kangjin

Installed the Euro-R grill, painted bottom trim, plastic top trim piece and painted hood trim today...all from group buys!

First of all, even with the bottom painted trim piece, the Euro-R grill is not a direct fit for the stock USDM bumper. If you compare the stock chrome bottom trim (under the grill with the A) and the Euro-R trim piece, you can immediately see that the chrome trim piece is more sharply angled than the Euro-R one. Unfortunately, I didn't have access to a camera at this point. Needless to say, the bottom angle of the stock grill is also sharper than the Euro-R grill. Kind of hard to explain without pics, but if you place the Euro-R grill so the tops fit with the rest of the bumper, there's a gap on the bottom roughly the size of the trim piece. I'll try and take some pics later.

So after trying various combinations of the two grills and trim pieces, I decided to try and force the Euro-R grill. I actually got it to fit OK...using some brute strength and a hairdryer. I don't know if this is going to be a permanent change (not only due to the fit of the grill, but also the Honda emblem...) but here are some pics (i took them outside in the dark with my friend's digicam, i'll try and get some better pics):

from here, you can't really see the gaps...(I didn't put on the H emblem b/c it didn't come with any adhesive strips or screw holes, just two small pegs that don't really secure the emblem to the grill) Also, you can see the color difference between the new pieces and the rest of the car (it's barely three months old!)


if you move in a little, you can see the bottom gap (smaller than it was before the hairdrying and forcing, but still very noticeable, and you can see that it translates all the way to the top of the grill...)


Here's the gap all the way at the top of the grill. The plastic trim piece on the top wouldn't really fit either. More brute strength and hairdryer to the rescue!


since the rest of the grill is bent downward, consequently the top gets forced downward the same amount. You can see the gap very clearly here.


The bottom gap, close up. Without forcing the grill to fit, there was a gap from the bottom of the painted piece to the top of the bumper that was about the width of the painted piece. Basically, if you wanted the grill to fit without forcing, you would need a painted trim piece that was the same width as it is now on the sides, but gradually increased to twice its width on the bottom.

Honestly, I don't know if I'll keep the grill on the car. I have a feeling that over time it's gonna break somewhere. After a few hours outside in the cold, I noticed the bottom gap grew a little bit. I may just end up painting the stock chrome pieces CG, since my whole reason for getting the grill in the first place was to get rid of the chrome on the front, and I couldn't justify paying ~300 for the mugen grill. oh well...

biker

As long as it doesn't get any worse it looks good the way it is.

Nothing like being a beta tester, eh?

cmf

Gap is the same as if you would have gotten a Mugen one. I haven't ever purchased an aftermarket grill or bumper that has fit back up to a car as stock did.
Make sure that the bottom of the grill is below the plastic pieces molded to your bumper (hard to explain, but if you have the grill off, you'll see). If the lip on the bottom of your grill is sitting above it, it too will cause a gap. Maybe one part is above and one below...double check.
Either way, you will have a gap, no matter what grill you buy.

xizor

I'm beginning to think the CL9 bumper is slightly different than the CL7, because the Mugen grill has some slight fitment issues as well. There is some slight gaps and its not flush at the top either.

Don't fret so much, the first day I had my grill I was annoyed w/ the slightly different colorings and the fitment problems. But after a while (and a lot of compliments) I realized only the owner can see every problem w/ their car.

dzuy

i don't see the gap that is as big as the trim piece?!? but my eyes aren't that great either

you can use 3m double sided tape to get the emblem on.

kangjin

Haha, yeah, it's funny b/c people were saying it was a direct fit, I guess you never can be sure until you try it or see pics...

cmf, yeah the grill is below those tabs on the bumper, it was the only way it would stay on! I'm just worried that over time those tabs will bend and give way and the whole grill will pop off!

Also, I'm familiar with the non-OEM fit of aftermarket body parts (I had a wings west bumper on my Civic,) I just find it odd that a Euro Honda part doesn't fit exactly. I agree with xizor, I think the two bumpers are slightly different.

Thanks again for the comments...next up, taking off the back emblems (sunny weather in WA!)

kurt_bradley

We had the same problem last weekend when we were installing accsuperstar's Mugen one. The have a different fitment on the JDM cars. Leave it to Hondato screw with us when we want our USDM cars to look better with their parts.

TSX=XTC

having expierence with EURO cars, I maybe able to shed some light here

All US/Canadian bound cars all have different safety standards that they need to meet
It all has to do with frontal crash saftey

European manufactured cars usally have
Less rebar upfront, thus making the bumper the same size/shape is not possible

Now having said that
I think you grille dosnt look BAD


This picture is prob. the best......as thats the view that most will see!

You may want to try this
1)turn on oven to 250F
2)Stick grille in oven for 8-12 mins
3)Strech grille by hands
4)Make sure and allow the grille to cool evenly...dont want to warp it
5)Reinstall and

cmf

You may want to marinate that grill before cooking it!

JTso

iTrader: (2)

It doesn't look that bad. Can't really tell if not knowing where to look. Our oem front spoiler fitment to the bumper is a lot worse!

JeffTSX

When I installed mine last month it has the same problem. Since then, I just left it cause I got too lazy to push it down. Haha. And also, no one noticed the gap until I point it out to them. Just wondering, do you also have the euroR radiator cover? I've ordered mine and waiting for it since my grill isn't really using much to hold itself up right now.

blaCk

did u guys change the acura emblem to honda on the rear?

cmf

I have not...then I have to change the center piece on the steering wheel and anywhere else it says Acura inside the car. Kind of a waste of time right now.

kangjin

I got the radiator cover from the group buy as well. as far as i can tell, the only difference is that there is less overhang on the front part (if you have them side by side it's easy to tell), you could just cut off the part on the stock one and it would work, BUT since the euro-r grill doesn't fit anyway, you almost don't have to cut any of the stock one and it would PROBABLY fit...but i'm not too fond of cutting stock parts up.

i have the rear emblem, but don't know if i'll put it on b/c i think the H emblem is more enticing to thieves than the A...

JeffTSX

yup!! Even the centre caps!!!

eburoon

CMF
I have the "H" emblems.
Come over with your emblems and we change them.

Or........ sould we change our cars????? Thats the easyest way I think.

Take care with the size off the emblems. The front emblem size is different. So, the "h" don't fit with the "A".

cmf

You pay shipping charges and I'll take a trip to Belgium!

eburoon

Shipping charges for the emblems?? No problem.
PERSONS??????
I'm now out for the weekend but I make you an offer next week!

BTW...... you have reduced prices??isnt?????????????????

eburoon

blaCk
I' schanged the Honda emblems into Acura
No problem.

Take care, the front H don't fit!!!!

Nicodemus

Ok, here comes a stupid n00b question... what's with people changing their Acura badging to Honda? I don't understand the point. What's wrong with the Acura badging? Maybe I'm just missing something...

xizor

The TSX is based on the Euro-R and Euro Accord, which are sold internationally under Honda. Which is why Honda badges exist for the car. People rebadge the car, because it actually is a Honda (look at your windows, engine etc.).

Nicodemus

Well, I knew that it was based on the Euro Accord (shares the same exact sheet metal, etc...), and that is really is a Honda, but I was just wondering why people wanted to change it because in North America it IS an Acura and is different than our Accord. A lot of people chose the TSX because it's not an Accord, and even though it doens't look EXACTLY like the US Accord, I thought some of the mystique that came along with having a TSX was that it was an Acura over here, which everyone knows is Honda's upscale (luxury/near luxury) North American division (in the words of Honda). In other words, an Acura has more prestige than a Honda, so why cancel that by badging it as a Honda? Perhaps it's a personal thing...

cmf

Acura more prestige???? It's still a Honda, with a dressed up interior!
I would agree that it is a personal thing. For myself, it is more show. When showing your car in different shows, you get more points for making those minor changes. Guess it's part of the import sceen, to change your car over to what it would be like in Japan.

Nicodemus

Acrua as a brand does have more prestige. When I tell people I'm getting an Acura (MOST people, not car afficianados), they're like, "Ooh, those are nice." And I'd like to see the RL's counterpart in the Honda lineup.

A direct quote from Acura.com:
So as I said, in their own words.

I can understand what you're saying about showing it and making it as close to the Japanese version as possible and mods getting points... but to me there is no point unless you're showing your car. I guess the response to that would be "Well, you don't have to change yours, now do you?" I guess I don't. But thanks for helping me undertand why some people do.

iamhomin

Whoa, that looks odd.

PWPTSX

Hey i guess that grill will fit in an 06 more perfectly than the 04s and 05s.........that's what i think because the the Honda Accord Euro-R just came out this year (2006) right?

ILoveMyHonda

nope the 04-05 grill will not fit, the grill size is completely different on the '06's.

Benz_05_TSX

iTrader: (1)

Um...HOnda Accord Euro R came out a LONG TIME AGO...if you didn't know..

xizor

well it got refreshed at the same time, unlike the TSX which came out after the Accord Euro (-R)

epgonzalez

ive tried a few different grills..all have had fitment issues.

i thought to my self? what bugs me about the oem grill?

all that chrome! so..took it apart, had the outside chrome color matched, and the inside i painted flat black to match the plastic.

looks very good...maybe what the car should of came with.

xizor

... and where's the pics

S14 n Tsx

I acutally like it withouth the emblem! It matches with the CG.

GSGOMEZ

It looks good! I am still having a hard time to make decision on which front grille for My CG TSX. I think Mugen grille looks great but I also like Pond or Azect too. I removed the OEM grille on my TSX right now and it is blank there a like hole haha.

S14 n Tsx

You trying to go back to Mugen? I have yours and I loving it.

epgonzalez

here it is


and my custom cold/ram air to feed my mugen intake


looks stock at first glance...but i trimmed the back so its an actual vent now.

JTso

iTrader: (2)

Nice job on the painting. How about some shots from a distant?

GSGOMEZ

Hey, I am glad that you like it. Not yet, I am still working on it.

GSGOMEZ

Wow, that looks great.