I'm not quite happy with the way my grille looks. It's aged/faded and looks to be in pretty rough shape.

So I did some searching and came across this thread: 2001 ranger grille replacement

In that thread it's stated the options are to paint your grille or to get one of the following:



So I went to good old photoshop and played with the options... So far the only one I really like is the painted option. I was wondering if maybe there were any other decent grilles? I found a few "snap in" grills that basically replace the existing grille but leaves all the other painted stuff but they all looked real cheesy (see here: http://www.mrgrille.com/yellow%20ranger%20edge.jpg)

Also where can I get the grilles in the above image? The only one I played with seriously in photoshop was the black one with the chrome middle since it caught my eye. Does anyone have any of these grilles on their truck and can share pictures to help me make a decision?

Maybe I can get some opinions also on what looks best of the ones I ran through photoshop?

What it looks like now:


What it would look like painted black:


If I got the black grille with the chrome insert and painted the area under the lights blue to match the truck:


If I got the black grille with the chrome insert and left the color alone:


(Forgive the crappy photoshop job, I'm kind of a novice at it)

Paint that thing black and call it a day

__________________

yeah im with STL, go get some krylon fusion satin black or gloss black and paint it black, then install some offroad lights behind it!

__________________

Or if you could find the street scene grille that would look awesome

__________________

x3 on painting it black...

__________________
2008 XLT 4x4 - GRABBER ORANGE - 4.0 V6 - 5 spd
PNW CREW

+1 it looks cool, i have the one on your 3rd & 4th pic... and don't like it at all

__________________
_______________________________
'02 XLT Supercab
2.3L 4 Cyl.
Manual Trans
NEW: -CAI , Extra Air Intake Hose (K&N Pending)

I say paint it black or get the Roush grill and color match it.

looks like the paint it and forget has the vote.

__________________
Jay's
09 XL reg cab
L4 2.3 , 40 series flowmaster , tinted windows 5% back 35% sides ,muffler removed from air box mod ,and ac on off switch mod , blinker mod, avs window vent shades
coming soon! k&n drop in/fiberglass bed cover/bed sprayed liner

lol well i guess this weekend i'll paint it hopefully it looks as good as the photoshop'd image

thanks guys

Honestly, I think you're thinking about this a little too much. Fading grilles is quite a common thing on these bare plastic grilles and exterior plastic pieces(flares, rear bumper step, bedrail caps, etc). $5 can of Krylon Fusion paint and a $1 roll of masking tape and the problem is cured. Or you can do it the better way of fully removing the grille 'insert' from the 'shell' and painting it, then snapping everything back together and calling it a day. There's no need for a new grille unless you want to change up the look of the truck for the 2wd XLT/XL style grille like you've photoshopped, though it is possible to do and the choice is up to you.


And to do that, he'll need to buy #3 in the LMC truck pic and paint both shell and insert. The 'bar' shells are different than the 'mesh' aka honeycomb shells.

__________________
'01 XLT disguised as a '03 Fx4 Level II.

and, to answer your original question, take a look at my avatar. My truck came stock with the grille you were asking about. It's black with a chrome center, shipped as "new". On the actual trucks, the black portion is painted to match the body color, in my case that was Silver Frost.

__________________
2001 Ranger XLT 4.0L SOHC
Silver Frost w/ Dark Graphite interior


Modifications
Summit 3" Body Lift
31x10.50 A/T tires
Explorer overhead console
Explorer auto-dim mirror
Explorer auto-headlights
Aux1 & Aux2 inputs on factory AM/FM/CD/Cassette
Door-dinger silencer button
Seamless retractable roof and passenger-side ejection seat with steering wheel mounted controls and safety interlock

I think this would look tits and even if you painted it black would look awesome also

__________________

well i picked up a can of krylon fusion flat black

hopefully i can paint it tomorrow without too many mistakes. damn bugs in louisiana get stuck in anything i paint usually

Pop the grille off the truck and paint in the garage(or kitchen. lol).

__________________
'01 XLT disguised as a '03 Fx4 Level II.

Good choice!

__________________
2006 Ford Ranger Sport 4.0 2WD on 32x11.50R15s
-3" Doetsch Spindle Lift


Using the forum:
How to Post on the Forum
Creating a signature (do this before asking any questions)
Upload an Avatar (image of your Ranger)
How to Post Pictures on the Forum
Switch the site layout: Light Theme or Dark Theme

Things to do:
Participate in Truck of the Month
Participate in the Ranger Photo Contest
Participate in the Non-Automotive Photo Contest
Become a Site Contributor
Shop at the FordRangerForum.com Store