i'm sure there's more of a difference in person. i know with my hood scoop grille inserts, the pics i've seen of them on other guys trucks looked great! I got a set, and wasn't very happy with them cuz they weren't flush mounted. They stuck out and looked pretty tacky, especially since you could see the stock inserts underneath. i made my own brackets so the inserts are flush, and now it looks like it came that way. i'm sure its the same with the lower grille. Attach it over top and you can tell its an insert in person, but mount it flush and it looks like it came on the truck that way. pics are really decieving sometimes.
but still, any chrome lower grille, flush or not, looks better than the stock black one on the 01's and up

 

I guess I and most others that comment on my lower grille don't have the 'trained eye'.

Oh well, it does the trick for me whether it is flush mounted or not. Guess if I had more time on my hands I might do it or if I was entering it in shows like you.

With 2 growing boys I would much rather spend quality time with them

Maybe when I'm an 'older fart' after my kids grow up I'll have time to do those things. LoL

Still the nicest truck in my neighborhood, flush mount grille or no-flush mount grille.

BTW, I said neighborhood not the planet!

 

Bill...It was more of a personal decision to mount it that way. Like Josh I could tell it was slapped over the original black grille and it bothered me enough to make my own brackets. Its not that anyone can really tell unless they are looking for it! But Im one of those guys that notice the little things. I guess you can call it ****!
Like the time I got a door ding on my old truck...EVERY time I went to drive it I would notice the door ding...so I had it fixed...the I noticed the bodyshop didnt do a very good job when they block sanded it...it drove me nuts!!! I finally had to trade it off!

Either way you go with the mounting...it still looks Great!!

 

Bill, DAMN, I have to say it again, thats a badass truck and damn is it clean. Your grill looks pretty flush to me.

 

Before our BAHDFOG meet I was really looking forward in seeing a lower matching grill that BillP had and the L tails. When I saw the lower grille, it definitely became one of the MUST haves on my list. As BillP said, it really needs a trained eye to notice the difference. If the person looking doesn't know what type of lower grille the truck came with, they will not know the difference.

I think both methods produce outstanding results.
Hopefully, I'll have one soon...... you heard that SANTA!!!!

 

Thanks ChesterC and HeHateME! I really like the insert regardless of how it's mounted.

mitch5170,
Nothing personal at all. The flush mounting you did looks great.

Once I get around to purchasing and installing the long list of mods I want for my truck and get bored I may go that route as well but that will likely be a few years from now.

 

hey bill, i just ordered the lower grill after i saw yours at our BAHDFOG meet. sounds like i'am a little **** like mitch, so i'm going to try and mount it flush. if it does not look right, i'll sell it to you cheap chester!
what i really wanted to do is to modify the upper grill to fit in the lower space. i would need to cut out the upper 2 and lower 2 horizontal bars (the ones without the ford emblem) and glue them together. in my opinion, that would look factory and match perfect. (i must have too much time on my hands )

 

I hear ya!
Ive got a long list too! But Santa is helping me out this year and will be bringing me some go-fast goodies..6# pulley, Chip, Factory Tech Valve body...etc Now if I can just have him stick around long enough to help install all that stuff, Ill have it made!!

BTW I also have two growing boys...14 and 10, and I spend lots of quality time with them too. Family comes first!