Fred 2 Gets A New Grille

Zembonez · April 18, 2009

Installed the Carriage Works Billet Grille this afternoon. The overall install probably took an hour and 20 minutes. I took a lot of extra time trimming and smoothing plastic edges that nobody will ever see (but it makes me happy to know it was done right).

Here are the peektures.

The initial disassembly is a piece of cake. Take your time and it's really easy. I'd recommend a second set of hands when removing the front fascia and grille assembly... just to keep from possibly scratching anything. Carriage Works provides installation instructions with pictures... but they are SMALL. You need to have at least some idea what you are getting into.

Before

Who REALLY installed it? NAH... Mrs Clown found something to clean. She is a clean freak.

All apart.

After surgery

Insert installed but not yet tweaked into perfect position

After

This could have been done a LOT faster but I spent a lot of time smoothing the cuts and edges

I like the result. It really seems to fit my truck well

Another shot

From a little further away

What do you think?

tobias · April 18, 2009

What do you think?

The titties.

07.5_Z71 · April 18, 2009

Looks awesome, great choice....

ryan_hermanutz · April 18, 2009

Looking good!

geektoad · April 18, 2009

Looks good

VMax2007 · April 18, 2009

Nice grille daddy-poser!

Not bad, but the AT grille would look alot better on that truck.

So, you now have a debadged grille, but not the doors? How about the tailgate?

GARB55 · April 18, 2009

L k's GREEAATT!!!

Zembonez · April 18, 2009

Nice grille daddy-poser!

Not bad, but the AT grille would look alot better on that truck.

So, you now have a debadged grille, but not the doors? How about the tailgate?

... HMMMM. I wonder if I thought that was coming?

Tailgate is bare as a baby's ass. Poor truck is so plain on the sides I never removed the Sierra badges. Might just do that though. I did notice a few stinkin badges STILL on the VMAXTER.

Zembonez · April 18, 2009

What do you think?

The titties.

That CW grille is top notch. Very well made. Best billet I have ever seen. Thanks for the tip.

VMax2007 · April 19, 2009

That CW grille is top notch. Very well made. Best billet I have ever seen. Thanks for the tip.

True, it is a nicely made grille. But the unpainted aluminum is not coated so it will oxidize and is a bitch to polish. But you won't have as much of an issue with that down there.

The biggest PITA for mine wasn't polishing so much as it was cleaning the excess polish from between the billets afterward. It is certainly not maintenance-free.

Bostonsfavson · April 19, 2009

Looks sharp, Jim

Zembonez · April 19, 2009

That CW grille is top notch. Very well made. Best billet I have ever seen. Thanks for the tip.

True, it is a nicely made grille. But the unpainted aluminum is not coated so it will oxidize and is a bitch to polish. But you won't have as much of an issue with that down there.

The biggest PITA for mine wasn't polishing so much as it was cleaning the excess polish from between the billets afterward. It is certainly not maintenance-free.

Luckily we don't have anything corrosive on the roads here. I'd bet it could be a pain if there was. I've had billet grilles on other trucks and never had to do anything to them but hit the face of the bars with 000 steel wool once or twice a year. Since my truck doesn't get driven in rain and lives in the garage it shouldn't be a big problem.

EDIT: Now if I can just get my damn gears installed!