DIY - ARK CF-x Grille Install

Disclaimer: I'm not responsible for any damage caused to your vehicle or any injury you may incur from doing this as it is only a guideline to follow.

I give this a 1 out 5 difficulty. You have to remove the front bumper to install this grille properly, but removing the bumper on the GenCoupe is ridiculously simple. After positioning the ARK grille in its new home I found I could get a tighter fit by removing the OEM tabs that stick up & drilling my own new ones. So I have listed a few additonal tools that would not normally be necessary for this modification.

Tools needed: Phillips screw driver for removing all the plastic plug screws, 10mm socket wrench used to take off the front bumper & a pair of pliers to twist the metal wires coming out of the back of the ARK grille. The only other tools I used were a pair of ***** for cutting the OEM tabs & a file to file them down, plus a drill & bit to make the new holes.

First line the ARK grille up to see how it will mount. Then you remove the grille & sit it to the side. If you have no intentions of removing the OEM tabs on the bumper, you can go ahead & remove the front bumper to start the installation of the grille from the backside.



Next I removed the tabs from the bumper cover with the *****.



Then I filed the edges down of the remaining plastic of the tabs I just trimmed.



I decided to have my CF grille painted to match the center stripe of my hood (BMW Schwartz2 black).



The ARK CF-x grille has 4 pairs of metal wires coming out of the grille that will slide through the holes I drilled or the OEM tabs if left in place.



Front bumper cover removal as follows.



To begin, remove head lamps by taking out two bolts atop of each one & working the head lamp out of position. You may have to remove two plastic phillips screws from lower corners of lamps at the grille to ease the lamps out of their homes.




Disconnect the wiring, then unclip wiring from bottom of head lamp housing using needle nose pliers to push clip together through hole & set aside assembly. After head lamp is removed, take out two 8mm bolts at rear of front bumper where it meets the fender which also holds fender liner/shield in place.



You would normally have to remove 4 phillips plastic push pins similar to the 2 you removed above for the corner of the head lamp to slide past. They would be located under neath the front bumper cover holding the right & left splash shields in place.



Problem is, this design allows for the edge to get caught in grass/dirt etc if you go off road & causes the plastic splash shield to rip out of your plastic bumper. So, I recommend removing the splash shield prior to damaging your car like I did mine. There will be another DIY on this shortly.

Once the 4 little push pins are removed, look for 6 more across the top of the grille holding it against the radiator support. You will need to tug on each opposing side of the bumper cover near the front fenders in order to loosen the bumper cover from the fender. Once the sides are dangling, head around the front where the head lamps were & ease the bumper cover out of its home away from the big plastic retaining clips of the radiator support, you may need to use a large screw driver to gently twist & pry with.


You will flip the front bumper cover over so you can access the back side and line the metal wires up to the holes threading them through & twisting the wires on the back side to keep the grille secure to the bumper cover.





Reinstall the front bumper cover with the newly attached grille & you're done!