Project Cayman GTS 4.0: Rennline Radiator Grill Guards

For those who have the grill guards on either their Spyder, GT4 or the Rennline grill guards some owners make it part of their annual maintenance to remove the bumpers and clean the bugs and debris that gets trapped behind the guards and into the radiator fins.

The video really has way more detail than can be described with words but as for the tips and tricks of the process:

• The whole job rewards patience. No step in the process requires brute force. If something doesn’t come loose; walk away and come back. Brian points this out on camera when he puts the side markers back in.
• The 718 needs the front wheels to come off to access the full arch liners. I assume someone really persistent could probably do it with the front wheels on but it would be a hassle.
• Taping the edges where the bumper meets the body of the car seems like a good idea for those extra concerned with scratching the paint. Brian had extra hands removing the bumper so this wasn’t a concern for him.
• A bumper stand or similar system seems like a good idea to fasten the grill guards to the bumper.
• The spring clips near the headlights are probably the hardest part. They slide parallel to the fender and release towards the frunk opening. They don’t twist or pry and if it’s the first time they have been removed they may be stubborn. There’s a wiggle motion Brian displays in the video.
• There’s a bolt in the corner of the bumper on each side where the side marker goes that’s easy to miss.
• Don’t forget the various connectors and the washer fluid hoses. My washer hoses have never been used so there was no fluid that dripped out of them when disconnected.
• Before you pull the bummer off completely double check all the sensors have been disconnected.
• Conversely when putting the bumper back on don’t forget to double check all of the sensor connections. Any missed connection will throw a fault code.
• When installing the grill guards take your time with the fitment of the guards around the bumper air flow openings. The manual from Rennline calls out the need to manipulate the guard in order to get the fitment right. Brian had to go back and forth a few times to make sure there were no gaps especially in the corners. We made a few relief cuts on the edge of the guards to get the fitment right.
• When you’re screwing in the self-tapping screws go slow by hand. You’re screwing into plastic and essentially making a screw thread out of that plastic. Brian had his hand on the other side of the bumper just so that at any moment he felt a nudge of the screw head he could back off. Fortunately this never happened.
• Take another look at those corners to ensure the guards cover the full opening. It’s okay if you need to adjust the screw holes. If you’ve got the fitment a little skewed, its okay because who’s going to know other than you there are extra holes on the backside of your bumper right?
• Removing the intake grill surround is a brutal looking process but it isn’t that bad once you know how to do it. Funny pro tip if you have PPF or ceramic coatings or both, good luck getting something like painters tape to stick to protect the finish from the pry tool.