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 The grille from Trenz is made...  The grille from Trenz is made of polished billet aluminum and comes ready to install. |
 The stock inserts are held...  The stock inserts are held in by little plastic welds. These need to be broken off. We found that the needle removal tool from NRs gauge cluster works awesome but a screwdriver will work too. |
 When we went to install our...  When we went to install our grille we noticed it stuck out a little far for our taste, so we filed the down bars to allow the unit to sit farther back into the shell. |
 The grille pieces load in...  The grille pieces load in from the front and are then bolted together, using a strap from the rear, to hold them in place. |
 Now that the grilles were...  Now that the grilles were in place we installed the hood latch extension. This piece is used because you wont be able to get your fingers between the bars to open the hood. We drilled a small hole into the latch and bolted the two together. |
 While we were installing the...  While we were installing the grille the professionals at Starbucks painted, color-sanded, and rubbed our air dam, mirrors, roll pan, hood scoops, and taillight covers. |
 To install the front air dam...  To install the front air dam we first unbolted the bumper and then popped all the fasteners holding the factory air dam to the bumper. We then installed the new dam onto the bumper, and then reinstalled the bumper back on the truck. Be careful not to scratch the paint. |
 For the rear roll pan we had...  For the rear roll pan we had to get the bumper out of the way. When removing the bumper unbolt it from the frame and take it off, brackets and all. |
 For this roll pan we had to...  For this roll pan we had to remove the trailer hitch and weight bar. If you still want to tow with your truck, make sure to find a pan that allows you to retain your hitch. |
 With everything out of the...  With everything out of the way the roll pan was lined up and screwed into place. The license plate then screwed directly to the pan. |
 To gain access to the nuts...  To gain access to the nuts holding the stock mirrors on the door, the panels needed to be removed. |
 After unplugging and unbolting...  After unplugging and unbolting the factory mirrors they were lifted out of the way so we could install our sleeker Street Scene mirrors. |
 We had to go with a nonpower...  We had to go with a nonpower set of mirrors to stay close to our budget. |
 Here is the rear after all...  Here is the rear after all the parts were installed. As you can see, the roll pan and GTS taillight covers make the back half smooth and easier on the eyes. |
 Up front the new parts give...  Up front the new parts give the truck more continuity and flow without looking overdone. |
When it came time to apply the $1,000 budget to the looks of our 2000 Dodge Dakota, we really had to think. There are a bunch of options available and we didnt want to blow our wad on just one thing. We decided to ask the guys at Stylin Concepts to see what they would do to make a noticeable improvement, while staying within the budget. What they came up with for the Dakota was a set of Street Scene mirrors, a Trenz billet grille, GTS taillight covers, and Lund hoodscoops, plus their own front air dam and roll pan.
Since we were changing body parts we told Stylin to leave enough coin to have the stuff painted. Once we received the parts we went to Starbucks Custom & Collision Center in Riverside, California, to have the air dam, mirrors, roll pan, hoodscoops, and taillight covers painted body color. Just like in other parts of our challenge we saved money by installing some things ourselves. Once these parts were installed the Dakota took on an aggressive street look that set it apart from the stockers driving around.