355 rear challenge grill install

Hi is it fairly easy to install the rear challenge grill on a 355? and do you use the horse off of your own cars rear on the challenge grill? Thank You Doug

 

Yes and Yes.

Took me like an hr to take mine off and put the new one on. I would recommend running the nuts down all the studs *before* mounting it on the car. I got it on, only to have to take it off becuase the studs in the lower corners (on the outside edge of the tail lights) wouldn't let the nuts thread on.

-Michael

 

Thank You
Doug

 

Doug,

Have you tackled this yet?

-Michael

 

Hey guys, I noticed your thread and have tried the install myself. I got to the last 2 nuts, one on each side of the middle brake light and stopped. There seems to be a piece of aluminum on the outside rear of the car above the brake light that is secured by a rivot on each side that prevents me from getting to those. I was afraid to drill the rivots out. Did you do that or come up with a better solution? Thanks! J

 

Ihaven't done the swap yet
Doug

 

I'm having a go at this at the moment but there is a trim strip that appears to be riveted at either end which holds the stip of perforated metal in place wiht the f355 badge on it. Does anyone know how to remove this?

I can't get to the two top mounts of the grill with this in place.

Thanks

 

Ok - sorted it - drilled out the rivets and used two anodised black 3.2 m rivets and rivet gun to replace it afterwards

 

Felix,

it would be real help if you could take us through it with pics ?

 

sorry mickey I have already done it now.

You need a staedy hand and to a small drill bit to remove the outside edge of the two current rivets. then once they are gone - reach inside the back of the wing and remove the debris.

The strip of thin metal holding the pre-exisitng perforated piece of trim (with the 355 badge on it) will then pull away and allow the 355 bage panel to be removed. You can now get to the last two remaining nuts holding the existing prancing horse panel to be removed. - It took me an hour or so to remove everything and around twenty mins to put it all back together again - note - you need a small pop rivet gun and some 3.2mm rivets to re-attach the metal strip.

 

so no way around drilln and reriviting
?

 

As I recall there's a full procedure over on www.the355.com

 

Unfortunately.......... no ....