TBN Grill Medallion Poll

[Proboxfan]

Jerry P.

While looking at/under my car last night, it looked to me like if we take that black plastic pan that's held on by six screws off the bottom front of our cars, that if we reached up in front of the radiator while laying on the ground, and had a second person acting as our eyes, we could get a hand up there to fasten the back of the badge/medallion.

I think it might even be possible to use a stubby screwdriver, with a little patience, on the back of grill so that the medallion would be less prone to theft or removal by others who may seek to steal it.

Anyway, I think if the medallion had a back plate/half with screws, and both the back and front plates/halves had a rubber washer/gasket, that it could be fastened together and still offer protection to the chromed grill.

Look it over and see what you think.

[K.P.]

Jerry used a wingnut to attach it to his car last night. it wasn't easy, he said, but was doable.
It looks great! I'll ask him to take a pic today and post it. It'll give you and idea of size.

[Proboxfan]

Karyl

What you're calling a wingnut, is it what's commonly referred to as a toggle wing, that goes onto a toggle bolt?

If it is spring loaded and folds down onto the bolt, then I'm sure that's what it is.

A true wingnut has rigidly fixed wings.

Just curious.

[K.P.]

This was a wingnut, not a toggle. (believe it or not, I actually do know the difference!) He had to reach down with his fingers to turn it. He cut his hand (not bad) in the process.

[Proboxfan]

Karyl

I guess watching all those episodes of "Tool Time" really paid off, huh?

Anyway, how did Jerry end up accessing the back of the grill? Did he take off that black plastic plate I talked about earlier, or did he come up with another way?

[JerryP]

The black plastic either on top or the bottom doesn't provide an access path to the back of the grill. The styrofoam is about 5 inches thick and blocks any access. I don't know what it would take to remove the grill itself. It appears to be firmly attached to the front bumper skin. I didn't want to do a major disassembly so I elected to replace the nut with a wing-nut. The wingnut allowed me, with major pain and effort, to tighten the badge by finger. I was able to leverage the wingnut tight with a socket. There has to be a better way.

[JerryP]

PS....If someone wants to go to the trouble and pain to steal it, then they are welcome to have it. They would most definitely deserve to have it.

I can tell by my picture I need to level the wings...darn it.

[fums6]

Isn't it possible to have a long post on the back of the badge which is threaded on the end so that a wide washer and wing nut or could be put in place easily? My car is stored but last summer I was going to put an antique AAA badge on it but the treads on the end did not reach far enough down the post to tighten it against the foam.

[JerryP]

Bob, that's exactly how this badge is constructed. Look at post #265. The problem for me was getting to the wing nut to tighten it. You've got to have small fingers since you must work through the grill openings in front. I think there must be some trick to remove the grill and I was hoping we had someone with some experience that could shed some light. Doing it the way I did, proves it can be done, but it was not at all easy.

The washer passed easily through the grids by tilting it to a diagonal. The wing nut was already started, so all I needed to do was tighten it. That was the tough part. Karyl can vouch for the scratches on my fingers from the plastic grid work.

[fums6]

I wish my car was here so I could look. But I was thinking about a long post that could be pushed all the way through the foam. Isn't there room at the far side of the foam to attach the wing nut? Maybe I'll go out tomorrow to the storage garage and look again.

[Proboxfan]

Jerry

You can get to the back of the grill from underneath if you take that black plastic plate off the bottom, I tried it.

Granted, it's not easy, and you have to reach way up and hook your hand over the top of the foam/bumper part, but it can be done. It felt like the horn or something was in the middle, so you can't get to the part right behind the middle of the grill. Only off to the sides.

To me, it's not worth disassembling so much to take the grill off to mount this badge. It's bad enough having to strain and reach as is.

I'm amazed you got your fingers through the grill. I tried it and could barely get a finger through, but only on the larger grill openings toward the middle.

OK, who's got the service manual?

[MintTbird]

as far as attaching the emblem.... how about 2 extending loops out of the back of the emblem that zip ties just fit tightly in... the zip ties can then wrap around the grill... they wont damage it, it will allow people to put it where they want... it will take a bit of time to get on right... but when its on aint no 1 gettin it off because in order to get cutters back there you would almost have to remove the grill.... just an idea... its easy and cheeper then machining threads onto a parrt whereas the holes could be cast when the part is. -drew

[MR ZIPPY]

great idea drew!!! follows the k.i.s.s. method

[MintTbird]

just a quick drawing i did in paint. i figured that you all dident have cad software so i dident do anything special... just a quick example....

[taflocks]

i have a very easy way to do this a spring loaded screw with a washer on top that would scoot back into the grill then the spring would tighten the emblem to the grill.