thrashingcows

Well I did my grill upgrade over the weekend...to the 91.5-93 style grill. But I'll start from the beginning.

I bought the grill pieces off e-bay many months ago for fairly cheap. But a couple of them were busted up and cracked, and one grill insert was missing a chunk as well.





I decided that I would fix them myself. So I happened to find a busted up grill at the wreckers that I was able to scavenge the missing piece from. I then carefully trimmed the broken area and cut a piece to fit. Then cut, filed and sanded it until it was an almost perfect fit.



Then I cut small pieces of sheet metal as backing supports and glued them in place. I like to use the "Marine Goop". This stuff is almost impossible to break free once set-up...great stuff.





After all was in place a cured I putty filled and sanded everything, then used a sandable primer and sanded some more. Then a few coats of flat black and all was good.



I got the chrome grill through E-bay as well. Just a couple bucks over a hundred shipped.

thrashingcows

So up to the weekend....I pulled everything off the front.



Then installed my new rad support.



And if you recall I modified my rad support just a little to fit my Non-IC, down flow rad. I only needed to add a small "bushing" on the bottom bolts below the rad, I used some 5/8" heater hose. Now I don't have to worry about it hitting those bolts and rubbing through the lower tank.



I then had to make up some brackets to hold the rad in place. I used some box braces from a mid 90's chevy pick-up. I liked theses because the ends were threaded and ran a good sized bolt.



I then had to cut, bend and modify the pieces to get them where I wanted. A little welding and grinding had them ready to go.

thrashingcows

The lower mounts I had to drill a new hole in the rad support, then make the brackets. But I had to run an additional washer on the bracket so that the lower mounting mount, that usually slips down over an already threaded bolt, would not bend and twist out of the way....I figured this out the hard way.





And a couple more pics of the rad all installed and ready to go.







And the final pic...all done.

brcron007

Sharp !!! That turned out real nice. And it looks better than any $650.00 a month payment truck rollin around. The wheels and the grill really set it off.

jimbo486

Great work! I love these trucks with the newer grill! Hence the reason why I swapped one onto my '90 also! It makes it look so much better, IMO.

thrashingcows

Thanks guys....

And Thank you Jim for your posting pics of your grill upgrade....I needed a few of those pics to help me figure out some of my problems.

jimbo486

Glad I could help! It's the least I could do for this community after all the help they've given and offered me!

tech-eh

wicked solved my issues with my first gen up grades great post hey why no up grade on the intake/filter though

DJ Turbo.

Nice nice nice! and do u know the name of the seller on ebay for our grills? if so pm me with his name thanks

thrashingcows

The filter will get upgraded to a BHAF when I get around to rebuilding my HX35, and get it on the truck. I'll also be doing my PS IC at that time as well. Kind of a package deal.

I'll see what I can find and PM you.

bryson711

Its lookin good cows! Now if we can get ya to do a 4wd swap.

Sent from my DROID2 using Tapatalk

DJ Turbo.

Thanks Cows! and Bryson that would be sweet haha

1STGENFARMBOY

Thrasher... that turned out unbelievably good.

that is an awsome truck.

Dar

1990

I think i know why my belt is close on the a/c compressor swap. I have a smaller alternator pulley then the one on your truck.

thrashingcows

Smaller pulley should not affect the A/C Compressor swap. It would only affect how much tension was on the belt, and/or the location of the tensioner once loaded on the belt.