C8 Side intake mesh grilles

[Cannonball Rally]

I was wondering if anyone has found that the side intakes are actually drawing in debris whilst driving?
I am looking at installing these but just not sure if they are actually required, and if so which ones others may have purchased.
Appreciate any help - thanks

Nice project for over the winter to do inside the garage.

 

[Murray20c8]

I've never seen any, but it's hard to see in there when washing and not really easy at all without a flashlight.

 

[Cannonball Rally]

They look like this and apparently stop leaves and crap from getting in there and being sucked into the radiators?
Hopefully someone has installed these or something similar? Side intake Mesh Grilles

 

[Murray20c8]

They look like this and apparently stop leaves and crap from getting in there and being sucked into the radiators?
Hopefully someone has installed these or something similar? Side intake Mesh Grilles

They won't stop anything getting sucked in. They WILL protect the rads from some damage. Anything smaller than the grate will get through, but anything larger will get lodged in there. I have the front ones but didn't bother with the side ones. I haven't seen any damage or debris, but I've never really looked.

 

[PapaSmurf]

Rumor has it Jack Raccoon was sucked into one of the side intakes once while out looking for a midnight snack...but the car spat him back out.

 

[Cannonball Rally]

Poor poor jack, always being picked on... lol

 

[harshadt]

Has anybody on any forum ever discussed problems with the various intakes and rads etc getting plugged with debris? I am genuinely curious because there’s lots of discussion about these products for protection, but is that due something made up to sell stuff or a real concern?

 

[Vettenut]

Has anybody on any forum ever discussed problems with the various intakes and rads etc getting plugged with debris? I am genuinely curious because there’s lots of discussion about these products for protection, but is that due something made up to sell stuff or a real concern?

Funny you should ask ...I ordered my set from the radiator grill store the minute I pulled into the driveway from the dealer on delivery day

Yea the 5 kms that I drove home .... I could already see a few dings in the front rads....

I ordered the complete set from RGS including the side vent grills ...the front grills work well for 1 of 2 reasons or both

1 . the protection grills offer much less of an opportunity for debris to hit the rads ...

2. the protection grills are black with a fine honeycomb pattern ... and they blackout the rads behind them and you really cant see the rads

As for the side vents ... try as I might I could not get them in so I stopped trying in fear of damaging my car .

However 6500 kms later the drivers side vent is pretty much a black hole not much visible there ... but I try to clean it whenever i wash the car .

The passenger side rad which is clearly visible has not 1 blemish .. go figure

I would 100% recommend front rad protection grills left right and center .... side grills ....take it or leave it ....if you can get them in