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Getting Grilled

Some Fresh Facelift Pieces for the '03 Chevy
By Travis Noack
2003 Chevrolet Silverado Front View
Here is a shot of our dealer-donated... 
   
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2003 Chevrolet Silverado Front View
Here is a shot of our dealer-donated '03 Chevy with the Carriage Works Bolt-Over Factory billet grille in place. This piece installs in minutes and from a distance you can't even detect the original plastic egg crate grille behind it.
2003 Chevrolet Silverado Front View
Our '03 Chevy looked pretty... 
   
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2003 Chevrolet Silverado Front View
Our '03 Chevy looked pretty bland prior to the installation, but Carriage Works and the installers at S.A. Motorsports would fix all that.
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Carriage Works Bolt-Over Factory... 
   
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Carriage Works Bolt-Over Factory billet grille for the '03 Chevy is polished to a high luster and made from T6061-T6 aircraft-grade billet aluminum material. Each of Carriage Works' grilles is TIG-welded by hand, inside a CAD-designed CNC-milled fixture to ensure an exact fit. Grilles are available in polished, brushed, or black finishes.
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With the hood of the truck... 
   
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With the hood of the truck open, the Carriage Works Bolt-Over Factory grille was placed over the factory egg crate mesh grille. Next, the supplied fasteners were inserted through the pre-existing holes on the back side of the inserts and through to the back side of the factory grille.
2003 Chevrolet Silverado Emblem View
To secure the grille in position,... 
   
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2003 Chevrolet Silverado Emblem View
To secure the grille in position, one of the shop workers at S.A. Motorsports held the hardware on the backside, while Carriage Works' own Scott Breckenridge tightened the fastener in place. The same process was performed at the other mounting points, and the install of the Bolt-Over Factory unit was complete.
2003 Chevrolet Silverado Front View
This is a shot of the Carriage... 
   
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2003 Chevrolet Silverado Front View
This is a shot of the Carriage Works Cut-Out billet grille insert for the '03 Chevy Silverado installed.
2003 Chevrolet Silverado Front View
Once again the bone-stock... 
   
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2003 Chevrolet Silverado Front View
Once again the bone-stock Silverado nose leaves a lot to be desired. Some sugar and spice from Carriage Works will take care of that.
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Here is a photo of the Carriage... 
   
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Here is a photo of the Carriage Works Cut-Out billet grille insert. Made of durable 6061 T-6 aircraft-grade billet aluminum, this unit is sure to brighten up the nose of any '03 Silverado.
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The radiator support shroud... 
   
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The radiator support shroud clips were removed to prepare for the extraction of the plastic panel.
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The radiator support shroud... 
   
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The radiator support shroud was lifted up and away from its mounting surface, allowing access to the grille's mounting points.
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After a brief disassembly,... 
   
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After a brief disassembly, the grille shell was pulled free from the front end so the original egg crate inserts could be cut out.
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Using a sawzall, the factory... 
   
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Using a sawzall, the factory grille mesh was cut where it meets the edges of the opening. They tried to make the cuts as clean as possible so grinding would be less of a chore, once the factory grille panels were removed
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The saw blade was carefully... 
   
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The saw blade was carefully run into the corners for a precise cut.
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With all the cuts completed,... 
   
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With all the cuts completed, the lower factory grille mesh insert was pulled out of the opening and tossed toward the trashcan. The same process was repeated with the upper mesh insert before moving on.
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Using a grinding wheel, the... 
   
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Using a grinding wheel, the rough edges left behind by the saw blade were smoothed before we installed the brightly polished billet inserts.
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From the backside of the... 
   
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From the backside of the grille shell, the Carriage Works polished billet inserts were dropped into position inside the factory '03 Chevy grilles framework.
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Black 5/8-inch screws supplied... 
   
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Black 5/8-inch screws supplied with the grille were used up top to mount the upper insert with the supplied brackets. A 1/8-inch hole was drilled from the bottom up to accommodate the hardware.
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The upper insert was secured... 
   
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The upper insert was secured at the top two mounting points with supplied 5/8-inch black screws.
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The bottom billet insert is... 
   
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The bottom billet insert is fastened at the lower corners of the grille shell with supplied bracketry and 5/8-inch black screws. A 1/8-inch hole was drilled here so the hardware could be installed from the opposite side.
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The lower billet insert was... 
   
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The lower billet insert was fastened at the corners from the outside of the shell with the supplied 5/8-inch black screws.
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For rigidity, the Carriage... 
   
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For rigidity, the Carriage Works upper and lower billet grille inserts were fastened at the center of the grille shell on the backside. Note the supplied L-brackets (shown), which hook to the grille and are bolted to the plastic shell with 3/8-inch silver screws. For these mounting points, it is important to only drill through the first layer of plastic on the grille shell. Otherwise, you will drill through to the outside of the grille. A 3/32-inch drill bit is recommended for making these holes.
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This is what the backside... 
   
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This is what the backside of the grille shell should look like once the Carriage Works Cut-Out inserts are installed. With mounting tabs at the top, bottom, and center, this grille is definitely secured in place.
2003 Chevrolet Silverado Grill View
The factory grille shell with... 
   
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2003 Chevrolet Silverado Grill View
The factory grille shell with the Carriage Works polished billet inserts in place was reinstalled onto the nose of our dealer donated '03 Chevy. Presented are two attractive billet grille inserts from Carriage Works for the brand-new '03 Silverado. The difference is how much work you want to do.
Cadillac Escalade Research
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Custom 2003 Chevrolet Silverado Truck - Stone Cold Classic
This daily-driven show truck is clean inside and out.... more