‼️ UPDATE FORD E-RAPTOR grille swap and install tutorial

[Bombero]

Camera lined up decently but not perfect, gotta wait for sunny warm weather to hit my glue work with matte black but otherwise pretty pleased with it.

EDIT: Also going to completely black out the stupid white light bar, I hate it and tried to 'smoke' it with smoke plastidip back when it was warmer, but it's super uneven and pisses me off. Gotta wait for better weather but have matte black plasti-dip to fix it. Reminds me of the plastic the light cover in a refrigerator is made from lol.

Happy Sunday everyone

Looks so clean, hope to achieve this level of sickness some day!

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[Bombero]

It’s not everyone’s cup of tea. But it’s different. Took a bit of modification for the camera and sprayer but I think it came out alright. My stock one is getting repainted after 40k miles of rock chips so it will be good as new when I decide to swap back. For now. I’m happy with being “different”

Man, that one mean looking truck. Nicely done. Thanks for posting the step by step instructions.

 

[SSNutz]

Camera lined up decently but not perfect, gotta wait for sunny warm weather to hit my glue work with matte black but otherwise pretty pleased with it.

EDIT: Also going to completely black out the stupid white light bar, I hate it and tried to 'smoke' it with smoke plastidip back when it was warmer, but it's super uneven and pisses me off. Gotta wait for better weather but have matte black plasti-dip to fix it. Reminds me of the plastic the light cover in a refrigerator is made from lol.

Happy Sunday everyone

Real nice looking Truck! Would you be able to tell me how you blacked out the light bar with plasti-dip? Is this better than wrapping?

 

[Zaptor]

Real nice looking Truck! Would you be able to tell me how you blacked out the light bar with plasti-dip? Is this better than wrapping?

Thank you, I appreciate your kind words.

Relatively straightforward, I just masked everything *but* the light bar and sprayed. It absolutely has better coverage than a wrap, every one I've seen has light peeking past the tint at the edges.

The problem (for me) is that whereas an opaque color does not really show spray 'strokes', this translucent tinted "smoke" stuff does, giving it a weird marbly look when lit. I had intended to black it out with straight matte black last year, but the weather turned before I got to it, and it's too cool for paint now.

Next Spring though, I will peel the smoke and go black. I love the look without the light bar (that does nothing at all except look different, not enough projected light to matter one iota), and while the truck is already pretty stealth as far as EV trucks go, taking the lightbar out of the visual cue stack helps it fly under the radar even more IMO (and look a bit more Raptor-y).
Cheers
-Zap

 

[nbeasy]

Here it is (hope I’m not breaking any rules on the forum by posting links):


https://garagealphaoffroad.com/prod...2T5bsa8QcJ2OlezYx1ZTAgNnN6h_qsu88pa_jocKwo3O0

Also bought from here.

@Zaptor @AZT9 thank you guys for your instructions! Used backplate from OEM mount for camera with some epoxy.

I went the same route. Cut up the original mount out of the blue oval with my dremel, so it had the original mounting angle as close as possible. Then essentially took up on of the "hexes" as the mount space. Cut up everything as tight as possible and then secured with some black JB weld. Might touch up the JB weld with some matte black touch up paint since it dries with a gloss look, but very happy so far. Shout out to @Zaptor @AZT9 for the ideas and instructions. Shame this doesnt come as option, but also as Zaptor said, kinda glad to make it a bit rarer.

 

[Altivec]

I currently have the Putco lit up ford emblem which I really like because it makes it seem more EVish. but I also really love this raptor grill. I don't want to give up my putco look, at least just yet. I think what I would really like is a combination of the two, where the FORD letters got lit up on this grill. What do others think of that idea? or Am I the only crazy one to think that would look awesome.

 

[Firn]

I currently have the Putco lit up ford emblem which I really like because it makes it seem more EVish. but I also really love this raptor grill. I don't want to give up my putco look, at least just yet. I think what I would really like is a combination of the two, where the FORD letters got lit up on this grill. What do others think of that idea? or Am I the only crazy one to think that would look awesome.

I don't think its crazy at all, I think it would look nice (I don't like the F O R D letters). One might be able to 3d print a small mount that would allow an emblem a place to mount on the Raptor grill.

I have debated designing a camera mount as well however the Raptor grill isn't something I have invested in just yet since my Pro doesn't have an upper light bar.

If you want we can talk more about it.

 

[nbeasy]

I currently have the Putco lit up ford emblem which I really like because it makes it seem more EVish. but I also really love this raptor grill. I don't want to give up my putco look, at least just yet. I think what I would really like is a combination of the two, where the FORD letters got lit up on this grill. What do others think of that idea? or Am I the only crazy one to think that would look awesome.

Not sure if this is what you're thinking, but its very plausible to cut the raised hexes from the raptor grill around an outling of the blue oval one, so you could get the both.

 

[Altivec]

I don't think its crazy at all, I think it would look nice (I don't like the F O R D letters). One might be able to 3d print a small mount that would allow an emblem a place to mount on the Raptor grill.

I have debated designing a camera mount as well however the Raptor grill isn't something I have invested in just yet since my Pro doesn't have an upper light bar.

If you want we can talk more about it.

Yah... I understand. Looks are allways subjective. Some people hate the raptor grill and some love it. I think the big FORD letters makes the truck look more aggressive. Which is something I like (others don't like aggressive or may think it doesn't make it look more aggressive). I think the big letters being lit, would be even more in your face aggressive. (maybe I am over compensating for something, lol).

I also think the big lit big letters would look cool in a PRO even with out the light bar. I think it would give it an aggressive look while at the same time give it the recognition of being an EV. again, just my opinion.

 

[tommyb]

I currently have the Putco lit up ford emblem which I really like because it makes it seem more EVish. but I also really love this raptor grill. I don't want to give up my putco look, at least just yet. I think what I would really like is a combination of the two, where the FORD letters got lit up on this grill. What do others think of that idea? or Am I the only crazy one to think that would look awesome.

I did this, except I omitted the big FORD letters. Here is a photo and a link to the
description of my install.
https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...d-emblem-and-on-off-switch.21046/#post-414946

 

[Altivec]

Not sure if this is what you're thinking, but its very plausible to cut the raised hexes from the raptor grill around an outling of the blue oval one, so you could get the both.

I was more thinking that the Big Ford letters would be designed a little different with the front of each letter having a white plastic cover that can be lit up. I definitely would not want both the Big letters and my Putco emblem as that is too much. I will change it up in a year or so from now so I'll see what is out there then but I may do as you say. Just use the hex grill and not put on the FORD letters and incorporate the Putco lit one on there.

 

[Firn]

I also think the big lit big letters would look cool in a PRO even with out the light bar. I think it would give it an aggressive look while at the same time give it the recognition of being an EV. again, just my opinion.

Sadly the Pro grill and lightbar area are all one piece. If you get a Raptor grill there is nothing to fill that area where the light bar would be.

Yes, one could add a lightbar, but it significantly increases the cost of this mod.

 

[Altivec]

I did this, except I omitted the big FORD letters. Here is a photo and a link to the
description of my install.
https://www.f150lightningforum.com/...d-emblem-and-on-off-switch.21046/#post-414946

looks good... This is exactly what I will go with if nothing new comes up. My Platinum OEM grill took a bit of beating over winter but with some touch ups, I think I can get another year out of it. Who ever approved painted soft aluminum as a grill needs to be taken out back to the wood shed. There are going to be some pretty needlessly beat up looking lightnings showing up in the next few years.

 

[Altivec]

Sadly the Pro grill and lightbar area are all one piece. If you get a Raptor grill there is nothing to fill that area where the light bar would be.

Yes, one could add a lightbar, but it significantly increases the cost of this mod.

Oh.. didn't know that. Yeah, adding a light bar would definitely change the pricing of this mod in an extreme way. With 3D printing getting better and bigger, maybe in a few years we'll be able to just print out what ever we want. Pretty sure a plastic insert where the light bar goes wouldn't be too difficult to make even now. I know I would be able to do it in 3 pieces, some glue, some filler, a little sanding and some paint.

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