First Gen Grille Options

Hey yall! Hunter from TEQ Customs here. I cam across this thread after a member of a facebook group was spreading false information about the grilles and my company. I wanted to set the record straight and show that we absolutely designed the grilles and have not been lying to anyone.

First off, this was our first major undertaking with product design. We have produced hand built grilles for other vehicles for a while and sold TRD Style grilles for other vehicles, which is what ultimately inspired the idea and project. There were not very many grille options out there prior, so it was an obvious hole in the market. We also moved to a much larger shop (Hit us up if you're in Raleigh, NC!) during this time, which further delayed working on this project.

We had started designing these back in January. This is a screenshot of the first scan of a grille we took, which we used to design the prototypes and eventually, the final product.

At the end of February, we started looking for producers for our design. A picture of the finished CAD design is here.



We ultimately did decide to ship it overseas due to the ability to produce each unit at a lower cost. We estimated that stateside production would have to lead to a price of around 400 dollars per unit to obtain the return that we needed for our work. I've attached one of the first emails that we sent out to a company to get a quote on production.


While we obviously knew there would be risk involved sending it overseas with the lack of enforceable intellectual property laws, we didn't feel the sales at a 400+ dollar price point would give us the return needed. We also assumed that anyone who wanted to replicate it could just as easily buy one, copy it, and undercut us quickly.

Ultimately, it is what it is. It was obviously sold out the back door and as a small business, we simply don't have the money to even attempt to fight it, not that we would have a good chance of anything coming from it anyways.

It's a free country and people have the right to buy things from where they wish. I'm glad most of y'all have gotten your grille in good condition, even if it was stolen. We wanted to provide more options for parts for these vehicles to the community, and we succeeded in doing that.

We will have these grilles in stock soon. i hope you'll support us and future innovation in parts for these trucks and that any confusion created prior is cleared up. This is a great community and we appreciate the opportunity to be a part of it.

 

Regardless, being a middleman and claiming you're not causes people not to trust you anymore. The grill you are selling is from the same chinese seller everyone else here is buying from, and you are charging $100 to paint it when the same company charges $10. Transparency is the best policy.

 

How are we middlemen if it's our own product? Being a middleman means distributing others products.
And of course it's the same.. they stole the design. I really don't understand what I'm not being transparent about.

We charge 100 to colormatch the grille. That means painting them to factory paint codes. I've looked at the seller you're talking about and they say they will only paint the grilles matte or gloss black. You're comparing apples to oranges.

 

They will paint match to any paint code, including full chrome for $10. When you order a grill from your site the order updates make it sound like it goes into production and is being made. They are already made. The 45 day wait time is from the travel time it takes to get it from china to the US by boat. The packaging yours arrives in is identical to the alibaba packaging. I am not saying you didnt design it. I am saying you are buying from the alibaba seller and then reselling it.

 

I have my own supply chain set up. I don't need to buy my own product from an Alibaba seller. Am I not allowed to sell the products I put a lot of time and money into designing because someone stole the design? Come on.

When we order, the grilles are molded and shipped out. Yes, there obviously is transit time. The order tracker is mainly for headlights we build as those have longer lead times. It is not possible to change the tracker for specific orders, so we update to the closest stage of the process that resembles where the grilles are.

We do all of the paint work in house. The paint alone is 30+ dollars from a local body shop. Then we tape off the sections of the grilles that the customer requested. It's a good amount of work and expense. If you want to go with a 10 dollar paint job, you do you.

If you don't want to buy from us, dont. But please don't act like we're being dishonest or misleading people.

 

Does anyone have a link to the 2003-2006 heritage grille from Alibaba?

 

Check out this product on Alibaba App 4X4 Off Road Truck ABS Black grille With Light Fit For 2003-2006 Toyota Tundra
https://m.alibaba.com/product/16004...7.8.2_share","cacheTime":"1800000"}}&from=IOS

 

Did you buy the TEQ designed one or another designed one ?

 

So much drama in here.

 

Your box and grill as received by friend. Heard your a nut job lier and friend is giving this to me at China man's charge, decided he wants no part of TEQ and owner stuff on his truck.

 

Liars tend to do that to people. They get all sorts of people, including me, somewhat riled up.

 

3 lights and TOYOTA center logo is included with grill. Confirm that with them if you order. Their shipping charge is parcel via air shipment and gets here around seven days, or tell them you want it sent by boat for lower ship cost and appx month wait.

https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Auto-Parts-New-Design-ABS-Black_1600484464531.html

 

there is only one.

 

IMHO, that's a heavy lift to assume or more simply put, make an accusation that TEQ is saying he has a new "source for supply". Perhaps posed as a question would have been better ?

As an aside to no one in particular, it's a shame we have resorted to anointing "liars" to individuals. Perhaps it's simply some have a difference of opinion on what "design" means or perhaps they are having a hard time excepting the world of aftermarket parts includes Copying, CAD designing, Manufacture and Delivery. The Grille threads of late here and the ongoing TEQ Facebook thread mentioned earlier, have many satisfied customers but as always, some threads are going to have bone pickers, drama queen type posts. Those are simply no more than their personal opinions about said products. Opinions are great to have but attempting to turn said opinions into untruth does not serve the forum well.

 

Painted mine over the weekend

 

^^^Use a regular off the shelf rattle spray can or sprayed single stage or 2 part professional vehicle paint on it?
After the paint dries it would be good to show a pic with the gloss black front grill look on your truck

 

He's just passing knowledge to other folks not having near or double the cost charged by American suppliers. I know I am grateful to save cash when possible, especially with current inflation steady on the rise. Check these grills out that cost much less and come with 3 lights and center Toyota logo. They have a profound amount of satisfied customers. No harm, no foul. Peace
https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Auto-Parts-New-Design-ABS-Black_1600484464531.html

 

Sadly, exactly what you've just said is why we'll never have domestic manufacturing again.

We can't make it cost effective to manufacture here at home if the consumer prefers saving a buck more than helping out their own home nation. Major corporations started this outsourcing problem, those corporations basically killed American manufacturing. That's forced smaller businesses like TEQ to do the same.

The dude from TEQ said it himself: It'd be $400/ea to make in the US, which is why they were forced elsewhere. The unavoidable choice to outsource led to their design being stolen, and now we have TEQ, an American company, getting ripped off by someone in China that is already setup to mass-produce grills, at least that's how it looks based on the email evidence shown. Somehow you're on here cheerleading for the Chinese grille company that scammed their design, trying to put TEQ's head on a plate, and justifying doing so under the guise that TEQ lied about all this? Are you a PRC plant or something?

I've heard it time and time again over the last 20-30 years, same story. We in America innovate, we create, then we're forced to send overseas for manufacturing only to have our ingenuity stolen. It's lame.

Buy American so we can at least try to revitalize our domestic manufacturing and put an end to it. I'd rather put $200 into the pocket of an American business owner than $100 into the pocket of a design-stealing back-door dealer in China, where we'll never see it again. Inflation or not, stop making excuses for not supporting your damn country.

 

First off, don't pick a senseless unproductive fight with another forum participant on a thread that isn't focused on who supports what. You do your thing helping others learn something of interest with how to do's, and/or save cash buying similar part with same quality as has been seen before on this forum, and is now being done once again. No harm, no foul there!

Secondly, your insinuating I'm a communist faithful to China is beyond ludicrous, just as your indirect order for me to shut up about where to find a product with shipping included and parts added free (lights) that cost approximately half less than offered here in America. If your a supplier of these Toyota TRD front grills and are absolutely upset about competition from another country whether it be from China to Europe and all in between, let me be the first to congratulate you with one of the frustrations of doing business in America that keeps everyone on their toes. Tip: Lie and you die in this business, everyone will soon find out the truth.

If your not seeing what others have, so be it. I don't see anyone appointed to be the comprehension cop around here and I'm not assuming that position to push you or others to change your/their belief. Nor will I attempt to be threatening to others that can't see my or other's observations and belittle them as you tried to do with me.

Good day ole boy. And please stop this nonsense with calling others out for what is different than your adamant belief. If it ain't holy and has holes in it where they don't belong, people tend to see it and become cautious of what to expect or what people say.

 

I'm visiting this thread to see some grille options for my 05 Access Cab. Regardless of where it is made and who has a cheaper price, the TRQ Custom offering for 03 to 06 Tundras looks appealing. If anyone installs one on an Access Cab, please post some photos - or - better yet post a youtube video. - Thanks -

 

I just did mine and painted it as well ,my tundra is a 2001 access cab .but I modified for some custom turn signals and used the 03 grill

 

That's an impressive build. The grille looks good too.

 

Those China designed grills look great! That truck looks like it's ready to rock and roll off road, but no scratches! Going mudding is fun too. Ever tale it out to the boonies, or is it just a good looking off road street queen truck that are common in the cities across America?

 

Street queen? Hardly .I am the original owner of this truck .it's due for another paint job ,or possibly a vehicle wrap this time around. The original color was a dark green color ,after i came back from from a second deployment i decided to paint it a dark gray sliver color .It lives in the desert, the clear coat is fucked now unfortunately. It's had many offroad adventures, mountains , mud ,dirt ,flash floods , My son's learned how to drive with this vehicle and had some glorious dump runs. The paint job now looks like some type of gray Camouflage.,not sure what color I'm gonna due next ,I like that catus gray that ford has .or mybey the new orange that toyota is using .A project I have been kicking around is to convert it to 4wheel drive ,does not seem like a horrible job ,I have done the swap /conversion before on a 2nd gen 4runner . As for the grill the true credit goes to Kevin Hunter, president of Toyota Motor Corporation’s North American design studio.I think it super cool TEQ pushed for a that style grill to be made for our older tundras .and others that have got this style grill for different models as well, just got a similar grill for my gx470 from garage alpha . We all have products made in China, if we get wrapped up on how much we could have saved ,getting from other people or over seas.It can be frustrating, but no need to cry over a few dollars lost.It goes with the territory with this hobby.Overall I like the grill ,It fits fine on my old carbon fiber hood and look. I got going on with the tundra.

 

When you convert it over that truck will be twice as much fun. As far as that grill, they all look exactly the same. Like you say, spending more (double) to you is nothing, and it's good to hear that you can. I, however, believe in buying direct from China and don't mind passing the word along to others that are more so frugal spenders, especially with today's economy slowly getting worse.

Just had to say something about that new looking unscratched everything up front ready to go truck of yours. Nice work putting it together.

 

Excellent! how did you paint that? i'm assuming you scuffed it up perhaps?

 

Thank you .I just cleaned it and wiped it down with some prep spray.Then painted it with some Behr hi gloss black i got from Home depot.

 

I've got an 03 without a chrome bumper. Would any of these even work on it? I don't love the jutting look of the later 1st gen bumper/grille

 

Post a picture of it, the have a pre & post facelift fitment. We just gotta figure out which one you got. I’m gonna guess pre from the description

 

Thar she blows