Ron's C7

LuvnMyC7:

Thanks for the posting and the software rendition of the torch red car with and stock.
I liked your grill from the 1st page!

Art-2008

The designers of the C7 Corvette were clearly trying to honor the heritage of the 1957 Corvette SS racing car when they designed the 2014 grill.

The book "Motor Trend Presents Corvette Stingray The Legend Lives" has an excellent comparison of the 1957 Corvette SS and an early designer's drawing of the C7. The grills are nearly identical. {see the bottom of page 16}

I like the look of the stock grill alot, as well as the heritage it represents.

Best Wishes.............Art

hotrod2147

LuvnMyC7

I don't dislike the grille itself. Just don't like it on this car. As you indicated, it is nearly identical to the 1957 grille. Looked great back in 1957 on that car. I just don't think a 1950's grille fits into the edgy sports car design that the 2014 Corvette has evolved into. That's just my personal opinion though and why I chose to change it. Others apparently quite like it and will choose to leave it as it is. That's the great thing about the Corvette, there are a million mods out there for people to revise things, little or big, to suit their own personal tastes.

LuvnMyC7

My pleasure, someone asked for it and it was a fairly easy copy and paste. Just posted the following photo on another thread where someone wanted to see it on a Laguna Blue colored car. Was a lower quality image to start with, but still gives the general idea.

LuvnMyC7

The photo below is a Pre-Production Z06 Style Prototype grille that RaceMesh is currently producing a one off version of. They're looking for constructive feedback to measure interest and determine whether to put it into regular production.

If produced, RaceMesh will offer all of their choices of mesh. The frame and vents will come finished in factory Carbon Flash Metallic. Body colored frame/vents will also be available.

I noticed in the Z06 photos, their wide mesh, allows you to clearly see everything (bolts, plastic, radiator, etc) that's behind the grille. Also can't imagine with that wide of mesh, it will offer much protection from rocks and other debris that could easily damage the radiator. I think this offers a clean, but aggressive look that ties in well with the rest of the C7's edgy design, and keeps all the mechanical stuff behind the grille, safe and out of sight.

I personally think it looks great. Love how the vents break up the huge grille space. Look forward to your feedback, even the colorful ones!! :-)

ACS is coming out with the bottom grille pretty soon as well.

B747VET

I sincerely am glad that you are happy with your new grill design. As many have said, that is all that normally should matter in feel good threads. In that vein, you could have chosen to simply title your thread, "I love my new grill.." But, you didn't do that.

To your credit, you have apologized for characterizing everyone else's stock grill as "hideous." But, you are the one who initiated the underlying tone of strong criticism towards others choices, so you can't really pretend to be incredulous that others continue to respond with critical detail beyond the normally banal and polite responses which usually flow in the more typical "Look What I Did!" threads.

That having been said, while there are aspects of your new grill that I really do like, there is now a fundamental lack of an integrated design. That cavernous opening probably needs more design elements than a simple homemade mesh covering. You have a very cool approach that perhaps just needs a little bit of a professional designers touch while respecting the intake engineering requirements.

The Cadillac CTS V grill is to many folks an excellent example of an upgraded high end design integration applied to a stock grill area. The resulting professionally designed chain mail look is available in either stainless or black.

I am not suggesting that the CTS V chain mail look would necessarily work on the C7. What I am saying is that the C7 Corvette, like all other high end cars, needs the caliber of design integration that results from tasking professional designers to do multiple renderings on any potential solution.

2 Ag R8Cs

It was advertised as an oldies show where about a dozen oldies performers were put together as an oldies show.

I was at the show he sang about and the song is not a true description of what really happened. There are always three sides to a story, each persons side of the story and the true story of what really happened. After all these years my memory could be a bit off but I can remember what my first thought was when I heard the song. "What a bunch of BS! That is not what really happened!"

I remember him coming out on stage wearing a cape, dressed in a costume similar to the one Elvis wore during his Vegas period. The show was billed as an oldies show and people came to see him and others singers preform their old songs. The audience gave him a very warm reception although most people were probably a bit put off with the cape. The negative reaction did not come until he switched to playing his new songs.

I did not boo but really don't blame the people that paid to hear him play his old stuff and got the old switcharoo. He was not there to give the audience what they paid for he was there to introduce his new act he was there with an agenda and he offended the people that paid to see him sing his old stuff.

I bet the same thing would happen today if Billy Joel gave a concert and sat down and started playing Chopin instead of the songs that made him famous.

quick04Z06

Looks great. I just hope the aero and cooling is not adversely affected, but it looks great.

2 Ag R8Cs

I bought that magazine and highly recommend it it is well worth the $7.99. I may even buy a second copy. I agree with you about the heritage comment, I have been a fan of the Corvette ever since the C1 and I own a C1 (1962)

LuvnMyC7

Not sure if you saw all of the photos and posts throughout this thread? I know it's a long thread, so I would be surprised if you did. But the CTS-V was previously mentioned. I actually owned one and that's where I got the idea for this grille. The grille is not "homemade". It was made by RaceMesh, who has been making grilles for a very long time. And they do offer many choices of mesh. The mesh that I went with is VERY similar to the mesh style used on the CTS-V. I chose black for my application, but they do offer stainless steel, chrome, satin, etc, etc. as well as other mesh types. Also, my last post just above was specifically to address the "cavernous" opening.
www.racemeshgrilles.com

Woodson

Refreshing, concise, respectful, and well thought out post.
Almost made me forget I was on an internet forum

vetdude

I think it looks far better than the OEM grill - the less "Detroit chrome" the better on these cars.

B747VET

Yes, I am very familiar with their great products. I really do think you may be on to something here. Something potentially very good.

What I meant was that, at a distance, the mesh could be home made or professionally made. Hard to tell. It's the overall look itself that looks home made. The components aren't the issue.

What is all too obvious is that it was not a professionally designed and developed integrated intake design. The CTS V not only has great chain mail, it also has an integrated design that just looks amazing. Nothing about it smacks of being a home built design. Very high end and functional.

I'm not trying to be negative here because I sincerely like what you've done so far. But that cavernous opening is crying out for finishing touches. Maybe a cross bar, or a couple vertical bars, a mix, and/or an emblem of some sort? But, I'm not advocating any of those particular solutions. I'm just saying something else is needed to finish such a potentially great look.

LuvnMyC7

That's why we're working on putting the Z06 style vents into it. Although personally, I like the clean look of just the one chamber grille. Me personally, I went through all the work just to get rid of the darn cross bar!! LOL

MACE_Hardware

Imagine if the car came OEM with the mesh grill on the OP's car.

Then imagine someone wanted to sell replacement grills that look like the current design to replace those mesh grills.

I bet 95% of us would reject the busy bar grill and say we like the mesh.

hsemecar57

Agree

Ronbo13

I like it better than the stock grill. Also like they are making it for the Z06....IMHO

dvilin

Very popular mod, but I plan on leaving mine with the stock one. Both look fine to me.

Rgeezer

I personally prefer the stock Stingray grill to the Z06 version or to any of these mods, but to each their own.