| Does anyone know if there is a European supplier of Brainstorm stuff. I'm particularly interested in the grills. Has anyone bought one of these direct from USA ? What are Brainstorm like to deal with ? Brainstorm have quoted $60 for shipping to UK. This would make the grill about 95GBP (inc. duty +VAT if I get stung). Any comments ? (12/99) |
| Can I recommend the ZunSport grille from 5-hive. Best quality I've ever seen. Mine was about 85 quid ISTR but I think it might now be a little more. Woven stainless steel. Worth every penny. See http://www.geocities.com/Baja/Trails/4779/nose1.jpg for a really rough low-res picture of "my nose". (12/99) |
| I can highly recommend the OC Wallpaper Template, all in cost of 4 UK pounds and you can't see it when its in place anyway - so why spend a fortune! (12/99) |
| Where do I get this expensive item from. I think I could just about spare 4 quid to save my radiator from the stones. (12/99) |
| I really must get the dimensions of this on the web somewhere, its costing a fortune in stamps!-) I used square galvanised mesh from B&Q £3.49 a sheet, sprayed black with hammerite and attached with long black cable-ties. - 20min job all in. (12/99) |
| Does this legendary template fit a Mk2 and if not, does anybody have one? (12/99) |
| See: http://www.fortunecity.com/x-stream/sohosq/16/mx5diy.htm for a template You need some sort of CAD software to print out the full sized version (is it full sized??). Maybe there's a shareware/demoware version around someplace. (12/99) |
| I cant decide whether I should remove the tie-down hooks before I put a grill on or make a grill to fit with the hooks in place. I suspect that it will be the latter as removing the hooks sounds like too much hard work for little old me! (12/99) |
| I recently had my tie-hooks removed while having my exhaust fitted...it took them 30 mins using air tools...and they only charged me a few quid to do it...lot better than taking skin of your knuckles and trying to access them...they're a bugger to get at. (12/99) |
| Not hard work at all - you must have the right size open ended spanner (Memory not what it was but I think 14 or 15mm). Then its just 30 minutes or so laying under the front. I MUCH prefer the look of the car without the tie-down hooks and yes, you can se the grill and yes, it looks great with hexagonal pattern (sorry guys and gals I went out and bought one from Moss, not cheap but I think well worth it) (12/99) |
| For those of us who can't be @rsed to fit mesh around tie downs and spotlights etc has anyone made a radiator protector just fixed to the front of the rad? "look "of mesh not an issue here. (12/99) |
| It only takes 20mins, even cutting the holes for the tow hooks. As the radiator is so close to the mouth I doubt if you could get anything any closer or easier to fit. You could always fit your number plate in the mouth as I've seen a red Mk1 do on the A339 each day, although I expect that serveley restricts air flow to the rad. (12/99) |
| You can buy Chrome effect spray from halfords, designed for car type purposes. I guess a grill sprayed in this way would look very nice, it works quite well - I used it to respray my fridge :-) (12/99) |
| Remove the hooks, if I can anyone can. It involves a little squirming around but IMO the car looks better without them and they weigh a lot. (12/99) |
| The coolant radiator isn't that close - the air conditioning condenser (posh name for the radiator) goes in front of it. It was the high cost of the a/c condenser and the charge of R12 refrigerant that caused me to fit a grille. I'd have risked it with just the radiator. But the grille does look jolly nice! (12/99) |
| An early version I made was basically a rectangular piece of flat mesh (go down to your local metal fabrications workshop, and ask for an off-cut, I did, and it was free), about the length of between the 2 plastic uprights and the height of the mouth+ 1" (which is bent out of the way on a vice). In my case, I bent one side at a right angle, so I could fix it in place with screws, but I guss you could use tiedowns. It looked fairly neanderthal, but once painted black, looked unobtrusive. Still there as a backup to the more decorative mesh I have now (its bulletproof, and will stop a brick). Watch the mesh size, as if the holes are too small, it will cause the engine to run hot. I went for 1 cm (approx) sizing. The far corners didn't matter, as there isn't much radiator exposed, and I had driving lamps fitted in the mouth. (12/99) |
| I'm pretty sure Chris's is a Brainstorm grille (http://www.miata.org) They have some quite nice looking mesh ones too. (12/99) |
| Those are the ones!! Like it says on the site... the pictures dont do it justice! Does anyone know if you can get one of those this side of the pond? (12/99) |
| And for those of you who cannot be bothered to make your own grille, Donutz sell the ILM versions, for both mk 1 and mk2, with or without tie-hooks. (12/99) |
| Actually I got it from PBC, but looking at their website, I can't find it now. To be honest you can make your own from strips of aluminium and some long thin bolts or threaded shaft and some cylindrical spacers of a size to fit over the threads I will put together some instructions to do it using mine as a template to get the lengths. (12/99) |
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You need some sort of CAD software to print out the full sized version (is it full sized??). I'll be trying this on the A0 plotter at work tomorrow (if it's working) - I've decided I cannot afford to pay the 100GBP for the Brainstorm grille - I'll either make one from the template, try self fabricating one along the lines of Chris Coleman's, or buy an ILM grill from Donutz. (12/99) |
| Well for those of us who like lying around half under low cars, Spending an hour with ill fitting spanners & who thoroughly enjoy scrapping off the wounds from the last knuckle bashing, removing the hooks are easy. I agree it looks loads better & you wont get a half wit trying to tow you with them if you're unfortunate enough to break down. (12/99) |
| I have bought an ILM one and can recommend it for looks and quality. Oh and FWIW to all those that paint theres black how often do you have to repaint due to stone chips, I've seen a few that look decidedly 'spotty'. so if about to fit go for the silver/steel finish. (12/99) |
| Moss (Mossint.co.uk/p2131.htm/) do a superb grill 27.56 GBP , the web site only shows black but it comes in silver as well. Fitting including removing tie downs - 45min (ish) no scrapes scratches or other damage (and I am 53! and I am no mechanic - come on you guys in 'my day' everyone worked on their own cars!) The grill is excellent, no bangs crashes or whistles - best value for money after the car itself (12/99) |
| The ILM grill on the Donutz site looks good, but I cannot be alone in thinking that there is an awful lot of stainless steel there and not a lot of holes. What does *Hi-Flow* mean ? Would anyone with a decent GCSE in physics be able to tell me that there would be no problems with cooling in the summer (S.France 37degC) ? BTW, only wimps must plan to buy one of these with the cut-outs. Get your 14mm spanner out- its easy :o) (12/99) |
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Hi, no GCSE physics here, but having consulted my local Physics guru (no GCSE either, but she has got the set of O, A and Uni physics) ... she hasn't got a clue either :-) However what we can vouch for is that, in a Mk1 at least, the South of France shouldn't be an issue with a grille, we were there last summer with 35deg in the shade without any noticeable engine cooling/heating problems. With the hood down, though, don't forget the sunscreen: not a huge amount of shade in a topless 5 ! BTW, we've got the Moss stainless highflow grille rather than the ILM one, don't know how different they are. One thing I would also check is the lead time for delivery; ILM took ages to deliver the last thing we ordered from them. |
| Got my new ILM grill from donutz - very nice indeed. Am I right in thinking it will be OK just tie-wrapped on? (1/00) |
| I bought an ILM grill from donutz back in October, it takes about 20 mins to fit properly. Take the two tie down hooks out if you don't already, 3 bolts one of which is a pain and you'll need a spanner (watch those knuckles) then there are two bolts inside the air dam, take the nuts off put the grill in the 2 cut out bits at the top fit then tighten the bolts. Job finished. looks great, looks like it should have been there in the first place. I really don't recommend tie-wrapping! (1/00) |
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Competition mesh is sold by 'Carnoisseur' either by mail order or through their shops. To quote from their catalogue "can be fitted to road/rally racing cars - protects radiators/oil coolers from damage. Also fits behind front grilles/spoilers/air intakes, etc. Made in tough black polypropylene." It costs 21.95 for a sheet large enough to make two grilles - the smaller size isn't big enough to do one! The telephone number for mail order is 01582 471700 - they have their own retail shops but oddly enough there isn't one listed in London. Howeve, a phone call should bring a catalogue full of quite nice goodies. The mesh is very pliable - not at all stiff - so it needs to be pulled tightly before tying. (1/00) |
| This sounds very like the sort of mesh you find in garden centres
for windbreaks. Might be cheaper? Worth a look! :-) (1/00) |
| Is it possible to fit a grille (like the one from IL Motorsport) in the mouth of the 5 AND also fit front foglights in it? If so, does it not look odd? Any pictures available? (2/00) |
| Mine has a newly fitted ILM grille and Illuminator 2 projector lights (from donutz.co.uk). Look at www.smalley.org.uk/lightson.jpg for a piccy. Hope you get some, mine is so much happier. (2/00) |
| Looking at your photo; you didn't actually make any cutouts in the grille? I'd like to fit an ILM grille, but I have my spots spaced about where the 2 bolt cutouts are on the grille, and possibly a bit more recessed than yours. (2/00) |
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You didn't actually make any cutouts in the grill? Nope. I have my spots spaced about where the 2 bolt cutouts are on the grille There's not just the grille to worry about then, just behind the grille are some plastic upright bits. They look like some kind of strengthening support. I only placed them where they are due to some convenient holes already there to bolt the lights through. :-) (2/00) |
| Bought mesh, assembled towels, band aids and swear boxes..... Slackened most obvious 14mm bolt - oops....nothing to do with tie down hooks! Located pair of 14mm bolts and....eh!?!?....WTF!?....the third, way back. What are you guys using to get these off? My 6" long 14mm spanner just isn't going to cut it! Longer spanner required? Did somebody mention rachet spanners recently? No way are those buggers gonna move on a short 14mm spanner. Also, are you removing plastic to get at these or attacking them thru' the "mouth" (keyhole surgery styleeee - like me). How did the previous poster's mechanic get air tools on these? There appears to be no "head on" access for sockets as standard. (2/00) |
| They're little buggers aren't they? Yes, we removed my car's tie-down hooks using a variety of different tools including ratchet spanners. When we got to the last two bolts like you, it was a case of knocking the tie down hooks side to side to try to loosen them. The ratchet spanner was the only thing that would grip one of them after we had rounded it off using other spanners, plus it saves a LOT of time, not having to remove the spanner after each turn! I don't think they are supposed to really be used for "breaking" bolts/nuts, but I was that impressed with them I went out and bought a set! Tips: Have you sprayed them with WD40? I sprayed them a couple of days before we actually got them off, even the next day they wouldn't budge. You can get at them if you thread the spanner in through the mouth, then lying underneath the car, use one hand on the handle through the mouth, and one hand from under the car to locate the head. Then all you have to do is get them to move. I found it helped if you scrunch your face up, tense every muscle in your body, lift your legs in the air and groan a bit! ;-) (2/00) |
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I did the job a few weeks ago and IIRC the first two bolts on each hook (towards the side of the car?) were easily accessible using a ratchet and socket. The third, which was obscured for head-on attack but still visible, was undone using a 14mm ring spanner with a slightly angled head. (What's the proper term for that then?) BTW All three were removed whilst lying on the ground with head under bumper (not through the mouth). After removing the hooks I replaced the bolts in the holes (better than having them rattle around in the boot, and will help keep the threads in the holes from rusting up) and wrapped the hooks and spanner up in an old rag and stowed in the spare wheel cavity. Still, no matter how many tools you have there'll *always* be another you need!:-) (2/00) |
| If anyone is interested, I've attached the method I used. (Word doc) (10/00) |
|
I installed a radiator protective grill this weekend (MK2) and thought I'd report how I did it in case someone else wants a quick and inexpensive fix... Tools: Galvanised 6mm mesh sheet (Homebase 4 pounds) Spanners Cable ties ( ~ 3 long ones, or short ones joined together to lengthen them as needed) 1) Remove the two brackets which anchor the top of the radiator
to the front of the car. These are held by one bolt each and one
contains the bonnet stay catch, so macke sure you put them back
the right way around! It took me just over an hour, but that included some fiddling around with the idea of a DIY grille in the 'traditional' point in the mouth below the number plate. The mesh ends up protecting the area which is vulnerable to stone damage and is sufficiently far back to be only visible if you really bend down and look. I think it does the job, cheaply, while not taking long or requiring loads of hassle with cutting out gaps for tie-down hooks. Also, as it mounts behind the tie-down hooks it remains up to you to decide whether they stay on or are removed. (9/01) |
