybody here had stones or road debris take out or damage the radiator or intercooler yet? I understand the advantages of the open grill but I enjoy driving my '14 on public highways and know the dangers of public roadways. First thing I ordered for my New Shelby was this: http://www.customcargrills.com/Instructions/2013Mustang%20GT500.pdf I haven't gotten it yet but was wondering if I'm just overly concerned or is it a real problem? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geneo4116 Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 So far knock on wood,no problems,drove my car in dec,from WISCONSIN to Florida,1400 miles no damage no problems, but it is kinda a worry,I try not to tailgate,don't think I'm gonna put a grill in it,we see what happens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1 Alibi 2 Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 Car was delivered on 5 Sept. 2013, grills went in on 6 Sept. Ford engineers said the 2012 grills were air restrictive, doubt they tested anything aftermarket. Best $ 60.00 I ever spent. . A thread on the SVTP site stated a heat exchanger was about 2K & ins. wouldn't cover it . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VNMSNK Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 FWIW....I ordered the grilles from Custom Car Grills and did not put them in initially because they did feel flimsy. After cleaning the car one nice Florida evening, I discovered 5 small stones imbedded in the heat exchanger and decided to put the grilles in the same night. They are actually pretty solid once installed. I had one of the cable tie mounts pop off due to some over-zealous tightening by someone (me) and decided it was fine until I just had nothing else to do one day. I really didn't want to remove the splitter again after just putting it back on and it was late. These are actually worth the few bucks plus shipping for peace of mind and it looks pretty good once finished. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2010KonaBlueGT Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 Depending on where you read, the no grill look on the 2013/14's is for additional cooling or aerodynamics for exceeding 200 mph. Ironically, every big number LSR car I know of blocks the grille off completely. That is to make the air go up and OVER the body instead of through the grille and under the vehicle. You want to keep as much air out from under a car/truck as possible to achieve terminal speed. I am planning to block my 2010 grilles (upper & lower) off for my next Mile LSR event to see if I can gain some top speed. I *was* planning to get a pair of the '13/'14 grilles and install them but history (Bonneville, etc.) convinced me otherwise. Having said that, I wouldn't be at ALL concerned about rocks or debris taking out a engine cooling radiator or intercooler radiator. As it is now, with the big egg crate hole in my 2010 grilles, I have yet to encounter anything hazardous in either of my radiators. Phill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Hamilton Posted February 5, 2014 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 Thanks Guys for the responses. Got mine in the mail today from Custom Car Grills. Looks like a weekend project coming up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motorhead213 Posted February 5, 2014 Report Share Posted February 5, 2014 I got them,a bit of a pain to install. I guess they are ok but not crazy how they mount.Seems like someone could have come out with something better. Just my 2cents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
440sprint Posted February 6, 2014 Report Share Posted February 6, 2014 Grills have holes in them, rocks & bugs still get in and are near impossible to remove without removing the grill! I like the no-grill look & have easily removed the few bugs after 5900 miles on my '13 Shelby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geneo4116 Posted February 6, 2014 Report Share Posted February 6, 2014 I agree so far so good,no grill for me,but if I encounter problems then I will go for,grill,I know a ounce of provention is worth a pound of cure,but I just love the open look,and I'm sure someone will,come up,with a better mounting application,where u don't have to take nothing apart to install and hopefully no wire ties,can't imagine to rely on wire ties at 180mph or more,which I will,try when the chance arrives,and usually I'm very cautious about my cars,but this thing needs to be driven and driven hard,I love it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snoopy49 Posted February 6, 2014 Report Share Posted February 6, 2014 Leak in heat exchanger. Grill damage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roush GR40 Posted February 6, 2014 Report Share Posted February 6, 2014 Ordered mine yesterday...flat black. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2010KonaBlueGT Posted February 6, 2014 Report Share Posted February 6, 2014 Leak in heat exchanger. That's one. You have cited ONE damaged IC radiator as proof? How many open grilles are out there on the road? And you cite one instance of damage, My guess is between 10,000 and 15,000 units on the road and one of them got damaged. THAT is proof you do NOT need a grille for protection. It is also unknown what caused that damage. He could have parked up against a tree and punched a branch into it to cause the damage. And...How many GT500's are out there WITH grilles that have punctured a radiator or IC radiator? As for the grille damage? PURE SPECULATION that it would have caused a second puncture (to the same car too). I have to wonder how ONE car got a IC radiator damaged and then a grille damaged. Is it possible that the person parks his car up against a bush or tree and doesn't realize he's causing the damage, rather than road debris? Hey, if we're gonna speculate, let's speculate both ways. Phill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2112 Posted February 7, 2014 Report Share Posted February 7, 2014 Interesting that the same guy had two episodes. What are the odds? . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DubbsFaris Posted February 7, 2014 Report Share Posted February 7, 2014 I took my grill out after getting some issues at 150-ish. The grill starts to rattle real bad, and I didnt want it breaking out and getting sucked up in there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IngotSilverSnake Posted February 7, 2014 Report Share Posted February 7, 2014 Grills have holes in them, rocks & bugs still get in and are near impossible to remove without removing the grill! I like the no-grill look & have easily removed the few bugs after 5900 miles on my '13 Shelby. +1 - I don't know about the after market grills but I don't consider the plastic grill on my 2012 to be any protection at all against rocks. The holes are large enough to let in rocks big enough to trash the radiator or exchanger. I drove the Alcan Hwy in 1975 in a Ford pickup on the way to my duty station in Alaska. At the time you really needed serious protection because 1,200 miles of the road was gravel. In that case you needed a heavy duty radiator screen and plexiglass covers for the headlights. Didn't help my windshield though. It was completely shot buy the time I rolled into Fairbanks. For the road conditions that most of us Shelby drivers face, serious grill protectors are just not necessary. If you drive you car daily to your job at the gravel pit, then go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
14AKGBGT500 Posted February 14, 2014 Report Share Posted February 14, 2014 Ordered a set too. Here in Alaska anything is better then nothing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2010KonaBlueGT Posted February 14, 2014 Report Share Posted February 14, 2014 Ordered a set too. Here in Alaska anything is better then nothing. With the horror stories I've heard about Alaska roads, I think I'd buy a grille guard too! Phill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark.barton Posted February 15, 2014 Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 OK, I'm going to give you one advantage to having the open grill..............Bugs. Cleaning out those damn bugs is a royal PITA. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IngotSilverSnake Posted February 15, 2014 Report Share Posted February 15, 2014 OK, I'm going to give you one advantage to having the open grill..............Bugs. Cleaning out those damn bugs is a royal PITA. Mark Absolutely. I sometimes wish I had no grill or a quick detach grill on my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.