If you can melt new plastic tabs on, maybe then the trim will seat? Or plastic weld, something.

The lower valance has imprinted squares where you would cut out the openings for tow hooks if you look close. Do you have hooks to install? Oh, I see the hooks now but not oem.

 

OEM hooks with openings in valance:

 

I'm planning on color matching my rocker panels to my truck and will be using plastidip as the base so i can remove it if I get tired of it. I've done it on my bumper and it came out amazing. So long as your paint isn't too faded the paint will match. Start with a base coat plastidip (lay it down thick so that removal is easier or you will regret it) then whatever color match paint you need and as an added extra I added glossifier to help keep the shine of the paint.

 

Ramman18, I see the hooks on yours! I like those better, for sure. All the trucks I see have theirs sideways, why's mine up n down??

I can pull cover back off and maybe can find some cheapy type of plastic weld type set up(HF?)?? Already drove some stupid bolts into the right side though, right into the front of the valance, cover thing, to close r side gap! At least I used some decent lookin bolt heads!

Why's my hooks up n down?? Everybody else's are always sideways! I want sideways ones! But I done butchered up my cover piece though, I cut it atw to bottom instead of cuttin out a "window". Might have to buy a diff one and cut out the squares correctly if I can turn mine sideways. Why r mine freakin up n down!

WAfrican, u plasti dip'd ur bumper? Was it the silver one? Chrome or whatever they are, like mine? I thought you were supposed to lay it on thin, thin, thin, then thick to be able to pull back off easier? Wonderin if doing bumper(s) in plasti black would look too black everywhere? And I might color match the rocker panels to black like you're thinkin about doing. That or do em that silver-ish color they are, in that dark gray plasti dip, like did on the front bumper cover. Then do like WAfrican mentioned, about using their glossifier stuff.

Orrrr, could paint whole truck black!
Might paint it myself. If do it I could PAINT rocker panels black, or back to silver even, like it came. Was thinkin maybe bout a diff black though, maybe more matte black color or maybe not, if did at home. I mean, it really doesn't have to be perfect because it's age. But still not sure about single stage or bc/cc.

Extra work to bc/cc I guess, but, not sure if single stage worth it when all said n done! It's like, u can't ever shine single s up like you can clear coated paint!
Ehh, still couple months before final decision on that cuz other day at a gas station, when walkin back to truck, there was some coolant dripping pretty good from the middle of the front of the engine. When I looked I saw it comin from timing chain cover.
I think I remember HeyYou sayin those gaskets have to be replaced at some point when they do that(i think i remember HeyYou sayin that).

Anyway, coolant never drained out atw, but still, prob gotta fix that now first before gettin back to cosmetics. Sux! I was all into the cosmetic"ing" projects! Oh yea, AND when doing plugs, wires, dist cap last month I could see inside plenum and it didn't look too hot either! And no magnet stuck to bottom, sooo...But engine runs EX, smooth, power still, clean(ish). Barely any oil between changes. Never leaks coolant(well...till now!)

Here's pics of the plasti dippin front bumper cover stuff.


almost done, gotta throw some freakin bolts into the front of the cover to close gap. I guess cuz some of the clips r missing.


ok, threw couple bolts on r side, closed the gap "ok", i guess. Do left side soon but for now, throwing wheels on!


Guess a gap can be closed some with slamming bolts thru the front of the valance cover. Didnt really like havin to do that though. Prob should've tried to plastic weld clips back on, or melt missing clips back on, or smthn.


That piece can cover up the butcher job I did around the hooks. Plasti dip it, throw on in there??


plasti dip side mirrors? Black? Someone said do em in tidyed! I said camo em on up! Prob just dip em black.





plenum



better view, 1 hole.


Both holes. I never have to add coolant. Barely any oil between 4k oil changes. Could go with whole new hughes set up or smthn, or could just go back factory p gasket kit thing. 249k on it, no rust, runs ex still. Hmmm. Why r the pics sooo big??

 

Btw, that plasti dip gray color is a dark gray. Not close to same color of the rocker panels on these trucks. In the pics, the bottom gray was from a junk yard. Cleaned it up, plasti dip'd it gray. I did the top piece in black and it lasted long, long time, and it's still great today. But this top piece on truck now is from Amzn because the other one was cut at the sides by po for whatever reason, so it wouldn't line up w the jy bottom cover.

Plasti dip prob has it's place for some things out there. I was impressed how long it's still lasting on the other top valance piece that had to come off!

 

Lol those stupid clips that hold the valance and bumper trim on are garbage. I plastic welded mine back on with a solder gun, cursed them the whole time. Everything plastic on these trucks was meant to be assembled once and that's it.

I think the bolts are a good idea but a black button head style would look much cleaner, similar to the ones that hold the lower front skirt / valance on. Also putting a couple washers under the plastic but on the outside of the bumper would prevent the area around the bolt from looking squashed down.

 

Like I said, those hooks are not OEM. The OEM hooks are horizontal. I don't know what brand you have. The valance looks fine with the cutouts you made. If you want to be unique, make some covers from the old pieces you have that can flip up on little piano hinges to expose the hooks when needed and they flip down when not for a cleaner look and aerodynamics. The bolts look odd on just one side so maybe add matching bolts on the passenger bumper? Maybe paint them black? Makes it look like parking sensors but adds a custom bolt look.

Plenum looks fine just dirty. Some seafoam may clean it up. No oil usage in 4k with over 249k on it? That's incredible. Mine's drank two quarts every 3k for its whole life and never had a leak. Sounds like your engine is in great shape. Just fix that coolant leak.