- My model of MX-5 is: __NC2
- I’m based near: __Hampshire
- I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: __Front Grille replacement and chrome delete
Hi all,
Im looking for some advice on replacing the front grille on my mx5, my main objective is to remove/replace the chrome lip on my front grille. Ive seen a few options around from zunsport and ebay that i quite like the look of and mx5 part have the chrome lip replacement in black.
How easy would a full grille replacement be for a (very) amatuer DIY job?
I really like the look of the grille in the picture below but cant find it online? Can anyone help identifying it?
And lastly I’d love to see what you’ve done to your grille’s to see some more options!
Thanks in advance!
Mike
Looks like a ‘Zun Sport’ approx £100 , search Google.
Simple job mate , an hour or so , few bolts , clips.
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Do you know if the zunsport ones like in this example need a seperate replacement lip to replace the chrome one by any chance or will it include its own lip around the edge?
I have a full black Zunsport NC2 grille available, that will be up for sale next week.
You’d still have the standard chrome around the outside though, as it fits into that area.
So you’d have to do a chrome delete as well. You might be best removing it entirely and then spraying or PlastiDip etc. But not sure if you’d need the front bumper off first, to be able to take that section off.
Cheers
Steve
Thanks for the information! I’d be interested to take a look at the grille once its on sale.
Im leaning towards maybe buying the black replacement lip from mx5parts in that case and selling on the chrome one. Now i know its likely 2 seperate replacements rather than just an all in one solution.
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No problem. I’ll send you some details over, once I’ve got it out of storage.
If you zoom into that photo above, you can see the separation. So the Zunsport clips into the surround, in effect.
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I went through this process (Project De-Chrome!) at the start of the year. I would say you need to get the front bumper off to get the grill fully unclipped without breaking any clips in the process. Removing the bumper isn’t hard, just daunting if you’ve never done it before! Approx 12 bolts to remove, along with the wee plastic retainers that hold the inner arch liners on at the front (there’s a couple of nuts to remove behind these to get the bumper off). While I had it off, I also replaced the chrome badge for a black one, and sprayed the fog light surrounds black as well. Remember to reconnect your fog lights before fully fastening the bumper back on, otherwise you’ll just waste 20 mins of your life having to redo the same work 
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Wow yours looks great! Giving me ideas with the badge now!
Did you spray the chrome around the grille? Or replace? And is there a particular spray you would recommend for the fog lights?
Cheers, I’m very pleased with how it’s turned out.
I bought the surround from MX5 Parts: Front Bumper Grille Surround, Sport Black, MX5 Mk3.5 – MX5 Parts You need the small piece for the tow eye cover as well.
The fog lights I used Edd China’s fav method - gently rub it back with a scouring pad to give the surface a key, then add a few coats of Halfords Satin Black paint. I don’t expect the paint to withstand years of abuse, but it’s easy to touch up if needed, and the finish matches the surrounding plastics.
The black badge for the front I bought off ebay, the rear I ended up painting in satin black as I couldn’t find any in the right size.
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Thanks for the info,
Yours is a great looking car! Love the black wheels too!
Out of interest did yours come with the chrome door handles too? Im yet to find a solution beyond wrapping or replacing those.
Looking very snappy. Smoked glass on side repeaters and rear light clusters?
The black badge is an individual touch, good on you.
Yes, chrome door handles are still there - I’ve wrapped them for now with a generic gloss red wrap from ebay. They look good from 10ft away, but look too closely and you’ll see they don’t match perfectly…
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Cheers - I’m quite happy with it at the moment, so I’ll save the side repeaters and rear lights for later… 
Next winter will be a suspension refresh, new bushes etc so will see how the funds are after all that!
Just a quick question, I see you had yours on a stand and the wheels off to get to the grille, would you say this is needed?
Been planning mine but i dont have anywhere suitable to jack the car up atm, so was considering trying it without or using ramps?
It’s not needed, but it just makes it much much easier to get access to the screws in the wheel arches and under the front bumper… if you’re not taking the wheels off, have a look to see what access you’ve got before you start, it might make you wait till you’re able to jack it up properly!
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