Recently, Master Image Customs decided to up its ante in the custom truck parts arena by building its own line of grille inserts. Rather than simply installing a billet insert, the company wanted to offer its customers something radically different. What emerged after weeks of research and development was its new line of polished stainless steel grille inserts. With names such as Tiki Tribal, Fast Flames, and the Super Star, the company is sure to have a grille that matches your enthusiasm and the feel of your custom ride. For the complete story, we visited M.I.C. and shot images of a complete install. Follow along for the 411 and use the information from our source section at the end of the article to contact them yourself.
1. First, a stock grille shell...
1. First, a stock grille shell was in need of a cosmetic upgrade.
2. To begin the installation...
2. To begin the installation of the grille, the staff at M.I.C had to pull the headlights, which was a simple process. They pulled upward on the retaining clips and placed all four of them for both headlights in a safe place.
3. With the headlight retaining...
3. With the headlight retaining clips removed, the headlights each lifted up and out of their mounting pockets, giving access to the back sides.
4. A&B Each fixture was rotated...
4. A&B Each fixture was rotated in its socket to remove the bulb from the headlight housing.
5. The headlight was placed...
5. The headlight was placed somewhere safe after it was free so nobody would trip over it.
6. With both headlights out...
6. With both headlights out of the way, pulling the grille from the truck's core support was easy.
7. A screwdriver was used...
7. A screwdriver was used to release the clips that secure the grille to the core support. When the clips were free, the grille was carefully removed by pulling it away from the truck in a single, horizontal movement.
8. There was still another...
8. There was still another pair of lights that needed to be disconnected. The lights were carefully removed from the corner lamps just as the headlights were. The grille was taken to a bench where the work was performed comfortably.
9. Most grilles are painted...
9. Most grilles are painted to match the truck they go onto. Because the staff at M.I.C. didn't need to pay for more paint than they already had, the areas were taped around the grille carefully to avoid scratching the grille shell.
10. The insert was centered...
10. The insert was centered to make sure it was located in the right place in the grille shell.
11. A&B The grille was flipped...
11. A&B The grille was flipped over and the holes were located in the insert mounting tabs from behind. There were three holes per insert and a total of six bolts that needed to be placed and tightened.
12. Each mount was tightened...
12. Each mount was tightened carefully using a ratchet. Other methods of hand-torquing can also be used.
13. The mounts were only tightened...
13. The mounts were only tightened onto the plastic inner grille shell, so the staff made sure that they didn't over-tighten the bolts.
14. Using the steps outlined...
14. Using the steps outlined above, toss your grille back onto your ride, making sure you don't have leftover parts. Then roll out like the bad dog that you are.