Back in the day, any conversion you wanted to attempt ended up being very expensive and required hours of bodywork to blend lines and get things right. Then guys figured out you could hit up the dealer and get all the stuff needed to convert, let's say a Silverado, to an Escalade. Cool, but still expensive. Then aftermarket companies finally got involved and helped by offering kits at less than dealer prices. Well what if you want to use something from a different manufacturer? Luckily you don't have to find a custom body shop if you want to put a Range Rover-style grille and headlights in your '88-'98 Chevy or GMC truck. The Option Group has crafted a completely bolt-in conversion specifically designed for these trucks that will really change the way your truck looks. Not only can you completely transform the front of your ride, you can do it for less than 400 bucks. We figured it would take a ton of trimming and cutting to install the conversion and were happily surprised to find out it's a true bolt-in replacement that took us about 45 minutes to complete.
What's In The Box?
'88-'98 Chevy/GMC C10 Range Rover-style conversion kit is a direct bolt-on grille replacement that features Range Rover-styled headlight housings. The grille shell is one piece with all the proper mounting tabs, and the headlight housings come with a new halogen bulb with factory-style plugs. The grille shell and lights can be ordered in either satin black or chrome, so there are four possible variations. Because we already have a full chrome grille shell, we decided to go with the black on black.
1. Before the conversion grille...
1. Before the conversion grille could be installed, we had to pull all the stock stuff out of the way. The turn signals on the GMC grille are held in place by four Phillips screws.
2. Once unbolted, the socket...
2. Once unbolted, the socket assemblies can be twisted out. Be careful not to break the little locking tab hanging off the socket. If you do, you better grab some tape because that's what you will need to hold the socket in place.
3. Then the screws holding...
3. Then the screws holding the grille shell along the top edge were removed and the rest of the hidden hardware was accessed through the turn-signal hole. If your truck is stock you'll probably need 8mm and 10mm sockets. Since ours has been converted from Chevy to GMC at some point we found some Phillips screws in there as well.
4. With all the screws out,...
4. With all the screws out, the grille shell was popped free from the lower filler panel and removed from the truck. The lower filler panel has a few small tabs that lock into the grille shell and are easily removed with a little finger pressure.
5a. The headlight assemblies...
5a. The headlight assemblies are held on by four 10mm bolts, which were removed with a 1/4 ratchet and deep socket.
5b.Once unbolted, you can...
5b.Once unbolted, you can easily access the headlight plugs.