Can I add a Lightbar to Grill Top

[forseen5]

Hi. Does anybody know if it is safe to use the top of the grill area for light bar. I can't work out if that part is important to be bare for air flow to radiator.

Ford Fiesta WS Zetec 2010. European make.

I wanted to place the light bar in section above the license plate in that photo.

[unofix]

Hi Rob, as long as you fix your lightbar to the actual front cross member behind the bumper/grill it will be fine.

90% of the air cooling for the rad is from the lower grill and your lightbar will only slightly reduce the available air at the top grill. Just check the position of the engine air intake which is behind the top grill and try not to mount a light directly in front of that,

[forseen5]

Thanks. I can't put it in the actual bumper? 

The cross member is the crash bar? Can I drill into that? Already drilled 2 small holes to hold wires for camera. Have been worried later I shouldn't have.

I had been thinking of cutting out those tabs/pillars in the front bumper top row to hold the lightbar further back + flush. Or have it overhang ~2cm. It'd be best there because a lot of light output is reduced behind bumper.

With the light behind the grill, the top grill ledge cuts short the height of the light output compared to when placed in front of the grill. I tested with a long torch bar. I wanted it hidden behind until I did that test.

I did see an alternative grill, in pic, which blocks off the whole top section, so no gaps anyway and thought maybe it doesn't matter having air gaps there. But wasn't sure if that was designed for my model. Says MK7 which I think is mine, but always confused by mk labels as the labels and car images are different everywhere.

I am looking into air intake now to see what I shouldn't block. Thanks for the help.

[forseen5]

I see now that there's the thin grill with the ford logo emblem. Didn't realise that was a grill. So you meant don't mount in front of that where the engine air intake is I think.

I was getting confused by the top and bottom grill in your explanation. I was meaning the top section of the bottom grill if we are talking about 2 separate grills. This is what I was wanting to do. Top part of lower grill.
 

[forseen5]

Do you think I can put a bar in that area there? If I can, would it be ok to cut out the tabs? 

 

It gives better light than behind. The crashbar blocks about half the height of that opening I think. The light bar would fill most of it. It'd be a tight fit on the ends and about 1cm gap at top towards middle. 

[unofix]

Hi Rob, we are kind of at cross purposes. I was thinking you were fitting a metal lighting bar, to mount driving lights on. I see now you are talking about a plastic 'light bar'.

So anyhow it will be fine to fix direct to the bumper / grill without a problem, I bet it weighs less than 1 Kg.

Just keep it away from the engine air intake (see photo below)

[forseen5]

Thanks for all the help. Sorry for the confusion.
The one I was looking at is 1100g. Is the weight very important? 

Do you think it'd be ok to cut out the support tabs to push it back further so it sits flush? It will poke out the front about ~3cm if I leave the tabs (might be ok, it's not that much).

See pic with tabs removed to push light bar back further. Just not sure if it will be too weak/flimsy without them. Maybe I can add a u shape bracket as support in place.

With a smaller bar 14'' I'd still have 1 or maybe 2 of the original end tabs either side. Need to remove all for the 22'' that I wanted to get to make it flush.