Milotec sports grilles

Now just need to wait till the rain subsides...

nice one Q.

i had them on my octy and they look really good very easy to fit aswell

Any piccies of them fitted kenny?

pic on there, not the best really but all i have on my work computer

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/styling-car-care/3-years-old-swissold-milotecd-painted/12382/?highlight=year

Aaargghh! I just knew it wasn't going to be a 5 minute job on my lunch break :weeping:

I duly removed the 2 side grilles and proceeded to remove the center grill following the instructions. A bit of bashing was required, especially at the left hand side down at the bottom. But I persevered and it came undone... only then I noticed why it was so hard to get it away from the clamps in that corner... the FMIC pipe runs behind it! :eek:

So I tried to get the new grill in, but I can't get it between the pipe and the bumper, so I fear I will have to remove the front bumper all together just so I can insert the center grill again :weeping:

Does anyone know where the hidden bolts are? From reading past threads there are bolts in the wheel arches, underneath the bumper, underneath the bumper strip (how can I remove that best?) and possibly underneath the headlights. Does that sound right?

Five minute jobs... :weeping:

oh dear, dont you hate 5min jobs :(

Q

There are many bolts to undo, though realistically it should take 15-20 mins at the most depending on what tools you have.

Starting with wheel arches, remove the screws (torq type heads though a 4 or 5 mm allen key does the job too) that join the arch liner to the inside edge of the bumper. Also while your under there, remove the two screws that hold the plastic trays to the wheel arch in front of the wheels. These trays slot into the bumper shell, but is is easiest to remove them from the wheel arch. Obviously if you have big hands and fat tyres you might have difficulty here and have to resort to turning the steering to gain access both sides.

Then remove those two nice new grills you have inserted and remove yet more screws from memory there are atleast 2 or 3 on each side. You do not need to undo the 13mm bolt heads. Now with the bonnet open whip out the three screws which are normally hidden behind the grill between the head light units.

Nearly there now. Prise back the plastic rubbing strip from either side just in front of the wheels to reveal 2 x 13mm bolts on either side. Take these out and you should now be in a position to slide the whole shell forward from the car! The end. And while you are there - the perfect opportunity to give the FMIC a quick polish with the Brasso!

Very simple to remove a bumper, just becareful how you lay it down. My only issue was re-fitting the bumper.

Q,

Forgot to say as a tip for fitting the centre grill, you will note that the existing Skoda item fixes in place with many slotted bits that match up with the bumper casting. When you stick your milotec item on, you will see these painted protrusions through your grill and that frankly aint good enough. When I had a set of these grills, I used some back electrical insulation tape to neatly wrap around the bumper shell protrusions such that when your new grill in on, you do not notice these painted bits through the grill. Does this make sense, fit the milotec on and you'll see what I mean.

Nearly there now. Prise back the plastic rubbing strip from either side just in front of the wheels to reveal 2 x 13mm bolts on either side. Take these out and you should now be in a position to slide the whole shell forward from the car! The end. And while you are there - the perfect opportunity to give the FMIC a quick polish with the Brasso!

Cheers Lee, very comprehensive. The rubbing strip is my biggest worry so far, how does one 'prise it back'? Can you stick some plastic wedge underneath it and wriggle it a bit to create space? Obviously don't want to break things...

Speaking to big_k, he said that I may be able to create enough space if I undo the screws inside the side grills first and pull the bumper forward enough to get the center grill behind it... would you concur?

Forgot to say as a tip for fitting the centre grill, you will note that the existing Skoda item fixes in place with many slotted bits that match up with the bumper casting. When you stick your milotec item on, you will see these painted protrusions through your grill and that frankly aint good enough. When I had a set of these grills, I used some back electrical insulation tape to neatly wrap around the bumper shell protrusions such that when your new grill in on, you do not notice these painted bits through the grill. Does this make sense, fit the milotec on and you'll see what I mean.

I know what you mean. The bumper lips are silver and will indeed stick out inside the milotec grill 'flaps'. An excellent tip

Cheers Lee, very comprehensive. The rubbing strip is my biggest worry so far, how does one 'prise it back'? Can you stick some plastic wedge underneath it and wriggle it a bit to create space? Obviously don't want to break things...

Speaking to big_k, he said that I may be able to create enough space if I undo the screws inside the side grills first and pull the bumper forward enough to get the center grill behind it... would you concur?

I know what you mean. The bumper lips are silver and will indeed stick out inside the milotec grill 'flaps'. An excellent tip

Flat blade screw driver will do it.....but becareful not to mark the rubbing strips.

Will give that a try then. Wish at times like these I had a garage I could work in...

Will give that a try then. Wish at times like these I had a garage I could work in...

Or you could leave the car alone.

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest;

Second, by imitation, which is easiest;

and third by experience, which is the bitterest.

-- Confucius

Maybe I should look for another hobby... Needle crafts anyone?

Flipping hell... saying golf/octy are close to similar octy bumper sounds like a right pain in the rear end to remove... golf is just 5 big torx and some little ones in wheel arch. Shows how a different body shape effects these things.

Cheers Lee, very comprehensive. The rubbing strip is my biggest worry so far, how does one 'prise it back'? Can you stick some plastic wedge underneath it and wriggle it a bit to create space? Obviously don't want to break things...

Q,

So long as weather is freezing cold, you can pull this off and swing it round your head and I doubt you will do damage. It is quite a supple polyprolyene type plastic. Use a nice large flat bladed screw driver on the vertical edge at the end of the strip moulding to avoid both damage to the strip and your paint work.

Cheers Lee

:soapbox:

What a pig to get that bumper off! Took me 2 hours to get it off, then 30 minutes to get the bloody Milotec grill in, then another 30 minutes to put it back together again. Have also got 2 screws left which I couldn't get back in... :weeping:

And due to my incapability to park the car with the front inside my garage, I've also managed to scrape the side wheelarch on the drivers side :weeping:

What a miserable day :(

I'll take some pictures at the weekend.

Oh dear, was it worth it?

I fitted my Milotc grilles in the street outside work - 5 minute job

:sofahide:

Yeah, yeah, rub it in... It looks the dogs though, so am well chuffed about the result... obviously not in the additional work required to fix the scratches... you get the drift

Btw, you say 5 mins, but how did you get a pliers behind the grill to secure the clamps? Or didn't you read the instructions?

:soapbox:

What a pig to get that bumper off! Took me 2 hours to get it off, then 30 minutes to get the bloody Milotec grill in, then another 30 minutes to put it back together again. Have also got 2 screws left which I couldn't get back in... :weeping:

And due to my incapability to park the car with the front inside my garage, I've also managed to scrape the side wheelarch on the drivers side :weeping:

What a miserable day :(

I'll take some pictures at the weekend.

Should have left it as it was.

Yeah, yeah, rub it in... It looks the dogs though, so am well chuffed about the result... obviously not in the additional work required to fix the scratches... you get the drift

Btw, you say 5 mins, but how did you get a pliers behind the grill to secure the clamps? Or didn't you read the instructions?

Er, clamps?

I got mine second-hand with no instructions! Just clipped em in. They've been in for 2 years and 17000 or so miles and not fallen out!

Ah, that would explain it then. The instructions specify that you use a pliers to squeeze the clips together. But you can only really do that when you take the bumper off. Which I had to do because of the FMIC pipes. Ah well, at least I can now do it in 5 minutes if I ever decide to do it again

This is all very interesting as I am waiting for my stainless steel versions to turn up currently, so am interested to see what happens.

Good info to have so I can hopefully make mine a "5-minute job"

Look good though. Will be interested to see Q's handy work on Sunday