NEW! FROM RONCO!! Bullet-Proof the A/C Condenser on YOUR '09 Fit!!!!!
#1
02-01-2009, 04:45 PM
NEW! FROM RONCO!! Bullet-Proof the A/C Condenser on YOUR '09 Fit!!!!!
Yes, now you too can keep rocks from blowing holes in the A/C condenser of your very own GE8. No, it's not from the TV infomercial guy who makes the "Showtime Kitchen Rotisserie", and the aerosol fuzzy spray paint for the bald spot on the back of your head.
This is from MrGrille, in Norco, California and eBay.
eBay Motors: 2009 Honda Fit Billet Grille Grill (item 110344948908 end time Feb-02-09 12:15:42 PST)
This is what your car looks like now- BIG rectangular gaps in the lower grill that allow rocks to bounce off the road right into your condenser (the condenser is the shiny thing you see right behind the stock plastic grill) . A dealer will happily charge you $700+ to replace your leaky condenser. This is NOT a repair covered by warranty- it will cost you. ALL Honda cars have this design flaw, but your GE8 is the closest to the ground----
Click on thumbnails to enlarge photos--
This is the new grill. It weighs 3 pounds, the bars are 1/8" thick with open spaces of 1/8" between the bars. The front face of the bars has a matte, or satin finish, and the horizontal top and bottom bar surfaces are painted flat black, as is the entire back of the grill. The eBay ad stresses the high strength of the grill, so I put two phone books on the ground, put each end of the grill on a phone book, and stood in the center of the grill. It did not flex AT ALL.
Based on its weight and extreme rigidity, I believe that this is made from 6061 T6 aircraft aluminum alloy, used in landing gear and other high stress components.
On the back side you can see the little square reinforcements between the bars, and the tiny screw holes in the squares. You can also see the large square reinforcement plates that are welded in place.
The grill comes with sheet metal clamp strips that are used with screws that go through some of those little holes in the previous photo. I personally don't like to use metal clamps that go onto plastic grills- the plastic can be bent that way. So I used 8" long black nylon zip ties instead. The zip ties can hold a weight of 75 pounds each, and I used 8 of them. My grill is not going anywhere.
On the stock plastic grill there is one massive horizontal rib in the center, and four smaller vertical ribs. I used only the vertical ribs as the anchors for my zip ties, and I placed 4 zip ties along the top and 4 along the bottom, one at each vertical rib.
Under the hood, I removed the black plastic bridge between the bumper and the radiator support (the bridge surrounds the hood latch). I temporarily taped the aluminum grill in place, then reached down between the radiator and the bumper and fed each zip tie next to a plastic rib and poked it out the front of the aluminum grill. Then I bent the point of the zip tie back and shoved it back into the grill and along the opposite side of the plastic rib. Then fed the point of the tie into the cinch, and used pliers to tightly pull all of the slack out of the zip ties while pressing the cinch as far forward on the tie as it would go.
If you have big forearms, get someone else to do this (your child for instance), or remove the bumper entirely first. Fooling around in this tight space full of sharp edges will make you bleed.
A few shots of the finished product: (looking directly between the bars from only inches away, the zip ties are absolutely invisible).
WARNING: There is another eBay vendor who sells a somewhat similar product. The vendor is Grills4U. Their billet grill is more expensive, and of much lower quality and poorer fit. I know- I used to own one on my GD3. The grill in this review is far superior in fit, finish, and strength.
Another interesting note- this vendor will have these grills available in the future in a color anodized finish. Anodizing on aluminum is an electro-chemical oxide barrier finish that prevents corrosion and won't chip off like paint. If he had a black anodized version, I would have bought that instead, but I am very happy with the high quality appearance of this one.
This is from MrGrille, in Norco, California and eBay.
eBay Motors: 2009 Honda Fit Billet Grille Grill (item 110344948908 end time Feb-02-09 12:15:42 PST)
This is what your car looks like now- BIG rectangular gaps in the lower grill that allow rocks to bounce off the road right into your condenser (the condenser is the shiny thing you see right behind the stock plastic grill) . A dealer will happily charge you $700+ to replace your leaky condenser. This is NOT a repair covered by warranty- it will cost you. ALL Honda cars have this design flaw, but your GE8 is the closest to the ground----
Click on thumbnails to enlarge photos--
This is the new grill. It weighs 3 pounds, the bars are 1/8" thick with open spaces of 1/8" between the bars. The front face of the bars has a matte, or satin finish, and the horizontal top and bottom bar surfaces are painted flat black, as is the entire back of the grill. The eBay ad stresses the high strength of the grill, so I put two phone books on the ground, put each end of the grill on a phone book, and stood in the center of the grill. It did not flex AT ALL.
Based on its weight and extreme rigidity, I believe that this is made from 6061 T6 aircraft aluminum alloy, used in landing gear and other high stress components.
On the back side you can see the little square reinforcements between the bars, and the tiny screw holes in the squares. You can also see the large square reinforcement plates that are welded in place.
The grill comes with sheet metal clamp strips that are used with screws that go through some of those little holes in the previous photo. I personally don't like to use metal clamps that go onto plastic grills- the plastic can be bent that way. So I used 8" long black nylon zip ties instead. The zip ties can hold a weight of 75 pounds each, and I used 8 of them. My grill is not going anywhere.
On the stock plastic grill there is one massive horizontal rib in the center, and four smaller vertical ribs. I used only the vertical ribs as the anchors for my zip ties, and I placed 4 zip ties along the top and 4 along the bottom, one at each vertical rib.
Under the hood, I removed the black plastic bridge between the bumper and the radiator support (the bridge surrounds the hood latch). I temporarily taped the aluminum grill in place, then reached down between the radiator and the bumper and fed each zip tie next to a plastic rib and poked it out the front of the aluminum grill. Then I bent the point of the zip tie back and shoved it back into the grill and along the opposite side of the plastic rib. Then fed the point of the tie into the cinch, and used pliers to tightly pull all of the slack out of the zip ties while pressing the cinch as far forward on the tie as it would go.
If you have big forearms, get someone else to do this (your child for instance), or remove the bumper entirely first. Fooling around in this tight space full of sharp edges will make you bleed.
A few shots of the finished product: (looking directly between the bars from only inches away, the zip ties are absolutely invisible).
WARNING: There is another eBay vendor who sells a somewhat similar product. The vendor is Grills4U. Their billet grill is more expensive, and of much lower quality and poorer fit. I know- I used to own one on my GD3. The grill in this review is far superior in fit, finish, and strength.
Another interesting note- this vendor will have these grills available in the future in a color anodized finish. Anodizing on aluminum is an electro-chemical oxide barrier finish that prevents corrosion and won't chip off like paint. If he had a black anodized version, I would have bought that instead, but I am very happy with the high quality appearance of this one.
Last edited by manxman; 02-15-2009 at 09:05 PM.
#3
02-01-2009, 04:53 PM
i have 1 too
fit could be a lot better
i notice from your photos that the fitment @ the corners is poor also (round grille corner doesn't fit properly into a square bumper corner!)
otherwise the quality is ok (merely ok, worse than an aftermarket company and nowhere near oem quality) u can tell it's "homemade" from the corners
ps he is mr grille not george foreman. the E at the end is there for a reason! (he's in the us not in the uk if that was an answer u were considering)
fit could be a lot better
i notice from your photos that the fitment @ the corners is poor also (round grille corner doesn't fit properly into a square bumper corner!)
otherwise the quality is ok (merely ok, worse than an aftermarket company and nowhere near oem quality) u can tell it's "homemade" from the corners
ps he is mr grille not george foreman. the E at the end is there for a reason! (he's in the us not in the uk if that was an answer u were considering)
Last edited by TheImmortal; 02-01-2009 at 05:01 PM.
#4
02-01-2009, 05:08 PM
i have 1 too
fit could be a lot better
i notice from your photos that the fitment @ the corners is poor also (round grille corner doesn't fit properly into a square bumper corner!)
otherwise the quality is ok (merely ok, worse than an aftermarket company and nowhere near oem quality) u can tell it's "homemade" from the corners
ps he is mr grille not george foreman. the E at the end is there for a reason! (he's in the us not in the uk if that was an answer u were considering)
fit could be a lot better
i notice from your photos that the fitment @ the corners is poor also (round grille corner doesn't fit properly into a square bumper corner!)
otherwise the quality is ok (merely ok, worse than an aftermarket company and nowhere near oem quality) u can tell it's "homemade" from the corners
ps he is mr grille not george foreman. the E at the end is there for a reason! (he's in the us not in the uk if that was an answer u were considering)
Last edited by manxman; 02-01-2009 at 05:11 PM.
#7
02-01-2009, 08:25 PM
Wellllll, Jeff, they make 'em for GD's too. If someone stood a brick on end and left it in the road for you to run into, your A/C condenser would survive. Not so sure about your lip and bumper skin, but you wouldn't be paying $700. to restore your A/C.
#8
02-01-2009, 09:23 PM
i work at a dealer and ive seen many condensers killed by small stones, and it costs about that.. sometimes more
#9
02-01-2009, 10:32 PM
Thank Honda for the sly design work. Nice profit for dealers. Easy to defeat- there are at least two other threads that discuss cures for the problem.
#10
02-02-2009, 12:54 AM
Very nice thread!! Naw, screw that, this thread is awesome.
I am sure to everybody has noticed the ad banner where teh law firm is trolling for a class action against honda for the intentionally vulnerable condensors
I am sure to everybody has noticed the ad banner where teh law firm is trolling for a class action against honda for the intentionally vulnerable condensors
#11
02-02-2009, 10:40 AM
Thanks for the comments- there are two other threads about how to cure this vulnerability issue using various types of screen material fastened behind the stock plastic grill. I just happen to like billet grills, and was happy to find such a good one from the vendor that I mentioned, and was happy not to have to remove the bumper.
#12
02-02-2009, 11:02 AM
Ahhh, comments well deserved.
You mentioned anodize, is that grill silver anodized now?
Problem is where I live, aluminum can tarnish and corrode if not well protected.
and what is wrong with teh fuzzy bald spot covering spray paint???
just joking, very funny humor in your post also
.
You mentioned anodize, is that grill silver anodized now?
Problem is where I live, aluminum can tarnish and corrode if not well protected.
No, it's not from the TV infomercial guy who makes the "Showtime Kitchen Rotisserie", and the aerosol fuzzy spray paint for the bald spot on the back of your head.
just joking, very funny humor in your post also
.
Last edited by Tork; 02-02-2009 at 11:07 AM.
#13
02-02-2009, 11:22 AM
Tork,
I'm not sure whether or not the present grills are anodized. The front feels like it (anodizing produces a slightly rough finish and this feels about right). However, in your salted road conditions, a good coat of wax would be enough protection as long as you made sure to add another coat of paint on the back side so that no raw aluminum is exposed. Another thing that will help you- there is no metal-to-metal contact between the grill and car body. So without the flow of electricity, the "electrolyte" nature of water and salt won't have an electrolytic corrosion problem with the metal.
Re: color anodizing- silver anodizing is merely clear anodizing- the aluminum is already silver in color.
Fuzzy spray paint for bald spots- most of the kids on the forums are too young to know about Ron Popeil's ad about how he hides his own bald spot. One of the world's most ridiculous ideas.
I'm not sure whether or not the present grills are anodized. The front feels like it (anodizing produces a slightly rough finish and this feels about right). However, in your salted road conditions, a good coat of wax would be enough protection as long as you made sure to add another coat of paint on the back side so that no raw aluminum is exposed. Another thing that will help you- there is no metal-to-metal contact between the grill and car body. So without the flow of electricity, the "electrolyte" nature of water and salt won't have an electrolytic corrosion problem with the metal.
Re: color anodizing- silver anodizing is merely clear anodizing- the aluminum is already silver in color.
Fuzzy spray paint for bald spots- most of the kids on the forums are too young to know about Ron Popeil's ad about how he hides his own bald spot. One of the world's most ridiculous ideas.
Last edited by manxman; 02-02-2009 at 12:41 PM.
#14
02-02-2009, 12:11 PM
P.s.
I got a message from MrGrille (Dave) telling me about his most memorable customer. This was a Canadian Honda owner, who, in a single 90-day period, had to have his A/C condenser replaced three times. He found the billet grill ad on eBay and ordered one immediately, refused to drive his car at all until the grill arrived, and had it shipped next day air. Paid more in shipping and import duty than the cost of the grill.
I got a message from MrGrille (Dave) telling me about his most memorable customer. This was a Canadian Honda owner, who, in a single 90-day period, had to have his A/C condenser replaced three times. He found the billet grill ad on eBay and ordered one immediately, refused to drive his car at all until the grill arrived, and had it shipped next day air. Paid more in shipping and import duty than the cost of the grill.
#15
02-02-2009, 12:33 PM
Any idea whether they plan to produce a match for the top grille area with the Honda badge? Just for consistency across the front of the car.
I almost jumped at the grill mentioned in your original post manxman, I'm glad I waited.
The only benefit of the first one is the matching top half. Hopefully that's something Mr. Grille is planning.
-Darryl
I almost jumped at the grill mentioned in your original post manxman, I'm glad I waited.
The only benefit of the first one is the matching top half. Hopefully that's something Mr. Grille is planning.
-Darryl
#17
02-02-2009, 01:33 PM
Great post Manxman. Its good to see more options out there for the non DIYers. Believe me folks all it takes is a tiny piece of debris to cause expensive radiator/condenser damage.
