TRD style grills...

Hey guys, first off thanks for the help on my other thread regarding the projector lights. I've had this truck a while and have done quite a few things to it, but I find myself not always interested in doing mods and spending money on my truck. Well, I'm back and it seems whenever I come back there's something new to behold that wasn't available the last time I was here...

With that being said, I've always wanted to do a different grill on my 03 TRD. But never really liked any of the styles....until now. The TRD style grill. My truck just has so much white on it...lol. I've done some searching and it seems thru all the bickering and what-not that there seems to be some questions whether all these style grills are in fact made and distributed by 1 company and other companies are slapping their name on it. My MAIN concern is the fit and finish and the quality. I don't mind paying for quality and if the more expensive ones are better...I'm fine with that. So, my question is, for those of you that have done this mod, who did you go with ( and avoid) and if there is someone in San Diego that has done this, I would love to see it in person to judge for myself. Obviously, nothing fits like OEM.

Thanks

 

I haven't done the mod, but the gist is this: All of the latest TRD grille product addition is coming from the same factory, but several Chinese sellers are offering it through sometimes-less-reputable marketplaces at far less cost, essentially undercutting the USA entity who designed it and contracted a factory over there to make it. This happens often, as unpalatable as it is. It's part of doing business in the PRC. The quality, as others have found, is supposedly the exact same. That could change at any time, and you may start seeing "seconds" showing up for sale in the less-reputable marketplaces any day, but that's the gist.

I take it you found the threads where other users were posting pics? Sometimes grilles on our white trucks look a little goofy when paint-matched. The Ivan Steward (or is it the T3?) grilles are like that for me. The fat outer border looks goofy, ricer-ish to me on white trucks.

 

Thx shifty...It looks like there is an OEM Taco grill mod as well for this??

 

I don't know if I've seen that one. Got any links or pics?

 

https://www.tundras.com/threads/first-gen-grille-options.95219/page-3

reply #71

 

Matt from CustomCarGrills.com shows how to customize them. But I haven't seen a DIY using a Taco grill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYC-Gl2U3GU

 

And if I'm understanding correctly, @jerryallday mentioned doing the Taco TRD grill swap here. Then later showed a pic of the TRD one with all the controversy here. Then @tacoguybill posted over here linking to a cheap Taco grill you could hack from MadHornets website, but they've since stopped selling.

I haven't been able to track down a DIY for how to hack up the Taco TRD grill though, if you wanted to make your own. At the price point, it almost seems silly not to just buy one that's already made to fit. I dunno about you, but I have zero extra time these days for fun little side projects like grill mods

 

I’ve got 2 trucks with the trd pro grills from teq customs. I ordered when the pre order for the double cabs first started. The fitment is pretty good, not perfect though. The weather stripping they ship with now feels in the little bit of gap pretty nicely. My wife’s sequoia’s grill shipped with it. I think the tundra grills now come with it also. The grill comes with new studs but you can cut the studs out of the oem grill and tightening up the fitment by using them.

My only gripe with it is I still need to figure out a better solution for my hood release. Right now I just reach up to top and pull it loose. The sequoia’s grill on the other hand worked perfectly no issues at all.

I’m just glad to see somebody bringing some products out for the 1st gen trucks.

as for the diy option, I made an attempt at it but mine looked like crap. Way more involved than I thought it would be. Wasted a taco grill and a dc replacement grill from eBay. But here’s a how too if you wanna attempt it
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CGzzD0zx7kM

The wife’s sequoia


My double cab (the piece under the grill I wrapped matte black) just don’t have it on the truck in this picture

 

bahahahah @shifty` can't say I've even had time to attempt it, I've gotten so far as to cut the center out of the old donor grille but haven't started cutting up the new one yet. I'd definitely recommend OP just buy the completed one. When I do get around to doing it I'll be sure to post pics.

 

Maybe if they had some body color to go with them otherwise all I see is this....

 

I got a 3rd party trd style grill. I had to use the original mounting hardware from the oem grill. Other than the hardware and a barely noticeable gap between the hood and grill I’d definitely recommend it. If you are interested I’ll post the link to where I got it.

 

I'm old . . . but IMO the TRD grills are cool, but the Gen 1 Tundra itself is a little too 'dated' for such a modern grill.
I think the stock one is 'alright' . . . but if I was gonna do a swap, I'd do one of these . . . I think they work better with the body style of the Gen 1 . . . but again, I'm an old fart.

 

I want to find a terminator grill..

 

I agree it definitely looks dated I'm planning on putting a coastal off-road high clearance bumper on soon to help modernize it a bit.

 

That looks great! Would love a link. Was thinking of picking up a TEQ version today.

How was the install and how is the overall quality? (Some folks seem to think the TEQ version isn't as sturdy as it should be.)

 

It's all the same factory in China making them so it's basically the same potential quality, although you never know when purchasing through Alibaba and similar storeftronts, you could be getting the 'seconds' on quality, being sold through a vendor. There's a lucrative market for factory 'seconds' on Alibaba, it's where a lot of factory rejects end up.

 

I got it from: https://goodmatchup.com/products/20...Eq7esCQyTAbvNAW5wjtD2yAl4ZDCDKfjJEU9GpiWkq5sI

The included mounting hardware was trash and I had to use the OEM hardware. It is pretty sturdy but if the prices are similar i'd shoot for the TEQ version if you want more customization such as the badging and emblems included with TEQ versions.

 

Teq is roughly the same price. The gist is this:

All those pro style grilles were designed by Teq, who contracted them to be made in China. The manufacturer in China took the design, mass-produced, and is undercutting Teq (link for backstory). There's a lot of misinformation / speculation floating around about it, and lots of Teq-bashing out there which may or may not be warranted.

tl;dr - You paid $200 for a grill that's $75 on Alibaba. Your seller likely bought in bulk there for $60/ea (or less), unless sourced from Teq, Teq just made $0 for their design. Seller is likely, unscrupulously if so, making a mint on Teq's ingenuity.

Full disclosure, I have ZERO skin in this game and don't care what anyone chooses to spend their money on. I personally try to be as pro-American as possible on purchases things, and I'd rather support the designer myself, but I loathe that look. I spoke my piece about it in other threads. It's the risk of doing business in China.

We need to bring American manufacturing back.

 

The sole reason I bought from them was because I didn't know about TEQ until after I bought from them otherwise I would have bought from them. I try to get all American made parts for my truck personally.

 

Totally get it and, like I said, not knocking you or anyone else. It's your dollar, you put in the work to make it, not me

If anything, I'm kinda SMH at whoever that seller is (never heard of them before), but only if Teq isn't getting their cut.

I honestly think Teq is overpriced, same way I find a lot of manufactured aftermarket parts for our trucks are overpriced. I think it's silly for example, I can pay $950 for a pair of SPC upper control arms that come in a box with the SPC logo on it, but I can buy the identical pair in a box with an Eibach logo and it's $600. Or I can buy them individually in a Mevotech box for around $250/ea. At least the SPC was designed and manufactured here in the US, though (supposedly). The economics and pricing rationale completely escape me.

I'll shutup before I go off on more of a tangent

 

Thanks for the info, folks! I just picked up the Tundra this week, (I guess I should introduce myself in the main forum) and I'm looking to make it mine a bit. Grateful for the interaction!

 

Worth checking out this thread if you're a new owner.

 

Here's mine...

 

Oh yeah, man. I've been checking out that thread just about every day! Thank you for all the work that went into it!!

 

Looking good, TailHook. Any chance you'd care to point me toward those fog lights? I've been looking for replacements (for a 2005) and can't seem to find ones I like. Yours look great!

 

TEQ has stated they sent their TRD Grill CAD for manufacture in China, and same China mfgr is using their unaltered CAD design to sell worldwide. Regardless, TEQ buys their TRD Grills by accused rip off manufacturer in China, and the can't be corrected bad fit is noticeable by most. Especially by Body Shop guys or those that removed and replaced the OEM Grill for the TRD aftermarket grill.

Would the China grill manufacturer actually rip off a design? They have a room with racks from ceiling to floor exhibiting many different styles of vehicle manufactures grills they make. They were in business long before TEQ thought about being TEQ.

With TEQ's claim in mind, TEQ's copycatted TRD grill now sold by everyone and their uncle worldwide has one important flaw, it's a lousy fit. Easy to see, especially when compared to any Toyota style OEM grill. Only way to have an OEM fit (even spaced/uniform smooth fit matching metal body) is to make one yourself. This link, if not already posted, will help the DIY guys.

DIY grill info
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGzzD0zx7kM&t=16s

If not for you, buy from rumored China rip off mfg (all are from them) and pay less with very fast shipping. I think they even throw in the led lights. I bought from the Chinese direct many times w/o problem. https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Auto-Parts-New-Design-ABS-Black_1600484464531.html

 

Appreciate it...those are just Lamin-X overlays on the stock fog housings.

 

https://www.tundras.com/threads/lets-see-your-first-gen-photo-thread.21/page-95#post-2870794

 

man those sequoia bumpers look so much better with that grille....I know there's a way to swap them but I'll be damned if it doesn't look like too much work....or more time than I have haha

 

Oof... I really want that DIY version, but I'm just not that handy. It looks so good IMO.