F150skidoo's money pit (build thread)

[RED_08_FX4]

Originally Posted by f150skidoo During the summer i'm going to PTM my surround but not sure what to do with chrome bumpers though, might wrap them so if i don't like i can just peel it off. Try "plasit-dip" if you don't like it, it comes off really easy vs vinyl, also it holds up well. I plastidipped my bull bar and its been holding up even with the winter sand / salt they cover the roads with beating on it. Looks great so far BTW.

[f150skidoo]

So i was kinda bored yesterday so i decided to cut up my stock XLT grille and make a bumper grille.




I cut the grille at 3 1/4" tall and 32" long, (grille sits behind opening instead in because its to hard to cut honey comb perfectly)



Since the XLT grille rounds in a lot near the outer edges I heated it up using a heat gun and put weight on it so it would be a bit flatter.



I went to bend up the mounting bracket out of aluminum and broke it in half so i went out to Lowes and got 1" x 1/8" zinc plated steel. The bracket is bolted down to the bottom of the bumper using the factory hardware which i think holds the air dam on.

[f150skidoo]

My stupid browser just crashed when i was about to post the this segment so now i have to redo it.



I took some of the scrap plastic from the grille and cut it to the same height as the honey comb part (3 1/4"), I notched out the back of the honey comb and did the same on the plastic mounting part so the can interlock each other to make it strong plus used super glue to attach two pieces. On the plastic mounting piece i notched a horizontal slip joint and also did a vertical slip joint in the metal bracket so you have more adjustment.



You can see the slip joint in the plastic mounting piece, I managed to glue the clamps pad to the grille.



Pic of all assembled on the work bench. Ignore the two bottom holes on the vertical piece of the metal bracket, they were for a previous idea on how to mount the grille.



Before:



After:

[RED_08_FX4]

Pretty slick, might want to paint or something those shiney brackets.

[f150skidoo]

Originally Posted by RED_08_FX4

Pretty slick, might want to paint or something those shiney brackets.

Ya i thought of painting them after I installed the grille, Ill probably paint them when i have to fab up a bracket for the KC driving lights that I'm going to put behind the lower grille.

[f150skidoo]

So i got my KC hilites 26 series in and I decided to install them this weekend.



So this is the bracket that i fabbed up for mounting the lights, the two S shaped brackets mount to the tabs where the bumper meets the bumper pad. I decided to use angle iron to make it stronger and less likely to flex.



Bracket with the lights attached.




Got the lights all wired up and working, lights are'nt wired into parking lights i just decided to put those on as well.

[f150skidoo]

Its kinda hard to see but this is how i mounted the bracket to the bumper.




I picked up a couple of switches from The Source (Radio Shack) and i mounted them on each side of the cigarette lighter.




First image is just the KC lights (Images don't do justice, Cell phone pics).




KC lights with low beams.




KC with high beams.

[rustranger07]

Just a off the wall question!! In your before an after pic with the leveling kit what size rim an tires are on it at the time? Wondering b/c im planning on leveling mine an seeing whats its going to look like before i put some tires on it and also comparing what some 265 70 r17 would like on it with stock wheels..
Thanks
S. Martin

[f150skidoo]

Originally Posted by rustranger07

Just a off the wall question!! In your before an after pic with the leveling kit what size rim an tires are on it at the time? Wondering b/c im planning on leveling mine an seeing whats its going to look like before i put some tires on it and also comparing what some 265 70 r17 would like on it with stock wheels..
Thanks
S. Martin

when i first leveled my truck they were the stock tires i think they were 235/75/17 so they are very close to your tire size (my old tires are 1/2" smaller than yours). hope this helps

[faniman57]

Cant wait to see that saleen grille with the PTM surround