Need lower front grille- 01 mv wk, anyone know where???

[crazylev]

Greetings.

I own a 2001 EV MV Wk. While driving across South Dakota a pheasant decided to commit suicide by flying out in front of my van traveling at 60MPH.

Sadly, the bird didn't make it. The impact left me with a broken lower plastic grill. This is NOT the one with the VW emblem, it is the one below that that is about 3 feet long, three inches high. It looks like this is attached by five or six phillips head screws.

So my questions are: Can I repair this myself without having to take the engine out or something like that?

Anyone know where to get a replacement part and how much they might cost?

Has anyone replaced this item? My plan is to find the replacement, prime it with some primer, and then try to get a close match of paint at Home depot.

Thanks for your help.

Jonathan

[gti_matt]

IDK about just that grille but you can get a black set (upper and lower) here:

http://www.oemplus.com/grill-set-black-p-374.html

Not painted or body-color but if you're into the black look on a non-black van, it breaks up the monochrome nicely. On a black van, you would barely notice a difference I bet between painted black and unpainted black.

If you want body-color (and to just replace the lower one) you might have to go to VW directly and get a primed one, have it painted, etc. That'll cost probably at least the $150 for the set of black ones I'm sure.

The grilles are just screwed in IIRC but I think you might have to remove the upper one to get to the lower one and IIRC the lower one might not come out w/o removing the entire lower grille panel (but I could be wrong on that). However it's not that hard to remove the entire grille panel either.

1. Remove upper grille. It's two screws atop the radiator support (very evident) and one allen key (I think) bolt that is through the "crotch" of the VW emblem.

2. Remove the turn signals. Reach in each corner under the hood and remove the spring hook and slide the lamps out. You can leave them dangling by the wires.

3. Remove one screw each side now exposed by the absent signals.

4. Remove three screws in the lower grille (one each end and one center).

5. Unsnap the entire metal lower panel with the lower grille in it. It just clips to the fenders. Just be careful to not scratch your bumper. They're kinda grippy though.

6. With that off, you probably can get the lower grille out of the lower panel now (I never had to go that far but IIRC there was nothing that I remember to get the lower grille out of the lower panel while the panel was still on the car (maybe I'm wrong?) so that's why you have to remove the lower panel.)

Assembly is reverse of removal.

[gti_matt]

Actually I just noticed the OEM Plus grille set is also the grille up on the hood by the windshield too. That one probably just unscrews and unclips, etc.

[crazylev]

Thanks so much GTI-Matt.

I'm leaning toward getting the OEM three piece kit per your link. The primed ones are ridiculously expensive, 15.00US for just the lower and then that has to be painted! And not because I'm cheap, I think the black might look kinda cool too.

Today I removed the upper grille. Like you said, two screws at top, easy. And two screws trough the grille. Whole assembly comes right off. Easy.

The hard part, and I never figured this out and didn't want to break the fastener thingie: to separate the plastic grille piece from the metal trim, there are two clips on the left and right side of plastic grille that need to be depressed simultaneously (easy), two black clip things that as you depress the ends, they slide out, as well as that fastener you mentioned in the crotch of the "W" in the VW emblem.

I actually removed the emblem carefully as to not break the tabs of the emblem, but I could not figure out that one fastener that holds the metal trim to the plastic grille (aaaaarrrrr!) It almost looks like this needs to either be drilled out and then replaced with a screw and nut of some sort before re-assembly.

Any advice here? As well as advice for removing the top grill, the one with the windshield washer covers? I removed the insulation under the hood only to find that the hood is two pieces. Do you just pry (and pray) the hood grille piece off?

On to the lower grille. Followed your instructions and I got the whole front end thing off. The only tricky part here is the lower grill is attached to the metal trim with five plastic pins. I didn't know if those screwed in, but they just sort of slide out with the help of some taping.

On to ordering the kit!!!!! :-}

Thanks Matt.

[gti_matt]

I think the black might look kinda cool too.

Yeah I like the black as well. Late 90s and early 00 Eurovans are nice but there's almost too much monochrome. Black accents are kinda nice.

I actually removed the emblem carefully as to not break the tabs of the emblem, but I could not figure out that one fastener that holds the metal trim to the plastic grille (aaaaarrrrr!) It almost looks like this needs to either be drilled out and then replaced with a screw and nut of some sort before re-assembly.

Sorry I never had to separate the grille from the metal on mine so I don't have any detailed hints on that one.

As well as advice for removing the top grill, the one with the windshield washer covers? I removed the insulation under the hood only to find that the hood is two pieces. Do you just pry (and pray) the hood grille piece off?

On my '93 it's a few screws visible from the outside and a few tabs to be pried up to clear the hood. but on 97-03 models it may not be 100% the same. I can't imagine though that it'd be too crazy to remove. Just look carefully for any screws or other fasteners and other than that, it's probably just some tabs or snaps in place. Oh and of course once it's out there's washer tubing to disconnect.

[Operating Engineer O/O]

Has anybody seen the "badgeless" grilles or the stainless or the mesh.....I have been looking for any of these that have been reviewed.......sooo much of this stuff is china Junk. As Matt spoke of here, I also need the "lower", not the part of the grille that holds the VW logo....If I gotta do this , I would rather have something different....any input please ?