Understanding that personalizing your ride is a fundamental attribute of Cadillac's approach to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; a full line of Genuine Cadillac Accessories have been made available for the new Escalade EXT. This line-up includes items that will add good looks, functionality, and give you the flexibility to make your Cadillac experience a unique one. When it came time to alter the overall look of our project EXT, we contacted Tustin Cadillac for a bevy of Genuine Cadillac Accessories, including a paint-matched grille, chrome tow hooks, a chrome gas door, a power-sliding tonneau cover, a Bed Rug, and as an added bonus: the accessories department at Tustin Cadillac threw in a set of stainless mesh side fender vents. Tustin Cadillac was our dealer of choice for the installation of our Cadillac parts, because of their professional attitude towards customer service and knowledgeable staff. Taking about seven hours of their time, the parts went right on without any problems. A great added benefit to using the Genuine Cadillac Accessories is they are covered by the manufacturer's warranty and will not void your current Cadillac warranty.
Needing to update the front...
Needing to update the front end of the Escalade EXT, we ordered a new body-color-painted grille with stainless inserts. The new grille came pre-painted in silver, code 59U, and retails for $275.
In order to swap the grille,...
In order to swap the grille, the front one-piece bumper and grille had to be removed. Ruben from Tustin Cadillac made quick work of it by removing the radiator core cover, the bolts on top of the grille, and the screws inside of each fender. Once the fasteners were removed Ruben was able to free the one-piece assembly.
With the grille and bumper...
With the grille and bumper assembly on the shop floor, Ruben used a flat screwdriver to remove the factory grille from the bumper.
It was now time to install...
It was now time to install the new painted grille onto the bumper. Before the new pieces were put back onto the truck, Ruben took this opportunity to install the new chrome tow hooks, part number 17800857, which retail for $115. It was just a matter of removing the stock bolts and swapping the new chrome hooks on.
After getting some assistance...
After getting some assistance from Sean, the grille and bumper assembly were installed onto the truck.
In case you were confused...
In case you were confused as to the upgrade we made, check out how smooth and clean the new front grille looks with the painted pieces, as compared to the chrome-filled stock piece.
As an added bonus, the accessories...
As an added bonus, the accessories team at Tustin Cadillac hooked us up with a set of stainless mesh side fender vents for the EXT. Ruben is an expert at removing these vents. His method may not be in the owner's manual, but it sure worked like a champ. First off, he used dental floss to remove the double-sided tape on the edges of the vents.
After he taped off the surrounding...
After he taped off the surrounding painted areas on the fender, he wedged a scraper in between the tape and the vent. This allowed him to slightly pry while pulling on the vent-and just like that-it popped out.
Here are the mesh fender vents,...
Here are the mesh fender vents, which are available at Tustin Cadillac. A cool trick about these vents is the black backing that prevents you from seeing through the vent into the fender. Many of the aftermarket fender vents are hollow and look cheap. These vents retail for $195.