When it comes to building a custom classic truck, it's not one big job that makes a truck. For instance, you can't have a flawless paintjob without some nice wheels, stance, and custom tricks here and there, and then figure you have a killer truck. Granted, every once in a great while there is an exception to the rule, but generally speaking it's a concoction of big and small alterations that complete a truck.
Due to financial and personal time issues hot rodders tend to build their rides over a few years—usually starting with the bigger jobs, such as chassis and bodywork, and then moving toward refining their ride. Oftentimes ornamentation is one of the last issues taken up. Things such as badges, chrome, and trim are some of the last items that make their way onto one's ride. If you have a '67-68 Chevy truck, and are looking to finalize your ride, LMC Truck has a way to distinguish your ride from the rest of the herd with minimal cash.
When it comes to customizing any vehicle, some of the smallest attributes can make or break it—and just like moonshine, a little goes a long way. If this is the recipe you're looking to whip up, then a new LMC Truck billet grille insert and Euro headlights may be just the face-lift you're looking for. (What, you thought face-lifts were exclusive to Hollywood?) The LMC Truck insert is a five-bar grille insert that is made to mount in the wide opening of stock '67-68 Chevy grilles. Although subtle, cheap, and easy to install, these grille inserts give the front end an entirely new look. Match that with a new set of crystal-clear Euro headlights, and you've given your truck a face-lift that'd even make Kenny Rogers proud!
This install will cost less than $500 and only take an hour or so to bang out—a perfect situation for a project with a minimal budget or time allotment. To check out this easy swap, we had LMC Truck send us a grille insert and Euro headlights. LMC Truck also has clear turn signal lights, but our test mule already had them, so we decided not to swap apples for apples. However, if someone wanted to attain this look, a set of clear turn signals would need to be ordered as well. Check it out.
01 Quick, simple, and impactful—these three words describe the new LMC Truck billet aluminum grille inserts and Euro-style headlights.
02 If your truck is painted, like Jon Garcia's '68 test mule for this story, it's a good idea to lay down some Scotch-Blue Painter's Tape in the areas that are going to see some contact. A lot of these parts have sharp edges that could scratch and mar the finish. What's the point in improving the look of your ride if you're only going to tear it up in the process?
03 Before the LMC Truck grille insert can be installed, the stock Chevy trim needs to be removed. Remove the finger-tightened nuts that hold the trim in place to pull the trim off.
04 Another piece that needs to be removed is the grille support bracket (behind the grille) that mounts to the splash pan and the core support.
05 With the trail cleared, Garcia set out to install the grille. For added security he also taped up the LMC Truck grille mounting tabs while test-fitting the piece.
06 Garcia then installed the grille. The LMC Truck insert slides in behind the grille opening and bolts to the lip of the opening. In some cases he was able to use existing holes; in others he needed to drill a few holes in the lip. LMC Truck provides the hardware and tabs to install the grille, but Garcia chose to use small screws with Nylok nuts and washers. Either way will work.
07 With the top insert installed, the bottom insert was installed in the same fashion.
08 The next stop on our journey was to install the new Euro headlights. First the bezels need to be removed, and then the headlights can be removed.
09 For those of you who are a little lost on exactly what a Euro headlight is, check this out. The Euro headlight is on the left and the standard light is on the right. As you can see, the Euro is absolutely clear, while the standard light is clouded with tons of lines and such. A much different look.
10 When installing the headlights, remember that they install in the same fashion as the stock units. Simply pop them in place and fasten them down with a few screws.
11 Once everything was installed, Garcia went back and placed the trim, bezels, and brackets in place.
12 When the inserts are in place there's no way to access the hood latch. Therefore, LMC Truck includes this latch extension T-handle. The T-handle mounts by drilling a hole through the stock latch handle, and then through the splash pan. Then the T-handle is slid up through the splash pan and attached to the stock latch.
13-14 Dig the juxtaposition. Although the new LMC Truck grille insert is billet, it doesn't have an overwhelming appeal, but still enough to shake things up. That's partly because only the front edge of the grille is polished; the rest is painted semigloss black. This cheap, easy, and quick modification brings a whole new look to the front of a truck.
