Beetle ran off the road.....some damage that I need help with

[El3ment381]

Hey guys on my way home from work on Christmas eve there was some bad snow and my beetle ran off into a ditch . The front fog light grill thingy got screwed up. Like not just the grille, but the thing surrounding the grill too(the painted part). Also, When triple A was pulling me out, the entire plastic skid plate ripped out of the bottom.

What's the best way to go about fixing this? I don't know if I should let a body part store buy these parts or buy them myself.

The beetle is a 1998.

[jakenney]

Sound deadening panel (Skid plate) is about 25.00 online (ebay, ECStuning), the plastic surround for the lower grill....relatively cheap as well (but will most likely come unpainted) or you can search the .org for someone parting out a bug and buy the parts from them.

[El3ment381]

Do you know how much it would cost to pay someone to put them on?

Thanks for the reply

[IggysMom]

Originally Posted by El3ment381

Do you know how much it would cost to pay someone to put them on?

Thanks for the reply

I'm a newbie, and a girl too; but even I managed to replace my grill all by myself. I bought a second black grill piece and painted it pink, then took off the whole thing to swap out on my bug. It wasn't too bad. Took less than an hour with no lifting device of any sort and stopping to take pics along the way and BS with my hubby. All it took was a phillip's head, a torx, and a rubber mallet. The bottom cover is even easier but really need to get your bug off the ground to be able to get to it.

What year is your bug? Does it have fog lights? If you add some info to your profile like where you are located I'm sure you would find other orgers that would be happy to help you out.

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by IggysMom

I'm a newbie, and a girl too; but even I managed to replace my grill all by myself. I bought a second black grill piece and painted it pink, then took off the whole thing to swap out on my bug. It wasn't too bad. Took less than an hour with no lifting device of any sort and stopping to take pics along the way and BS with my hubby. All it took was a phillip's head, a torx, and a rubber mallet. The bottom cover is even easier but really need to get your bug off the ground to be able to get to it.

What year is your bug? Does it have fog lights? If you add some info to your profile like where you are located I'm sure you would find other orgers that would be happy to help you out.

You 2001+ Beetle owners have it very easy getting the front grill out. However, they didn't come up with that screw in grill design until 2001. The 1998 - 2000 Beetles don't have that option and there is no way to screw those grills out. You have two options. Break out the old one and push in the new then secure with zip ties which many have done and it's almost unnoticable unless you really look hard. Or if you want to do it the proper way you have to take off the entire front end including the fenders in order to replace that little POS grill. I guess VW got smart and did redesign that part with easy to screw in type of grills starting in 2001.
Still it's not that hard to do if it's already broken up and the new one can be pushed in place and secured with zip ties.

[El3ment381]

Damn, so I guess it's gonna cost a lot for the grille to be put on properly?

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by El3ment381

Damn, so I guess it's gonna cost a lot for the grille to be put on properly?

Like I said Zip ties are your friends . Or a big wallet. Body shops will charge you a premium

[IggysMom]

Originally Posted by IndyTom

You 2001+ Beetle owners have it very easy getting the front grill out. However, they didn't come up with that screw in grill design until 2001. The 1998 - 2000 Beetles don't have that option and there is no way to screw those grills out. You have two options. Break out the old one and push in the new then secure with zip ties which many have done and it's almost unnoticable unless you really look hard. Or if you want to do it the proper way you have to take off the entire front end including the fenders in order to replace that little POS grill. I guess VW got smart and did redesign that part with easy to screw in type of grills starting in 2001.
Still it's not that hard to do if it's already broken up and the new one can be pushed in place and secured with zip ties.

That's why I wanted to know what year it was . I found out that I just missed the cutoff for the easier to take apart grills. I was shocked since nothing ever works out in my favor to be easier. Still would be nice to know where this beetle is located since there are so many orgers around different areas that might be willing to lend a helping hand or bit of knowledge.

Does your comment about it costing a premium mean that yours is pre 2001?

[El3ment381]

I'm in PA close to Jersey. I suppose I would have to get the beetle up on a lift to get this stuff put on it, but then I would have to pay some shop. But would they do that for me If I bought the parts? IDK what to do this sucks

[IggysMom]

I'm in Tampa Florida, so I would be useless to you . Hopefully some locals will chime in here (or people that know any locals for you).

There are shops here that will install your parts for you if you bring them in so I imagine there are some up there that will do the same, just call around. For that skid plate a lift would make it super easy, but you can buy some jack stands pretty cheap at most auto parts stores that would probably give you enough clearance to get to that. It's just held on by some torx screws (one thing I've found out since I got my Iggy is that most everything requires a torx set so I have re-appropriated my husband's until I can get one of my own...lol). If you have the pre 2001 model, getting the fenders/front clip all off to fix the grill is going to be a real pain and a lift won't make it much easier. I've heard that it's not hard, just super time consuming. I know me and my luck, so I figure I would get it off with no problem, then have trouble getting it back on/lined up to my OCD standards.

Hope this all works out for you in the end without costing a fortune.

[El3ment381]

I guess I'll try to get a shop to put the parts on so I know it's done right. Where would I be able to buy the grille and the thing that surrounds the grille all in one? I found Grilles for 98 beetles, but not eh surrounding part.

[IndyTom]

You mean this part?:

98 1998 Volkswagen Beetle Grille Assembly - Body Mechanical & Trim - Action Crash - PartsGeek

Or this part:

98 1998 Volkswagen Beetle Bumper Moulding - Body Mechanical & Trim - Action Crash - PartsGeek

Do you have fog lights?

I still say do it yourself. I know of a lot of people that have done it and didn't use a lift. You may need a pair of ramps or a jack and jack stands. I don't have a lift and do almost everything on that car myself.

[IndyTom]

This link might help!

Lower Grill and Fog Lights

Here is a complete assembly if you have fog lights:

98 00 99 Volkswagen New Beetle Valance Spoiler Fog Lamp | eBay

Or here without:

98 04 03 02 01 00 99 Volkswagen New Beetle Low Spoiler | eBay

[El3ment381]

Wow thank you so much everyone everyone else for helping me thus far. Yes I do have fog lights but nothing happens when I turn them on lol. I guess Ill but that and the skid plate now.

Another question. how exactly do I go about zip tying the grille on, and how do I rip the old one out. If the bumper needs to be taken off to put a new grille in, wouldn't I have to take the bumper apart to rip the old one out?

[IndyTom]

Here is a link with tons of pics that will help you on how to get the grill fixed:

Lower Grill and Fog Lights

and another one:

'99 NB how to replace fog lights?

And one more but this one is for the EASY 2001+ Beetle's but it might still help you and has some pics:

How to: Easy fog light bulb change/fog light assembly removal

[El3ment381]

Thanks for those links

I just ordered the parts. Is it ok if I drive the car without the skid plate for a little bit?

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by El3ment381

Thanks for those links

I just ordered the parts. Is it ok if I drive the car without the skid plate for a little bit?

Sure, that piece of cheap plastic doesn't protect against much of anything anyway. A lot of people drive around without that thing. Just be careful going over speedbumps. Actually that would be true even with a "skid" plate

[El3ment381]

Originally Posted by IndyTom

Sure, that piece of cheap plastic doesn't protect against much of anything anyway. A lot of people drive around without that thing. Just be careful going over speedbumps. Actually that would be true even with a "skid" plate

Oh that's a relief. I thought i protected the oil pan and stuff. I'm still gonna buy it and put it on to make me feel better lol.

What I couldn't find in those links is ripping the grille out. If it's really hard to put a new one in, wouldn't it be hard to take the busted one out as well?

[IndyTom]

Originally Posted by El3ment381

Oh that's a relief. I thought i protected the oil pan and stuff. I'm still gonna buy it and put it on to make me feel better lol.

What I couldn't find in those links is ripping the grille out. If it's really hard to put a new one in, wouldn't it be hard to take the busted one out as well?

You can read through this thread.

'99 NB how to replace fog lights?

Opelmania/Joel had to bend and cut his out. A dremel tool might be helpful.

[2004NBTURBOS]

Originally Posted by IndyTom

You can read through this thread.

'99 NB how to replace fog lights?

Opelmania/Joel had to bend and cut his out. A dremel tool might be helpful.

edited for names sake