Prod car Grille question

[Mike Unger]

Do Production cars still need to retain the original grille? What about modern cars where the "grille" is part of the plastic bumper cover at the back of the front opening for the radiator? I'm not even sure if this is a grille as originally defined. What's the thought on this? Thanks.

 

[carshouston]

If you're talking about an EP Datsun 2000, the answer would be yes. If you were asking about a Miata and with the air deflector in front of the radiator I'd say no.
Good luck with your Datsun, my Dad crew chiefed one when I was a kid and they were new cars. I've always liked them.

 

[Mike Unger]

Thanks, Yes I'm talking about a modern car like a Miata or Honda S2000 where the grille equivalent is behind the bumper cover opening and in front of the radiator. I do race a Datsun 2000 but only in vintage now. Great fun cars.

 

[David Dewhurst]

Thanks, Yes I'm talking about a modern car like a Miata or Honda S2000 where the grille equivalent is behind the bumper cover opening and in front of the radiator. I do race a Datsun 2000 but only in vintage now. Great fun cars.

referencing

Miata's I've viewed have the part your referencing. There was a thread on this site a couple years ago about grille screens and seems the part your talking about was mentioned and it was to be left on the car. The part in the FSM is called am air guide.

 

[Mike Unger]

Thanks for the reply David. I would tend to agree that it should stay and will do that to be safe. On the S2000 it is more complicated in that a portion of the grille piece is part of the bumper cover (which can be made of an alternate material) and part is a separate molded item. It seems the definition "a decorative covering for the grille opening" is not as simple as it should seem on some modern cars. As the previous post mentioned, on an old Datsun there isn't much confusion about what a grille should be.

 

[blamkin86]

Body – All parts of the car licked by the air stream and situated above the
belly / floor with exception of the roll bar or cage. For Formula and Sports
Racing cars, further exceptions are those units definitely associated with
the function of the engine or transmission.

The oddball grill on the S2000 and miata is clearly "licked by the airstream" (WTF were they smoking that day?)

From the prod rules:

a. Modifications
1. The body, unibody, frame and their components can be
lightened, provided that structural rigidity is not compromised
to the point of requiring additional support. No nonstock
openings can be created in the bodywork. The lightening
of the cars structure can not create any openings
into the cockpit, or from the wheel well to the engine/trunk
compartments. Existing seams in the unibody and frame
can be welded.

Since all grills are part of the body, they can all be lightened, by these rules. However you can't create any nonstock openings.

The question then is, can you remove the miata/S2000 "grill", which is clearly part of the body. I don't personally think so, because there's a new opening where the stock part used to be.

It seems like, if you can remove that part on the miata/S2000, you should be able to, by the same rule, remove stock grills on all cars.

Maybe the argument is the opening isn't new, it's just less obstructive?

Again, if that's why it's legal to remove them on miata/S2000s, you should be able to remove grills on all cars.

Who knows.