Best method for the 2005-07 front end conversion
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 439
Likes: 4
From: Lubbock, Texas
hotprawl,
Well...in general, yes. You'll need a new FORD emblem for the grille. The old emblem is smaller and won't look good. Also, the bumper includes about 7 pieces. When looking for an 05-07 bumper you need everything not just the bumper/metal part, this can get expensive. And you'll need a pigtail to connect the newer headlights to the older wiring. My upper valence is in paint and should be done early next week. I'll take pictures of everything I've collected for the 05-07 update.
Well...in general, yes. You'll need a new FORD emblem for the grille. The old emblem is smaller and won't look good. Also, the bumper includes about 7 pieces. When looking for an 05-07 bumper you need everything not just the bumper/metal part, this can get expensive. And you'll need a pigtail to connect the newer headlights to the older wiring. My upper valence is in paint and should be done early next week. I'll take pictures of everything I've collected for the 05-07 update.
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 2,759
Likes: 0
From: round rock, tx
Well, after a long weekend, here's my (almost) finished conversion. I've got just a little over $600 into it and for the facelift my truck received, I'm real happy with it.
Some of the Ebay parts are excellent quality, some not so good. For example - the chrome bumper seems a little light. There were a few very light scratches on the surface but the Ebay vendor was very good and made it right with me. I think the old saying 'you get what you pay for' is true in this case. But again - it looks pretty darn good IMO.
As for the upper bumper pad - I see a lot of these left in the flat black they came with. I had our local NAPA mix my correct color and put it in a spray can for me. Although not super professional, for the $20.00 I paid for the paint, I'm happy with the way it turned out. If you do the spray can way, you'll want a can of adhesion promoter and good primer too. And a few days to let it cure!!!
As you can see in these pics, I didin't have the bulbs in my lights yet, but that has since been completed. A big thanks to Dfuser for getting my lights going (great customer service too btw!).
So if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm happy to help anybody I can going through a similar project.
Now let me see if I have figured out how to post these pics . . .
Some of the Ebay parts are excellent quality, some not so good. For example - the chrome bumper seems a little light. There were a few very light scratches on the surface but the Ebay vendor was very good and made it right with me. I think the old saying 'you get what you pay for' is true in this case. But again - it looks pretty darn good IMO.
As for the upper bumper pad - I see a lot of these left in the flat black they came with. I had our local NAPA mix my correct color and put it in a spray can for me. Although not super professional, for the $20.00 I paid for the paint, I'm happy with the way it turned out. If you do the spray can way, you'll want a can of adhesion promoter and good primer too. And a few days to let it cure!!!
As you can see in these pics, I didin't have the bulbs in my lights yet, but that has since been completed. A big thanks to Dfuser for getting my lights going (great customer service too btw!).
So if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'm happy to help anybody I can going through a similar project.
Now let me see if I have figured out how to post these pics . . .Great looking truck!
where in IA?
New User
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
hotprawl,
Well...in general, yes. You'll need a new FORD emblem for the grille. The old emblem is smaller and won't look good. Also, the bumper includes about 7 pieces. When looking for an 05-07 bumper you need everything not just the bumper/metal part, this can get expensive. And you'll need a pigtail to connect the newer headlights to the older wiring. My upper valence is in paint and should be done early next week. I'll take pictures of everything I've collected for the 05-07 update.
Well...in general, yes. You'll need a new FORD emblem for the grille. The old emblem is smaller and won't look good. Also, the bumper includes about 7 pieces. When looking for an 05-07 bumper you need everything not just the bumper/metal part, this can get expensive. And you'll need a pigtail to connect the newer headlights to the older wiring. My upper valence is in paint and should be done early next week. I'll take pictures of everything I've collected for the 05-07 update.
Thanks.
Could you list exactly each part I would need to do the conversion? Would really appreciate it.
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 439
Likes: 4
From: Lubbock, Texas
hotprawl,
Here's a diagram that shows all the pieces need for a complete 05-07 front bumper. As you can see there's a lot of parts that make-up the front bumper. My valence is still at the paint shop...hope it's done today. I'll lay everything out and take pictures before I perform the install.
Here's a diagram that shows all the pieces need for a complete 05-07 front bumper. As you can see there's a lot of parts that make-up the front bumper. My valence is still at the paint shop...hope it's done today. I'll lay everything out and take pictures before I perform the install.
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New User
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
I ended up using most of the parts in the diagram (good post btw) for my conversion. I didn't use bumper brackets 2 or 3, although I might come back and add them someday. Also, I used my Dremel to cut down my existing fillers (6) and used my same license plate holder, although I cut the inward tabs off and then cut a one inch hood bumper diaganally to put the holder sitting up straight again via the bolt holes. The fabs aren't noticeable and I saved myself a few bucks - hey, they add up quickly!
I got the bigger Ford emblem for the grille off Ebay, $39 bucks and it's a quality piece. I would install this on the grille before you mount the grille to the header panel as it's a snug fit and I had to 'work' it a little at the back of the grille to get the tabs to seat.
I was able to use some of speed nuts from my old bumper for the main attaching brackets, but went to the parts store to get several more for the lower valance. They're cheap.
Each time I look at it, I'm glad I went through with it. But I will say that if it had come originally with a '99 chrome bumper and grille, I don't know that I would have spent the money - I just got tired of looking at that monochromatic blue all the time!!!
Good luck and have fun!
I got the bigger Ford emblem for the grille off Ebay, $39 bucks and it's a quality piece. I would install this on the grille before you mount the grille to the header panel as it's a snug fit and I had to 'work' it a little at the back of the grille to get the tabs to seat.
I was able to use some of speed nuts from my old bumper for the main attaching brackets, but went to the parts store to get several more for the lower valance. They're cheap.
Each time I look at it, I'm glad I went through with it. But I will say that if it had come originally with a '99 chrome bumper and grille, I don't know that I would have spent the money - I just got tired of looking at that monochromatic blue all the time!!!
Good luck and have fun!
Hangin 10 bra
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 11,216
Likes: 0
From: Bartlett TN
Well I just used the lights and grill off ebay. I didnt care for the style of the 05-up bumper. I wanted to retain the existing 04 King Ranch bumper but yet gain the newer style grill and headlights. It made a world of different without tons of expenses.
Before
After
Before
After
